Hotel – Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Whart

Located in the touristy district of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, is a great property that during the week offers amazing values compared to other hotels in the Bay Area. The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf is conveniently located near Pier 39 (about 2 blocks away), home to every sourdough bowl of clam chowder you could ever imagine. From Pier 39 you can also see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. On a Tuesday night, my rate was $175 plus tax for the night. If any of you have ever traveled to the Bay Area for business you know that this is a great rate. As you walk into the hotel, you’ll notice that the lobby has a very modern feel.

  • Rooms: Fairly newly renovated. I was upgraded to an extra large king room so I think my room was a little bigger than the norm.
  • Gym: The fitness center at this hotel is decently sized and filled with multiple treadmills, elliptical machines and even cycling bikes. Their free weights however is a bit disappointing for such a large space, their maximum dumb bells only go up to the standard 50 lbs. *Life Hack! – with this hotel I recommend going outside for a run. Head towards the water and turn left. You’ll run through a great park and eventually head towards the Golden Gate Bridge, which is about 4.5 miles away (umm, I’ve never ran that far because that would be a total of 9 miles round trip).
  • Parking: Although the rooms may be reasonably priced, the parking is not. There is only valet parking and it’s $59 per night!
  • Resort Fee: $20 per night plus tax. These fees are a huge pet peeve of mine!
  • Food: The hotel offers a restaurant with a bar but you are so close to Pier 39 that I highly recommend getting out of your room and checking out the nearby attractions (see below).
  • Nearby Attractions: Within walking distance is Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. I highly recommend going outside and going for a stroll. It’s a great area for site seeing if you have some downtime.

Hotel – Portland, Oregon

Hyatt House in downtown Portland. The name is sort of a misnomer because although you’re in/near downtown you can’t walk to anything in downtown Portland. It’s a great location on the water with very easy access to downtown but I wouldn’t say in downtown.

Service: amazing, they try to go above and beyond to take care of their guests

Nearby venues: there is a great dive bar within a 3 minute walk called Portland Sports Bar and Grill. Great local venue. There is also a McCormick & Schmicks across from the sports bar but I try to avoid franchise chain restaurants as much as possible.

Run: one of the best features about this hotel is that it has easy access to the Columbia River. Walk out the front door, turn right and runs and you’ll find yourself running along the Columbia River. Great run.


Gym: the gym is decent, has several treadmills, elliptical, and most importantly has the Lifestyle machine