Inman

Presidential Suite: Best room in the house

Editor’s note: It’s that time again – some 25,000 Realtors will meet up Oct. 28-31, for the biggest real estate event of the year, the National Association of Realtors’ annual convention and tradeshow. Inman News created this five-part offbeat guide to the not-to-miss real estate event. (See Part 1: Party on with the Realtor ‘in’ crowd; Part 2: NAR tradeshow: A story of celebrities, no-shows and free stuff; Part 4: Inman Video: San Francisco ‘hoods worth checking out and Part 5: Inman Video: Cool San Francisco Bay Area hangouts.)

We don’t know if Al Mansell, president of the National Association of Realtors, will have time during the upcoming San Francisco convention to spoon on the hotel rug with his sweetie the way SF Mayor Gavin Newsom did in an infamous Harper’s Bazaar photo.

But we do know he’ll most likely have the option to enjoy the hot tub, three bedrooms and stunning view of the Bay Bridge available from the Presidential Suite in the downtown San Francisco Marriott. Why? Because, traditionally, the NAR’s president gets the best room in the house.

And the best room, according to sources at the Marriott, is Room 3742, a two-level presidential suite.

Perhaps appropriately for San Francisco, the three-bedroom suite is bi-level, our source told us, with a hot tub and a granite countertop and stone floor in the bathroom.

For relaxation, there’s the fluffiest of down comforters, our source confirmed.

On the other hand, of course, the room’s occupant will probably have business to conduct. But not to worry: the suite has four or five phones and high-speed Internet access for these needs.

After a refreshing night’s sleep wrapped in the luxurious down duvet, this room’s lucky occupant can yawn and stretch on the suite’s east-facing balcony and enjoy the first rays of the sun and the view of San Francisco’s financial district, the Bay Bridge and the piers of Oakland across the San Francisco Bay.

And, should Marriott’s special guest care to, he can dash down to the hotel’s fitness center and work out on the cardiovascular equipment and free weights before he tackles the NAR’s challenging convention schedule.

The hotel itself is an outstanding feature of the city’s skyline. When it first went up, some referred to it as the “jukebox Marriott” because of its jazzy Art Deco design. Over the years, it has become one of the city’s most popular hotels, a fitting addition to a town known for its colorfulness and diversity.

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