Koi and croissants at indoor waterfall grotto

By Greg Zeman
The Guardsman

(Un)natural splendor

In the quest to get your kicks, sometimes you’ve got to wander off the beaten path, or a least find a new one to wander on. I know of such a path that leads to a tranquil oasis, splashed by waterfalls that feed crystal pools filled with colorful fish, shaded by tall trees and gently swept by a cool breeze of air conditioning.

The Tropical Atrium at the Embassy Suites Hotel San Francisco Airport is just the sort of gem I set out to share when I first took the helm of Suite 415. Sure, at $10 a head the all-you-can-eat breakfast is fairly priced and a fairly excellent way to start your day, but the real draw for me is the setting.

If you get tired of simulated =nature, the hotel’s back door opens to Peninsula Beach on the west shore of the bay. There is a paved path that traces the water’s edge, providing unique views of planes coming and going from SFO with the San Mateo Bridge as a backdrop. Like any path, it could lead to adventure. No promises though.

And now, a promise

If you saw the silver lining in my lukewarm Tonga Room review and chanced a visit, you’ve seen first-hand what a failed attempt at an indoor, tropical grotto looks like — a stinky pool with a jazz band floating in it. This is not like that, I promise.

Take that, nature

The ceiling is clear glass and reaches up as high as the top floor, creating an open atmosphere with lots of natural light and air circulation. The soothing gurgle of the waterfall is untainted by unnatural sound. That’s right — no Muzak. It’s basically all the good things about eating outside without any of the less desirable elements like nasty weather, flying insects, crawling insects and insects that crawl and fly — mostly into your food and face.

If you don’t feel like having breakfast, or it isn’t being served when you visit, you can always sit at a waterside table or stand on one of the three wooden bridges spanning the ponds and watch the brilliant spectrum of koi teeming beneath the water’s surface.
Those fish must be incredibly lonely, or just really hungry, because they flocked to wherever I was standing and followed me around like Pac-Man ghosts.

Playing koi

I mentioned in my last article that I’m actually a five-year-old, so for me, the appeal of playing freeze-tag with schools of carp was irresistible. The smell of dense foliage and sizzling eggs and sausage mingled in my nostrils and the babbling waters seemed to giggle with me as I gleefully scampered from bridge to bridge with hordes of colorful fish chasing me. Or was I chasing them?

Either way, management was very understanding about the whole affair.

Verdict 5/5

The Tropical Atrium offers a relaxing atmosphere and a B-plus breakfast buffet at a C-minus price. It boasts fresh waffles and pancakes, eggs cooked-to-order and all the little things, like strong coffee, that make life worth living again after a long night.

There is a small fishing pier a few yards from the hotel, but after playing with the little guys in the pond I didn’t have the heart to do anything but stand on it.