From Champagne Brunch to Holiday Package at Hyatt Regency SFO

     
By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airportis the best in class hotel in the San Francisco Bay Area, and for a good reason. Be it holiday season, or any other season, Hyatt SFO offers value, ambiance,and convenience that take stress out of travel and add some perks to the local scene, too.

Hyatt SFO in Burlingame is frequented by the Bay Area residents celebrating weddings, birthdays, and other family occasions under the 7-story glass atrium roof of the Swiftwater Café as much as by individual travelers flying in and out of San Francisco International Airport; business meetings that have to be conducted in a comfortable yet elegant setting; and various conventions seeking a scene that would be able to accommodate any number of participants.

The largest convention airport hotel in Northern California, Hyatt SFO accommodates groups up to 1,200; has 789 recently renovated guestrooms; boasts sweeping views of the airport runways only two miles away, and offers a 24-hour airport shuttle service.

Welcoming visitors to our bountiful part of the world, in addition to relaxing accommodations, the hotel provides stellar food and beverage service.

Executive Chef Herbert Ng creates an enviable array of inspired dishes using locally sourced, seasonal, organic and sustainable ingredients.

On the night we dined, our opulent menu started with a rolled slice of medium-rare duck breast over toasted couscous mixed with caramelized butternut squash and sprinkled with port gastrique. 

Our arugula and frisee salad had slices of pear, candied walnuts, and Point Reyes blue cheese dressed in citrus vinaigrette, while heirloom tomato and avocado salad was topped by the freshest creamiest burrata enhanced by basil oil.  

Pan seared sea bass with rock shrimp and black rice was followed by cider brined chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms, and herb crusted beef tenderloin garnished with baby potatoes and red onion marmalade.

Chocolate mousse with roasted banana for dessert was presented like a piece of art, and tasted accordingly.

When my husband and I finished our dinner, the night was still young, and we took a little tour through the convention space, where Convolution 2012 was taking place. Zombie hunters, mask makers, steam punk followers, and all kinds of fantasy artists, writers, and consumers were congregating throughout the hotel, dressed as characters from My Little Pony, Three Musketeers, The War of the Worlds, Goth Talk, and contemporary video games.

Apparently, there were several more conventions happening at the hotel at the same time, but none as impressively decorated and dressed up as the Convolution.

Fearing nightmares from the visual overload, I had to retire to bed before midnight…

Bright and early, we were back at the atrium for the famous Hyatt SFO Sunday Champagne Brunch. Served in the spacious Swiftwater Cafe, it includes all imaginable Bay Area culinary treasures.

On one stand there is usually a display of fresh mussels, shrimp, sushi, and smoked fish.  On another – antipasti and crudités with various dips. On the third one – an array of California cheeses and cut fruit.

There is also a made-to-order omelet station, and several hot stations with fish, chicken, ham, beef, and sides.

A central location in the Café is occupied by an enormous dessert station. Chocolate covered crème puffs, lemon bars, brownies, and delectable cakes capture everyone’s imagination.

There is little wonder that this place leads a life of a busy restaurant on its own, serving local group and family gatherings of people who might never plan to make those two miles to the airport.   

For the true travelers concerned with the amount of good food and its effects on the waistline, the hotel features a heated outdoor pool, a Hyatt Stay Fit Gym, and it is just minutes from San Francisco Bay with its jogging and bicycling paths, beaches and golf courses. 

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport-Burlingame is also a pet-friendly hotel.

For the duration of the holiday season, it offers the Park, Stay N’ Fly Package, which is ideal for those with an early morning flight or for those that merely want the convenience and value of parking in a covered lot with easy-to-access airport shuttle service.  The package features accommodations in a spacious guestroom, complimentary shuttle to/from the San Francisco International Airport and free parking for up to ten days in a covered lot, protecting vehicles from the elements. Parking in excess of the included ten days is $10 per day, for a total maximum of twenty parking days per package. Rates for the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport’s Park, Stay N’ Fly Package start at $119.

Package offerings and inclusions are valid through December 30.  For hotel and restaurant reservations and additional information call (650) 347-1234 or visit www.sanfranciscoairport.hyatt.com.