The hills and sounds of San Francisco.

“The hills are alive with the sound of music

With songs they have sung for a thousand years

The hills fill my heart

With the sound of music

My heart wants to sing every song it hears.”

New visitors to the City, complain about the steep hills and the city noise.

Yes, San Francisco is one of the hilliest cities in the world.

San Francisco was a small town of 1,000 residents, but in 1849, during the Gold Rush, the 49ers brought in an additional 25,000 gold seekers. The City was on its way to becoming a world-class city. Undaunted by the hills of Nob Hill, Russian Hill and Telegraph Hill, Andrew Halliday in 1873 designed the first cable car to run on Clay Street after witnessing the abuse of horses drawing carriages up the steep hills.

San Franciscans are extremely proud of their hills. The columnist, Herb Caen, famously declared, “Take anything from us, our cable cars, our bridge, even our bay – but leave us our hills.”

A city built on 48 hills with only 7 hills named, San Francisco Suites is proud to be perched on the first named hill, Nob Hill.

“I go to the hills

When my heart is lonely

I know I will hear

What I’ve heard before

My heart will be blessed

With the sound of music

And I’ll sing one more”

Then there are the city sounds. Yes, there is the rambling of the rails of the cable car and clanging of bells, the bird song of crows, ravens, seagulls and the croaking Russian Hill parrots, and during the summer, the ominous groaning of the foghorn out on the Bay and the Grace Cathedral bells ringing out over Huntington Park and Nob Hill.

San Francisco is alive with the sound of music, with heart-stopping inclines and exhilarating vistas. So, embrace the city sounds and hills. Take a cable car or, better yet, hike the SF Cross Town Trail, which is a 17-mile trek starting from Candlestick Park and ending at Lands’ End.

Our owners, Martha and Peter Jones, completed the hike a few weeks ago. It took 7 hours and, on their return, they took refuge by the lobby fireplace, enjoying a glass of wine and sharing their experience with guests in the lobby.

The Embarcadero (its flat) is also a wonderful place to walk, starting at the Ferry Building, walking along the waterfront with a view of the lights on the Bay Bridge.

The Ferry Building is enjoying a renaissance with a fascinating new array of restaurants, shops and bakeries:

• Arquet has re-opened in the Slanted Door space

Californian cuisine from the Michelin star owners of Sorrel

• Nopa Bar is famous for take-out fish and chips
• Hog Island Oyster Bar
• Senor Sisig takeout breakfast and Mexican burritos
• Parachute Bakery voted best croissant in SF
• Farmers Market outside the Ferry Building

Saturdays from 8 am – 2 pm

Ferry Building is great for shopping. Pick up bread from Acme Bread, or an ice cream cone from Slocombe Creamery or browse through the shelves at Books, Inc.

A new favorite French bistro, Bon Delire, with a waterfront view, classic French films shown on the walls while a DJ spins French jazz. Steak frites is a must!

• Bon Délire Pier 3

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a lively bar scene

Last month I attended a Women in Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Hotel Council at the St Francis Hotel. It was extremely inspirational to see such a large number of women hotel general managers. When I started at the Huntington, 30 years ago, I was one of the first female concierge in the world. When the American section joined the European concierge association, Les Clefs d’Or, they were forced to accept women in the profession. At that time, in San Francisco, there was not a single woman general manager. Years later, I was hired by the San Francisco Suites as General Manager, and now in SF it is not uncommon to see a woman in a hotel leadership role.

SFS news alert:

• New sofa beds are arriving at the end of August
• All Masters and Parlors all have new bed

Shout out and thank you to the Olsons!

They invited friends to join them at the Suites to go to the Giants game, and now their friends are new owners of a parlor!

Please let me know if you have a friend who may be interested in becoming an owner, and I will offer them a complimentary stay.

The next board meeting is Saturday, August 15

The San Francisco hills are full of the sounds of the City.

My heart wants to sing every song it hears.

Happy Summer!

Warmest wishes,

Cynthia Reid

General Manager

San Francisco Suites

 The bloom is on the City

City trees bursting with cherry blossoms, Union Square filled with tulips, orange poppies blanket Mt Tamalpais, while the wild, green parrots of Russian Hill fly overhead.

