By JAMES RAIA
www.ByJamesRaia.com

Like any good concierge, K.C. Jones knows his way around luggage and taxi drivers. He can recommend a good restaurant. He can give succinct directions to tourists, and he has all the appropriate social skills for his occupation.

But in a city like San Francisco, and especially in a facility like Hotel Vintage Court, Jones has another good quality — at least as far as runners and other exercise enthusiasts are concerned.

With more frequency since his place of employment became one of the city's few non-smoking hotels, Jones can provide courses and maps for any runner's (or other exerciser's) desire.

Hill workouts? No problem. Jones knows a hilly, short route that begins a few feet from the hotel's entrance on Bush Street. Looking for an hour run? Jones will likely point you toward the Embarcadero district, where a steady stream of runners, cyclists, inline skaters and walkers exercise daily along the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay. But Jones can also provide many other scenic routes or courses than take several hours to complete.

"I would say guests ask at least several times a week where they can run," said Jones. "We get a good mixture of business folks and tourists, and since the entire hotel is non-smoking, a lot of them exercise."

From the Bay-to-Breakers, the country's largest running event, to other well-known events like Bridge-to-Bridge and smaller niche races, accommodation options like Hotel Vintage Court are well-suited for runners and other exercise enthusiasts visiting San Francisco.

Of course, most hotels have non-smoking rooms, but few are entirely smoke-free. The Hotel Vintage Court, the Monterey Plaza Hotel on the historic Monterey Peninsula and the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia are among the country's very few hotels with more than 100 rooms that do not offer any smoking rooms. Several smaller "boutique" hotels in San Francisco and throughout Northern California are also smoke-free.

"Almost all of our guests wanted non-smoking rooms," explained general manager Michael Lennon of his facility's nearly one-year-old policy. "It was an easy decision to make."

Like other smoke-free hotels, the Hotel Vintage Court requires guests to sign a non-smoking contract upon registering. Violations result in a $200 charge, although Lennon explained it costs nearly twice the amount to rid a room of smoke and its residues.

Beyond smoking issues, running in San Francisco is a rewarding if potentially complicated task, particularly if an athlete is not accustomed exercising in the environment of a metropolitan city.

With its wondrous skylight, diverse neighborhoods and nearly year-round good climate, the city is a running haven. Even well after nightfall, the lights of the Bay Bridge and facilities like Pacific Bell Park make a trek along the waterfront at the Embarcadero appealing.

In fact, without the daily bombardment of commuter foot and vehicular traffic, running at night in San Francisco is arguably the best time to exercise.

The reflection of the bridge's lights on the water, the coolness of the evening air and the ongoing recent renovations of the SOMA (South of Market) district near Pacific Bell Park, provide a refreshing atmosphere and backdrop.

Safety concerns, of course, should always be considered while running, particularly at night.

As such, running after dusk in San Francisco while void of traffic is best done with at least one friend. The city is not without crime and those unaccustomed to exercising in areas with vast homeless populations should be forewarned.

If night running isn't possible, the Marina district and Golden Gate Park are popular areas, but even running in the financial district is a worthwhile experience.

But a noontime run in the financial district can have several potential pitfalls. Not only is the foot and vehicular traffic heavy, the streets are further crowded by the ever increasing number of pedestrians using non-motorized and motorized scooters and mobile phones.

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