GEM ALERT: NELSONS COTTAGE, SAN FRANCISCO
Some of the most special vacation rentals—the real gems—are ingeniously hidden out of sight. You certainly won't find this charming Provencal-style guest cottage -- nestled into the garden of an exquisitely restored Victorian a block from hip Union Street boutiques and restaurants-- on HomeAway.com!
If you’ve ever had fantasies about living in what I still insist is the world’s most beautiful city, indulge them with a week (or three) at Nelsons Cottage near the stylish boutiques, bakeries and restaurants of Union Street. Here's why:
Location, Location, Location. If you love to walk, Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf (where you can catch a cable car to Chinatown and fashionable Union Square) and even the Golden Gate Bridge are easily in reach. The spectacular vistas and mansions of Pacific Heights are a lung-tweaking hike of only a few blocks. Anywhere else in the city is easily accessible via bus or taxi. (In other words, no car necessary!)
Personal welcome. Perfect for: Honeymooners, a pair of friends or a family with small children (even two couples who don’t mind sharing the single luxe bathroom). This cozy cottage is buffered from city sounds by lush lawns and gardens. You’ll be pampered by the owners’ feel-like-family generosity —everything from fresh flowers to a personal “Welcome Book” guiding you step by step to personally recommended restaurants, shops and city sights. (So much nicer than a handful of cheesy brochures doled out at most hotels!)
On the counter of the eat-in kitchen, I found a wicker basket with a selection of teas, a box of granola, a bag of Peet’s ground beans and Starbucks Decaf House Blend and packets of hot chocolate. On the kitchen table, a vase of yellow daffodils and bowl of fresh fruit: pears, apples, a plum, a melon and a handful of Clementines. In the fridge: orange juice; a carton of strawberry yogurt; low-fat milk and half & half; a liter of fresh water, and. a bottle of good Chardonnay.I felt cared for in a way I never have in any five-star hotel.
Comfortably un-frilly. The vintage 1910 cottage is dressed in the colors of Provence—sunny yellow, lavender, lime and light blue—with beautifully restored wood floors and crown molding. One bedroom off the living room is almost filled with a king-sized bed. Another, off the kitchen is outfitted as an office, but can sleep two on a fold-out couch. It also opens to a small wood deck. Backed by a soaring cement wall, it is very private, if a bit dank.
The living room has all the modern conveniences—satellite TV, DVD/CD player, stereo—plus a brushed steel woodstove and ceiling spots for easy reading. The bathroom is like a spa—high-style fixtures including an extra deep square tub/shower, terry-lined robes and lush Hauts de Provence Fig Bath Soap
Even if this is your first visit to San Francisco—especially if it is!—Nelsons Cottage is as good as it gets.