It’s springtime in the City!

March 21 was Tulip Day in Union Square hosted by JPMorgan in honor of International Women’s Day. 80,000 colorful tulips were handed out during the day for free.

Hotels, restaurants, storefronts and cable cars were all decked out with blossom displays in a competition to win the Bloomie Award. St Francis Hotel won the award with The Bloom Suite that was filled with an immersive flower forest.

Major Lurie has plans to allow the sidewalk flower vendors back so that you can once again buy a gardenia or a bouquet on the street corner after shopping at Gump’s.

Every 4^th Friday at 5:30 pm a Salsa Party is held in the Square, including live music and dance lessons:

May 23, June 27, July 25, August 22

Union Square Restaurants:

Chotto Matte 50 O’Farrell St

• Japanese and Peruvian cuisine

• roof top restaurant and bar

Bourbon Steak and Bar 335 Powell St

• St Francis Hotel

Post Room 450 Powell St

• Beacon Grand Hotel

John’s Grill 63 Ellis

• Iconic steakhouse & seafood since 1908 with nightly jazz

• Statue of Maltese Falcon (Dashiel Hammett)

If you missed tripping thru the tulips in Union Square, you could always pick up a picnic and head out to Queen Wilhelmina’s Tulip Garden and Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park, near Ocean Beach. In 1902, Queen Wilhelma of the Netherlands donated the tulip garden and windmill to the City.

• Queen Wilhelmina’s Tulip Garden and Dutch Windmill

1690 John K Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate Park

April 11-19 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and Parade was held in Japantown

Restaurants in the area:

• Tenroku Sushi Japan Center

• Benihana Japan Center

• Copra elegant Indian cuisine 1700 Fillmore

Sunday, May 17th, the 114^th World famous 7.46-mile footrace and massive street party,

Bay to Bay Breakers, begins at 8 am at Howard and Main, winds through the Golden Gate Park and ends at the Ocean.

One of our long-time owners invites a group of friends to join her at the Suites every year to run in the race. She gets ready by walking to the Golden Gate Bridge and continuing to Sausalito and then back to the Suites in time to enjoy the wine hour. She is an inspiration!

Please be reminded that the April property tax installment was due. If you did not receive your tax bill in the mail, please contact me and I can help you pay for it online.

If you are a new owner or have moved, you will need to contact the SF Tax Collector to give them your new address. You can also contact me for assistance.

Also, the BOD minutes are always posted on the website: www.sfsuitescsa.com

Spring tulips are a symbol of pure love and yellow tulips are a symbol of sunshine, cheerfulness and friendship.

We all look forward to welcoming you back to your “home away from home” and a vase of yellow tulips will always be waiting for you in the lobby as a friendly and cheerful welcome.

Happy Spring!

Cynthia Reid
General Manager
San Francisco Suites

Happy Lunar New Year!

Cable cars are festooned with red and gold lanterns, heralding the 2026 Chinese New Year and marking the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse which only appears every 60 years.

The Fire Horse signifies a dynamic year of independence, passion and rapid change, bringing bold actions, speed and resilience. The Year of the Fire horse rewards bravery and forward momentum.

The Chinese Lunar Parade will be held on Saturday, March 7 at 8pm

• Parade begins at 2nd and Market and features the 288 ft Golden Dragon

Chinese Restaurants to experience:

• China Live 644 Broadway

• Mr. Jiu’s 28 Waverly Place

• R&G 631 Kearney

• Z & Y Restaurant 655 Jackson

The 2026 Super Bowl held on February 8 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara was not just a win for the Seahawks but for the entire Bay Area, especially San Francisco.

Alex Bastion, CEO of Hotel Council, writes for SF Business Times.

“We showed the world why San Francisco remains a premier destination for global events.

There is no city quite like it. Its geography, history, creativity and contradictions set it apart.

You can taste the uniqueness in our restaurants, see it in our architecture and feel it in our neighborhoods. Above all, you experience it through the people who live and work here.”

This success came together due to working San Franciscans collaborating, together with civic pride. Mayor Lurie led the way with city workers, hospitality workers, public safety officers and transit operators. The city felt clean, safe and welcoming and even Karl the Fog stayed out of the way.

