New Hotel Silver Arrivals...

Just added some newly acquired pieces of hotel silver to the shop! They are available for purchase right here...

Stay tuned for lots more next week!

My Latest Prize.

I just had to share one of my latest acquisitions with you; a 1920s silverplated trophy for cake decoration from the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco! This is what it reads:

GREETER'S DAY

DECORATED CAKE CONTEST

CALIFORNIA INDUSTRIES EXPOSITION

1924

FIRST PRIZE

ST. FRANCIS HOTEL

CHAS. R. STRANDBERG

PASTRY CHEF.

Isn't this the cutest? I'm not sure if this is a keeper or a seller. Just that fact that it's from one of my favorite hotels and for a cake contest, it's one of the sweetest trophies I've ever seen.

Just had to share...

image credit: David Stone Photography

The Secret Room.

Some of you may know that my husband is a concierge at the Sir Francis Drake hotel in downtown San Francisco. Well, the other night I received a private tour of the mysterious prohibition room in the dark corridors of the hotel.

Please join me on my little journey...

The "Drake" opened in 1928. A stunning Art Deco hotel lavished with ornate carving and chandeliers. The Drake housed vaudeville and screen stars. It was, and still is, a breathtakingly beautiful hotel.

Throughout its history, The Drake has been known as the "party" hotel, with the fabulous Starlight Room overlooking the City and the early prohibition days.

My private tour started with a ride up this elevator--the only elevator that takes you to the prohibition room. Before entering, my escort, Wei asked me if I wanted a cocktail. I saved it for later.

Wei, who loves giving the tour, escorted me into the speakeasy. It has its own floor located between the first and second floors of the hotel, and is accessible only with a special turn-of-the-key on the elevator.

Upon entering, Wei turns on a phonograph and plays a 1920s record. I was just in awe.

The prohibition room is staged with mannequins and antique memorabilia to bring you back in time. I definitely felt like I was back in the 20s.

The owners of the hotel wanted to make extra income by selling and distributing alcohol to its guests, thus, this room was part of the original building plan. It was a very discreet operation that only a few people actually knew about. A lot of the Drake employees didn't even know that alcohol was being distributed.

Talk about clever. The bottles were covered in brown paper bags, hidden in luggage, and delivered in trucks via the hotel garage. The bellman worked with the prohibition room operator for a seamless operation. If there was a raid, they pushed an emergency button and 'locked up.' There were several attempts to raid the hotel, but it never happened.

All of the rooms had dumb-waiters, so you could discreetly slide open the door and serve the guests. Celebrities knew that when they stayed at the Drake, within about 10 minutes of their arrival, there would be a bottle of alcohol in their room.

What an amazing little tour! Thanks Wei!

If you happen to visit The Drake in the near future, pay a visit to my husband Leif (& little Vito) at the concierge desk, tell him who you are, and have a drink on him!

Cheers!

A Little Getaway

exterior of The Parker, Palm Springs

Since there are no signs of Spring any time soon here in Northern California, I thought it would be a perfect time to share some photos of my recent little getaway to Palm Springs, CA. I regret not taking more photos of the sprawling palm trees and mountains, but come with me and take a little look around, okay?

enter the orange doors of The Parker...

Enter the lobby which is filled with geometric shapes of '60s décor and Peruvian wall hangings. The 131-room and 12-villa resort is playful and entertaining. There are 3 swimming pools (one indoor), tennis courts, croquet, even a cute lemonade stand...

The Parker, designed by Jonathan Adler, doesn't disappoint. The whimsical lobby is eclectic and colorful.

I LOVE that vintage drug sign!

Love that shelf of 60's colorful decanters...

Some of Adler's pottery...

The bar in the middle of the lobby...

Would you like a shot of rum before your massage? Yes, that's what they ask you at The Palm Springs Yacht Club, PSYC for short. 'Tongue and cheek' going on here.

This spa is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I could have lived there. After a massage one day and a sugar scrub the next, I was in heaven. Didn't have that shot of rum though...

What's a trip to Palm Springs without a little antiquing? Yes, we shopped and we found. A lot of wonderful modern decor...some great vintage finds!

Little secret...I love to gamble. And what fun...two Indian casinos just a few miles from the hotel...unfortunately no winnings to report...

The rooms weren't over-the-top, but the amenities...oh my. Here we go; L’Occitane and Hermes boxed soap (yes, that's right, Herme's beautiful soaps), Bulgari body lotion, Molton Brown shower gel, Penhaligon’s shampoo and conditioner, Blistex lip balm, and Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen. Needless to say, our suitcases conveniently used our products daily and were replenished by housekeeping.

