Four Points Finds Nine Lives

This renovated Sheraton property is Nascar’s home away from the track

By Patricia Kutza

It was one of those rare balmy August nights in Sausalito when the fog takes a holiday.

Great for hanging by the Bay, soaking in the views, people watching and enjoying the soothing sounds of a saxophone’s notes streaming out of a nearby café.  My home, although less than an hour’s drive away, seemed much further.  I decided to catch some zzzs  at a hotel near Highway101 before heading north.  I turned off 101 at Freitas Parkway and within five minutes arrived at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, in San Rafael.

Given a great location, hotels can have the equivalent of nine lives.  I had known this hotel from its former life as a Holiday Inn, so I was interested in discovering how it would morph under Sheraton’s Starwood brand. My timing was perfect as Four Points general manager Albert Tran was still on the premises and I bent his ear with questions about the Four Points reincarnation.

Tran says that Sheraton has poured $4.5 million into renovating this 235-room property.  It’s been a thorough overhaul, from installing new guest room furniture and amenities, such as 32-inch high definition televisions and granite tiling in the bathrooms, to wireless internet access (complimentary) and new meeting facilities, business and fitness centers.

Four Points is located on a hill, and I like the fact that, as conveniently located as it is, it still feel secluded with 360-degree views of the lush Marin County woodside.  I wondered just who else finds their way up that hill.  As it turns out, an eclectic and interesting mix of customers, says Tran.

There are the wine-lovers who ply the Highway101 thoroughfare during their pilgrimages north to the bucolic vineyards of the Sonoma and Russian River Valleys.  There’s also the business crowd, typically during the week, and families using the Hotel for their base on weekend get-a-ways.

The growing popularity of NASCAR events is luring out-of-town visitors who make their way up 101 from San Francisco Airport, exiting at Vallejo where it is then just a short distance to Infineon Raceway.  These race car aficionados and race crews are becoming a very important segment of business for Four Points, Tran says.  Infineon’s jam-packed calendar of events keeps the hotel buzzing on weekends.

I’m not attracted to racecar events but I do love an attractive outdoor pool.   I like Four Points pool size, a generous amount of real estate more typically found at a larger-sized hotel.  Both the bar and dining areas are a short distance from the pool, smart planning for families who like to split their down time between the pool and the restaurant.

“This is a young, fun brand” says Tran, a veteran of the hospitality trade.  “We want visitors to remember their experience here as honest, uncomplicated and comfortable.”

His adjectives also fit Four Points’ new on-site restaurant, Marin Steak and Spirits Company.  It occupies a relatively small footprint and menu descriptions are straightforward, devoid of any overblown descriptions.  With steak and chophouse items being its specialties, I tried a filet mignon dish with port blue cheese sauce that was prepared according to my preference, medium-rare. Salad/soup bar privileges come up with all entrée choices, with steak and chop orders qualifying for two side dishes   For all its white-table-cloth–and candles ambiance I was pleased that the servings were far more generous and the service far less pretentious than the portions and attitudes of similar type restaurants in the Bay Area.

When You Go:
Four Points by Sheraton – San Rafael
1010 Northgate Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903, United States
Phone: (415) 479-8800
Fax: (415) 479-2342
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1260