Super Bowl 2026 may have been the best marketing plan, not due to slogans, banners or ads but because of the reality of first-hand experience.

San Francisco Suites is also reaching out to attract new owners and trying to change the narrative that timeshares are no longer popular. Due to a generational shift at the Suites, which has resulted in many non-performing shares, due to original owners having to relinquish their shares, there have been discussions about the need for a marketing plan. However, the Airbnb rental program, just like the Super Bowl experience, gave new guests first-hand experience to enjoy the uniqueness of an Edwardian property filled with European art, antiques and sparkling chandeliers coupled with exceptional hospitality.

Not only do we now have a worldwide presence on a booking platform, but the result is when a new guest experiences the Suites, they not only want to return but they want to become an owner.

At the end of a stay, at a great property, it is not only the surroundings that make an impact, but it is how you were made to feel during your stay that makes a lasting impression.

The result of the overwhelming success of the rental program, which brought in $91,000 in revenue last year and offset the deficit due to the large number of non-performing shares, along with the help of owners bringing in their friends to experience the Suites, we now have 16 new owners.

It is the personal experience that changes the narrative.

This is the best marketing plan for both the City and San Francisco Suites.

Here is an open invitation to any owner who has a friend or family member who may be interested in becoming an owner, we will have a complimentary night for them at the Suites.

The Board and I would like to thank owners, Rick Osgood, David Maul and Linda Nicolay, who sent their friends to stay at the Suites and now have become new owners.

San Francisco Suites is also on the rise.

Lastly, San Francisco continues to rise

• March 1, the Huntington Hotel and Spa have now reopened with the Big Four opening on March 17.

• The Bay Bridge Illuminate light installation with 50,000 LED lights creating a

360 -degree display will return at the end of March.

Happy Spring!

Cynthia Reid

General Manager

San Francisco Suites

3/3/2026

San Francisco Suites on Nob Hill

Dear San Francisco Suites Owners:

The 2025 delinquent assessment foreclosure auction will be held on

Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 1:30 pm.

Please find below the 7 shares that will be up for auction with the minimum bids.

The new owner will also be responsible for the past due property taxes on some of the shares and the 2026 assessment, which is $1,776.00.

Master – 267M $2,295.90 ($537.24 tax due)

316M $2,295.90 ($537.240)

262M $2,295.90 ($285.65)

Parlor – 297P $2,295.90($28.26 tax)

75P $2,295.90 ($35.13)

225P $2,295.90 ($956.98)

313P $2,295.90 ($282.98)

The shares will be sold at auction as follows:

Vacation Ownership Title Company will hold the auction:

Outside the Memorial Gates

by Van Ness between 301 and 401 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, CA.94102

Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 1:30 pm

The estimated minimum bids are located above.

Please be advised; that there may be additional costs.

You are invited to bid, and the highest bid will sell for cash payable at the time of sale in lawful money of the United States, in cash, or cashier’s check drawn by a state or national bank, state or federal credit union, state or federal savings and loan association, savings association or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in the State.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this matter.

Thank you,
Cynthia Reid
General Manager
San Francisco Suites

creidgm@sfsuitescsa.com

CC: Geoffrey Bellah, President

December 2025

It’s Christmas time in the City

Silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmas time in the city

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks

Dressed in holiday style

In the air

There’s a feeling

of Christmas

San Francisco is illuminated with holiday light installations, SF Glow, Aura at Grace Cathedral, and Lightscape, a tunnel of lights, in the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park.

Hotels on Nob Hill and Huntington Park are all lit with festive holiday lights.

The Union Square Christmas tree is covered in lights. Stockton at Geary is cordoned off for the Winter Walk for visitors to grab a hot chocolate and rest while being entertained by the ice skaters on the rink or listen to the various music concerts.

The Bill Graham Menorah on the Square is lit daily during the Chanukkah holiday

There are still puppies and kittens in Macy’s windows. The tree in Neiman Marcus glistens while shoppers dine at the Rotunda on the best burger or my favorite lobster club sandwich.

