by Frank Sabatini Jr.

—[ sweet escape ]—

Historic downtown architecture shows off the fashion-savvy fingerprints of Pininfarina, the legendary Italian design firm that created the looks for Maserati and Ferrari luxury automobiles. The company’s sleek signature style flows through 35 rooms of The Keating and its underground bar called Minus One Lounge, where visitors and locals take urban refuge in a structure dating back to the late 1800s. Standard room amenities include Frette satin linens and Lavazza espresso machines from Italy. And for hotel guests and members of Minus One, liquor lockers and VIP bottle service sweeten the escape. In addition, the hotel is adjoined by the newly opened Merk restaurant, also conceived by Pininfarina. Chef Brian Rutherford’s Italian-inspired menu is succinct and savory, putting you in direct contact with a linguini dish tossed tableside in a giant wheel of Romano cheese.

432 F St. • 619-814-5700