Sandwiched between the fifth and seventeenth floors of a forty-two-story building and equidistant from Yerba Buena and Union Square, the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco opened just after September 11, 2001 when the tourist trade was shrinking. Today, though, the 277-room place buzzes with a good mix of business and leisure travelers. Its elegant accommodations feel like chic city apartments, and a recently renovated Sports Club/LA, on the building's lower floors, gives guests access to yoga and Pilates classes, a fitness room and the Splash Destination CitySpa. Double rooms from $470, suites from $905. 757 Market St.; 415-633-3000; fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco.
Since 1924, the 136-room Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa has been a presence on Nob Hill, home to the great estates of the railroad tycoons. Built as a mansion and converted into a grand hotel in the 1940s, the privately owned Huntington offers spacious rooms with views of downtown, Grace Cathedral and San Francisco Bay. The amenities include the six-year-old spa, which was created by a feng shui expert. Double rooms from $350, suites from $600. 1075 California St.; 800-227-4683; huntingtonhotel.com.
The St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco (shown above) opened its doors in November 2005 in the newly christened Yerba Buena cultural district. With 260 hotel rooms on twenty floors and twenty additional floors of private residences, the Skidmore Owings & Merrill-designed property has sleek, modern lines, a Remède Spa and a striking zebrawood bar that connects to the lobby. Double rooms from $409, suites from $700. 125 3rd St.; 415-284-4000; stregis.com/sanfrancisco.
Other Noteworthy Hotels:
One of the city's most high-end boutique hotels calls itself a best-kept secret. But it's hard to believe that affluent travelers haven't heard about Campton Place, on the edge of Union Square, particularly as it opened in 1909. The Kor Hotel Group purchased the 110-room property in 2005,adding 21st-century touches to Campton Place's old-world charm. Double rooms from $280, suites from $675. 340 Stockton St.; 866-332-1670; camptonplace.com.
When hotelier Ian Schrager and designer Philippe Starck began their 2001 renovation of the historic 363-room Clift Hotel, they selected carpets as gray as San Francisco's legendary fog and covered the hallways in a lavender shade reminiscent of the city's Painted Lady Victorians. The property is now part of Morgans Hotel Group, but the Union Square landmark retains its sophisticated milieu, as those who flock to the legendary Redwood Room will tell you. Double rooms from $275, suites from $900. 495 Geary St.; 800-697-1791; clifthotel.com.
Nearly ready to open when it was ravaged in the Great Earthquake of 1906 (those famous photos of the ruined landscape were taken from its roof), the rebuilt Fairmont San Francisco stood as a symbol of the city's rebirth just a year later. Restored to its original splendor during a renovation in 2001, the 591-room hotel celebrates its centennial this year. High above Nob Hill, it offers city views and impeccable service. Double rooms from $329, suites from $500. 950 Mason St.; 800-441-1414; fairmont.com/sanfrancisco.
Business travelers love the Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco because of its location, in the heart of the Financial District. The hotel's 158 guest rooms, which occupy the top eleven floors of a forty-eight-story building (the city's third tallest), have dramatic vistas in every direction. Double rooms from $605, suites from $1,500. 222 Sansome St.; 800-622-0404; mandarinoriental.com/sanfrancisco.
For years the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has set the standard by which the area's other hotels are measured. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation of all 336 rooms, the Nob Hill establishment has reinforced its position. Don't miss afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge. Double rooms from $429, suites from $519. 600 Stockton St.; 800-241-3333; ritzcarlton.com/hotels/san_francisco.
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