It was a much-needed, short 4 day getaway, that seems like ages ago. I definitely recommend anyone going to Palm Springs to visit The Parker. At the least, check out the PSYC spa. It's divine!

Now go on and enjoy your Spring!

R & R Time...

Psyc Spa at the Parker Palm Springs

I rarely take time off, but am thrilled to take a much-needed few days off in sunny Palm Springs. My friend and I are going to plant ourself by the pool and go to the spa. No antiquing. Well, perhaps a little. Just a needed break here. Can't wait to share the details of the decor at the Parker!

Anyway, I'm signing off for the week, so wishing you all a great week ahead!

Going, going, gone!

Yesterday I lost out on one of the most beautiful pieces of hotel silver/china I've ever seen. This Hotel Ritz, Paris teapot fetched $560 on eBay. My bid just wasn't high enough!

You may already know that I collect and sell hotel silver. I have similar pieces to this in my collection (from US hotels), but have never seen a combination of Christofle silver and a very rare china manufacturer, the Sarreguemines Co., that was located in France.

Interesting...the cobalt blue china insert portion of the teapot is turned to the left side and was intentionally designed that way to accommodate pouring with use of the right hand.

This piece dates to 1919 or 1920. Beautiful elaborate crest Hotel Ritz crest on the front and insanely beautiful craftsmanship. Divine...

Okay, so I didn't win, but my, oh my, isn't it beautiful?

images from here, uniondepothotel

We Have a Concierge!!

Well, not at Paris Hotel Boutique exactly, but in our family.

My husband recently started a job as a concierge for the Westin & Sir Francis Drake Hotels in San Francisco. Isn't it ironic? My love for hotels and he working for them!

He's doing a job that he is absolutely passionate about...assisting and serving others in a city that he knows like none other. And, he's certainly keeping me on my toes as to what the latest happenings are in the City.

So, if you're coming to San Francisco and looking for some assistance, Paris Hotel Boutique will refer you to one of our finest concierges!

At your service!

Still Washing Coins at the St. Francis Hotel

Yesterday the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle had a most fascinating article that caught my eye. The Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco employs a coin washer, yes, a coin washer---something they've been doing since 1938.

In the mid-1930s, this employee cleaned the change women were using to pay for lunch so they wouldn’t get their white gloves dirty. Today, coin washer Rob Holsen cleans about $700 to $800 in coins a week in an old, manually operated machine.

Holsen says, "It's a connection to a different time. A connection to a more gentle time, when to go downtown was a big deal. Dress up, put on a hat and gloves, and go to Macy's."

Rob Holsen runs cleaned coins through a sorter, which assembles the change in paper rolls. Then uses a heat lamp to dry the coins. {His predecessor Arnold Batliner's portrait on the wall--Batliner held the position for 31 years!}

It is believed the the St. Francis Hotel is the only hotel to still wash its coins. Every penny, nickel, dime and quarter. Mr. Holsen even inspects and weeds out the funky coins that are bent and mutilated. Amazing.

I'm thrilled to know that some old traditions still exist during these fast-paced, different times.

You can read the entire coin-washing story here.

photos: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Have You Been to Claridge's Hotel?

This may be the week I should be paying attention to my horoscope or something. Between my friend Janet blogging about the lovely Fortnum & Mason, a friend inviting me to take a short trip with her to the U.K., and then reading about the remodel at Claridge's in London, someone is telling me it's time to go to London!

The legendary Claridge's Hotel was recently re-branded and I'm mesmerized! Forgive me, but I've had to take some of this content from the Full House blog where I discovered it.

London design studio Construct has given the branding of London's famous Claridge's Hotel a thorough overhaul, starting with the hotel's crest which has been redrawn.

isn't this mint green the prettiest color?

They introduced this gorgeous palette of mint green, gold, white and black. Chevron patterns appear on the inside of bags, envelopes and on various objects, publications and goodies only available at the hotel. Sadly not online. Here are a selection of images of some of the items available. I am in love with this color combo and the amenities of this 5 star hotel.

How yummy is this color combo?

And another part of the remodel are some of their recently renovated rooms designed by Diane Von Furstenburg...

London is calling my name...

And the crème de la crème, afternoon tea served on this gorgeous china. Simply scrumptious!

Have you been to Claridge's Hotel before? How about my U.K. blogger friends, eh? It looks absolutely divine!

photo credits: Claridge's Hotel, Full House, Construct