Lifestyle - Interview
Interview with Aaron Feeney, Area Director of Sales and Marketing of Hotel Zetta San Francisco
Lifestyle - Interview
by Melisa Kaya
Hotel Zetta San Francisco is founded in 1999 as the Viceroy Hotel Group brand in SoMa (South of Market Street), San Francisco. Hotel Zetta has a concept of being a lifestyle hotel that reflects art, comfort, tech and quality. From 30-foot Plinko wall to Virtual Reality Cube, from The Cavalier to Vital Bar, Hotel Zetta offers a difference to its guests. In order to learn more about Hotel Zetta San Francisco, I asked Aaron Feeney, Area Director of Sales and Marketing of Hotel Zetta San Francisco.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Premier Studio
Aaron, before start talking about Hotel Zetta San Francisco, could you tell us about your background and your career in Viceroy Hotel Group? Who is Aaron Feeney?
Originally from the Midwest (Chicago) I’ve been in the hospitality field since college. Always having a passion for travel and cultures, I got my Hospitality and Tourism Management degree from Purdue University and went to work as a hotel consultant for the first year. Wanting to get back on the property, I started what led to be a 14-year career with Hyatt Hotels. Hyatt moved me from Chicago to Long Beach, CA, to a short stint in Detroit and then to Napa Valley. It was the last move that had me open the Andaz in Napa. Part of Hyatt’s lifestyle luxury collection, I fell in love with boutique and lifestyle oriented hotels. An opportunity opened up with Viceroy to become the Area Director of Sales and Marketing over three of their properties in the city and I jumped at it. Viceroy is one of the premier lifestyle hotel management companies in the industry and I feel excited and inspired each day that I go to the office.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco
I would like to learn more about your location first. Please tell us about SoMa (South of Market Street). What are the advantages of being there?
SOMA is one of the premier locations for travelers coming to experience San Francisco. It’s vibrant shopping and restaurant scene give our guests tons of options to explore just outside our doors as well as being just off of Market Street and central to the best of SF’s legendary attractions.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Lobby
Could you tell us about Hotel Zetta San Francisco and the overall concept?
Hotel Zetta was the first truly lifestyle hotel on the scene in Downtown SF. It’s got a very tech-centric and sustainability focus throughout the hotel (mirroring the surroundings of our Tech giant neighbors). Hotel Zetta is meant to be more than just a hotel, it’s a link to San Francisco’s past, present, and future. It’s a space for creators and visionaries to mingle and meet. The sustainability concept and playfulness of the hotel reflect all the way down to the design. One of the first things you notice upon entering the hotel is the 30-foot Plinko wall that we invite guests to use. Look a little closer and you’ll find our two chandeliers made out of hundreds of repurposed eye classes or our mascot Zepto, a metal statue at our door made entirely of reclaimed flatware and other metal materials. Our lobby is a place to convene around one of our comfortable spaces (possibly next to our mural of all the inmates that ever were imprisoned at Alcatraz), grab a drink from our S&R Lounge bar or head up to our second-floor game room and try your hand at pool or shuffleboard. If you’re looking to be transported to another world, give our Virtual Reality Cube in the lobby a try. The 116 guestrooms are also really well appointed with a sleek contemporary and residential style. We promote healthy travel by offering a Vital Bar, one of the healthiest in-room minibar offerings in the industry. For those wanting even more, we have 5 Well and Away rooms that have Muse headsets to monitor your meditation, difusors, and Peloton bikes.
In Hotel Zetta San Francisco, there is a special Zetta Suite. What are the features of Zetta Suite?
The Zetta suite offers about 1000 sq ft of space with a bedroom and separate living room. Similar to all guestrooms the suite also features bath amenity products from ROIL a great high-end line out of LA.
The Cavalier
Hotel Zetta San Francisco is host to The Cavalier. Could you tell us about The Cavalier?
Cavalier is regularly rated as one of the best restaurants in the city. Styled with British flair in the dining room and a New York vibe in the bar area. The fare is top rate with a Californian twist on some of the traditional British dishes.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Lobby Bar
Marianne’s is another place for your guests. Could you tell us about Marianne’s?
Marianne’s is the quintessential speakeasy. Tucked away in the back behind a bookshelf and with its own entrance to the street, it’s one of the best-kept secrets in SF and absolutely worth a visit, especially if you want an escape to a high-end cocktail bar.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Demo Room
How many event venues do you host in Hotel Zetta San Francisco? What are their features?
We have our playroom on the second floor for receptions. It’s adjacent to our Reboot Rooms and Demo room which offer flexible meeting space. Lastly, we have our Lumen boardroom. All of the rooms have state of the art technology which is controlled by the touchpads on the walls.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Fitness Center
What kind of additional services do you offer for business travelers?
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Deluxe Guestroom
How can travelers make their individual or business/group reservations?
The best rates are always found directly on our website.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Hallway
Which is the top season for travelers who want to visit San Francisco? What is the reason?
San Francisco is an iconic city with even more iconic surroundings. Our mild weather, beautiful vistas, progressive culture and picturesque landmarks make it a must-see for most travelers.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Premier Studio
What are the most famous attractions near you?
Union Square and all the high-end shopping that surrounds it. We are also by the trolley turnaround and not far from the Ferry Building. SF Moma is also just a few short blocks away.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco Game Room
If you have only one weekend in San Francisco as a first-time visitor, in this limited time, what are the best things to do?
Head to the Ferry Building and stroll around the artisan shops, head up to the Golden Gate bridge to bike or walk across, go for a hike in the Marin Headlands and look at the stunning views of the city, tour the famous island of Alcatraz, feed your inner foodie with some of the best restaurants with the freshest local produce in the world, stroll through the SF Moma, get some drinks at Maryanne’s and head out and about in SOMA to see how the locals live.
Thank you Aaron.
For more information, please visit website of Hotel Zetta San Francisco
This interview was conducted in a Question-and-Answer format. The answers were checked for grammar and punctuation and published without any additional editing. Tuesday, August 7, 2018. All photos are the property of their respective owners.