The Miyako, continued:

The neighbourhood:

The hotel is at 1625 Post, in the heart of Japantown. It's not on any major hill (which is a good thing); turn left in front of the hotel and you are, quite literally, in the centre of Japantown, pagodas, sushi, shopping and all. Walk west for two blocks, and you're in the Fillmore; turn left at Fillmore and walk one block, and you can either walk into John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room, or into the Fillmore West.

For transportation, it's hard to imagine a better spot. The Post Street bus stops nearly in front of the hotel. One block south, there's the 38 Geary, which goes all the way to the ocean at the western end, and all the way downtown on the eastern end.

For restaurants - ok, that would take all day. Sushi fans would be in heaven; over on Fillmore, there are restaurants of every ethnicity imaginable, including one of my favourites, La Mediterranee. There's a branch of Gimme Shoes. There's shopping for miles.

The hotel is maybe ten minutes away from Union Square shopping by bus, and maybe fifteen minutes away from the beach.

But soaking tubs + Western-style beds sounds perfect!

Oh, hell yes. I'm all about the western beds....

I want to stay at the Miyako just because.

Vortex, I remember it as the cool rocker hangout hotel in the seventies. Elton John used to buy his sunglasses at this place on Sacramento - long gone, that store. Led Zep stayed there - to the best of my knowledge, no sandsharks were requested of the concierge.

The rooms on the upper floors have amazing views. And the Osaka room, suite/prom probability, has huge double doors, and is easily accessed by elevator.

Gah, sold.

(Premature, I know, and I know there'll be other good stuff coming along.)

Still. Sold.

Hell, yes, there will be other stuff. As much as I'm point-personning for SF, Seattle kicks serious ass, and has become one of my favourite cities. And jeepers, well, Vegas....

...in the not terribly likely event that the F2F coincides with a time I can leave the country, and that I can afford the flight, and that it's in Vegas - I have to get married. 'kay? 'Cause inasmuchas I have any wedding fantasy a la Muriel's wedding, it involves me getting married in Vegas. By an Elvis Impersonator. Probably to another girl. Or maybe a gay boy.

...what? It's a wedding fantasy. It just doesn't involve a froofy white dress, is all.

jumps in line to marry Fay firstest

remembers, is off the market. damn.

Fay, so long as the sex afterward involves the foofy white dress, it sounds like a go to me.

Okay. Here's the official Miyako website. If you click on the virtual tour, you can see some of the rooms.

Also, here's the floorplan of the Garden Level. The Osaka Room - our hospitality suite/prom site - is to the right.

Have I left anything out? I was a bit distracted by needing to find family and friends in London, but I think I've covered it all.

Next stop, early next week: The Holiday Inn Golden Gateway on Van ness. I doubt it's going to top the Miyako, though.

For the record, I think that it is totally unfair to the other cities that Deb found such a fantastic hotel. I was totally looking forward to voting for Seattle, since I've never been there, but now I am swayed by the soaking tub. Lush trip anyone?

(the entire above post is said with tongue in cheek, thanks and love to Deb and a challenge to the Seattle and Vegas folks :) )

p.s for pure curiosity's sake, how many people can fit in a soaking tub. Just for shits and giggles . . .

eta: and I totally sound like a valley girl. like, wow.