When the Palace Hotel first opened in 1875, it wasn’t just the city’s first luxury hotel, but one of the first of its sheer scope across the world. Located in downtown San Francisco and occupying an entire city block, the unapologetic opulence continues through to today, with the Gilded Age West Coast glitz and glamor updated for the 21st century. Much of the grand Beaux-Arts architecture remains, and yet inside guests will find a thoroughly modern hotel experience, in which everything has been thought of, from the iconic heated pool under a glorious glass ceiling to the 24-hour state-of-the-art gym. 

Three fabulous restaurants are located within the hotel; high tea at the wonderful Garden Court Restaurant is particularly recommended (the restaurant is the city’s only indoor historic landmark), and the sophisticated Pied Piper lounge is a favorite with San Francisco locals and knowledgeable tourists alike. In-room dining is also offered for those seeking a more personable dining experience. 

The best room across the whole hotel to truly live life like a turn-of-the-century Californian socialite is, undoubtedly, the 2,000 sq ft Presidential Suite. Spacious, stylish, and wonderfully designed, this one-bedroom suite is a real masterclass in all-American decadence without ever feeling kitsch. 

Overlooking the bustling Market Street, arched windows usher in brilliant light across the suite, while a formal dining room is perfect for that aforementioned in-room dining. Other highlights include a baby grand piano, a collection of modern art scattered across the space, and utterly gorgeous ceiling moldings throughout. 

First built to rival European palace hotels on the other side of the Atlantic, the Palace Hotel, A Luxury Hotel Collection, San Francisco remains a bastion of old-school luxury that is unmissable when visiting the Golden Gate City.

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