S.F. towers offer hotel service at home —
From dog-walkers to opera tickets, deluxe digs provide it all (Excerpt)
San Francisco Business Times
J.K. Dineen
September 12, 2008
Need opera tickets? A dog-walker? Or how about, in a pinch, a pair of Bruno Magli suede pumps when Neiman Marcus is closed? If you live at the Infinity, One Rincon Hill or the SoMa Grand, chances are staff can accommodate your wishes.
While developers of San Francisco's new deluxe highrises pitch the merits of their mind-blowing views and chic interiors, it is often the personal services and amenities buildings offer that seals the deal, according to buyers and experts. This is especially true during a down real estate market, when buyers are in control and questioning every detail of every tower's slick marketing campaign.
The new emphasis on services for condo developers is creating a new hybrid lifestyle that is half home-ownership and half hotel living. Residents, many of whom are moving into the city from spacious, high-maintenance suburban homes, are looking for the pampering and freedom five-star hotel living brings, according to Nina Gruen, a real estate consultant with Gruen + Gruen who moved this year from a large El Cerrito home to a SoMa Grand penthouse on Mission Street.
Gruen said the SoMa Grand services, provided by Chip Conley's Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is "a big factor in many of the baby-boom households who decide to move from nice suburban homes." Her daily newspapers are brought to her door. Housekeeping comes twice a month and leaves a small tin of chocolates. If she wants a cab to work, she calls the front desk. Wine-tasting socials are monthly. If she wants to throw a dinner party, the SoMa Grand staff can cater it.
"People say how long did it take to adjust to the new home, and I say 24 hours," said Gruen. "At every stage of your life cycle you want different things. The kind of people I'm talking about want the freedom to travel and not to worry. The freedom to come and go is very important to people over 60 years of age."