Children laughing,

people passing

Meeting smile after smile

And on every street corner

You’ll hear

Silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmas time in the City

This Holiday season has been festive and full of light thanks to SF Glow which is especially helpful since the mythic tule fog has returned during December.

When returning to the Suites in the evening, look up to the rooftop gazebo which is now a beacon of lights, welcoming you back to your home away from home.

The Suites lobby is festooned with garlands, wreathes, poinsettia plants and a glorious Christmas tree all covered with lights.

The fireplace flickers, as guests enjoy the wine hour, sharing stories of recent adventures amidst much laughter.

Strings of street lights

Even stop lights

Blink a red and a green

As the shoppers rush

Home with their treasures

Holiday events not to miss

• Aura at Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill

• Lightscape tunnel of lights in Botanical Gardens, Golden Gate Park

• Ice skating at Union Square

Children laughing

People passing

Meeting smile after smile

And on every street corner

You’ll hear

Silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmas time in the City

SFS Reminders:

• Dec 11 is 1st property tax installment. Please let me know if you need help paying your taxes online

• January 2 is the Call for Nominations for 1 position on the Board which is now held by Geoffrey Bellah. He is running for reelection so if no other applications are received, it could be an uncontested election in March

• Contact the desk if you want to exchange your 7 unused days with an Exchange company

Visit the Historic Jackson Square District which dates back to 1849 and the gold rush and showcases historic red brick commercial buildings in the classical revival and Italianate style

• Newly opened Polo Ralph Lauren 441 Jackson

• Cotogna for lunch 490 Pacific 415 775-8508

• Quince for an elegant dinner 470 Pacific 415 775-8500

• Bix superclub with jazz piano nightly 56 Gold 415 433-6300

• Kokkori old world taverna with a rustic wood burning stove 200 Jackson 415 981-0938

• Also, the famous Crustacean has reopened in the Financial District as an elegant dining experience where you can still enjoy the roasted crab and garlic noodles

195 Pine 415 776-2722

As we all continue to look for the light during the darkness of winter and the infamous tule fog,look up to see the sparkling lights on the rooftop gazebo, beckoning to your home away from home. The Sounds of Christmas abound with cable car bells and the Grace Cathedral chimes and you will hear

silver bells, silver bells

It’s Christmas time in the City

Ring -a – ling, hear them sing

Soon it will be Christmas time.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Warmest wishes,
Cynthia Reid
General Manager
San Francisco Suites

The Mattress Task Force, with unanimous agreement and the endorsement of Pamela Murphy, has carefully reviewed the current furniture and bedding configurations throughout San Francisco Suites and submits the following recommendations to enhance guest comfort, simplify operations, and maintain the aesthetic integrity of the suites.

After evaluating the room dimensions and layouts, the Task Force concluded that the 1-, 2-, and 5-bedroom units can comfortably accommodate California King beds. These suites offer sufficient space to support the larger mattress size without compromising the flow or functionality of the rooms.

It was also observed that the bedrooms are currently “over-furnished,” which limits ease of movement and impacts the overall guest experience. By relocating a single piece of furniture—specifically from the bedroom to the living room—both areas can be better utilized and feel more spacious.

To improve operational efficiency, the Task Force recommends standardizing bedding across all Master Bedrooms by installing California King mattresses. This uniformity will simplify staff responsibilities related to linen management and housekeeping, while also aligning with guest expectations for luxury.

The upgrade to California King beds is expected to be well received by owners, offering enhanced comfort and a sense of modern luxury. In the Parlor areas, the proposal includes replacing the existing mattresses with new Queen-sized ones, ensuring every room maintains a high standard of quality and comfort.

Importantly, the recommended changes will not require any modifications to existing bedside lamps, tables, or radiators—preserving the current room layouts and minimizing disruption during implementation.

Finally, the Task Force has identified a clear need to replace existing sofa beds. These units have reached the end of their service life, and their replacement will significantly contribute to a more comfortable and appealing guest experience.

In summary, the proposed upgrades are both practical and impactful, aligning with the long-term vision of San Francisco Suites as a premier destination for comfort, elegance, and relaxation.

Respectfully submitted,

The Mattress Task Force, April 26, 2025

San Francisco Suites