Rosebuds

The Rose Hotel Blog

It’s PLAY BALL! for the Bay Area’s Boys of Summer

Among the cultural riches that our guests can treat themselves to during their visits is some of the finest Major League Baseball in the country – with two teams to choose from, both of which have great traditions that include several World Series trophies to their credit.

The good news is that either franchise – the National League’s San Francisco Giants and the American League’s Oakland Athletics – are just a short train ride away from The Rose Hotel. The Bay Area Mass Transit system, better known as BART, leaves from Pleasanton station near the hotel and will drop you off just a short walk from the AT&T Park, home of the Giants, or O.co Coliseum, home of the A’s.

Plan ahead. Get your tickets for the Giants or A’s by clicking here.

Though neither team has gotten to a fast start this season (with the Giants losing their home opener to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the A’s losing to the Seattle Mariners), both are expected to be competitive.

It was just two seasons ago that the Giants won the World Series in surprising fashion. Their excitement comes primary from the mound, where star pitchers Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain throw heat and cool otherwise smoking bats. When the Giants’ starting rotation gets into trouble, Brian “Fear the Beard” Wilson is called out of the bullpen to kill opposing teams’ rallies. Most baseball analysts consider the Giants’ pitching staff to be one of the three best in the league.

The Giants are also being buoyed by the return of catcher Buster Posey, who missed most of last season with a leg injury sustained during a collision at home plate.

The A’s might have found the most exciting rookie in the entire league in the form of Yoenis Cespedes. The Cuban-born centerfielder “seems to have can’t-miss talent,” according to sportscaster Mychael Urban, as made apparent by the 20-minute promotional video of Cespedes, replete with what Urban calls “incredible feats of strength.”

“He’s got a real poised approach to the game,” says Urban, an on-air personality at 95.7 FM The Game. If he can maintain his work ethic and marry it with the mind-blowing talent it makes you think the sky really is the limit for this guy because he’s ridiculously gifted.”

You don’t even have to be an avid baseball fan to have fun at these Major League venues.

AT&T Park receives high praise for its classic look and feel, excellent sightlines and eclectic food offerings such as its famous garlic fries. Besides all the amenities of a modern ballpark, there are great views of the bay from the upper deck and the opportunity to explore one of the coolest cities anywhere right outside the gates. And just beyond the right-field wall is McCovey Cove, the spot where locals invented one of the newest and most unique traditions in baseball, bobbing in their kayaks as they await home run balls.

The A’s have called this spacious park home for more than 40 years and share it with the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders. Tailgating is popular before games in the surrounding parking lots. The stadium made its debut in baseball in 1968, and underwent a $120 million renovation in 1995 that added 22,000 new seats, 90 luxury suites, two private clubs and two state-of-the-art scoreboards.

The comfortable San Francisco-Bay Area weather can be had at either ballpark, and all the traditional (and not-so-traditional) baseball foods and other concessions are available.

Millions of fans come to A’s and Giants’ games every year. Maybe you’ll be among them this season.

 

Between the covers: What people read when they travel

One of the great joys of travel – whether for business or pleasure – is the time it provides to indulge ourselves in books. Air travel offers us the isolation (and often long layovers and flight delays) we need to focus on fictional escapes. Poolside or beachfront reading is a staple among vacationers. The quiet luxury of a quality hotel room is a natural for curling up with a good novel or memoir. But what are all those people on airplanes and in hotel rooms and lobbies reading? Here’s the answer in the form of the 10 bestselling books at airports during the last five years. Not surprisingly, the list is dominated by author…

Hippity-hop, it’s Easter at The Rose Hotel

The Easter holiday is nearly upon us. This year it falls on Sunday, April 8 and represents one of the most religious holidays of any tradition. Though a Christian holiday, Easter has become a national celebration observed by non-Christians as well. It shall not pass without some recognition from The Rose Hotel. We will observe the holiday weekend with special lobby decorations, including a display of traditional Easter lilies, a ceramic Easter egg tree, a giant chick, and other symbols of the day. Guests will receive…

A faster, more secure wi-fi system for our guests

Wireless networks are spreading fast. That’s a very good thing since internet access has become vitally important to people who rely on connectivity to be professionally productive and personally entertained with their personal computers, tablets, smart phones, video-game consoles, digital audio players and so on. That’s why the hotel has just installed a more technologically advanced wi-fi system that offers many advantages, such as…

Wine lovers, we’ve got you over a barrel

One of Livermore Valley Wine Country’s signature events is upon us. The 4th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend is slated for March 31 and April 1, and is an opportunity for wine connoisseurs and dilettantes to taste maturing wines right out of the barrel, meet winemakers, and participate in a wide array of recreational activities. Find out more about tickets, participating wineries and the weekend’s wide array of festivities…