Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco—a major milestone for the iconic Beaux-Arts landmark, first opened in 1909 as the New Palace Hotel.
Taking the place of the original Palace Hotel – destroyed by the legendary 7.9 earthquake that struck the city in April 1906 – the hotel now has a new look after a series of updates and improvements.
Large and expansive, yet designed with plenty of intimate spaces, the Palace is like a full-service resort in the heart of the City by the Bay.
The property is nothing if not steeped in history: In 1919, Pres. Woodrow Wilson threw his support behind the Treaty of Versailles and the then-newly formed League of Nations—a precursor to the United Nations—after the end of World War I.
Just four years later, his successor, Pres. Warren Harding, died in room 8064. Two decades later, the Palace hosted a grand celebration to mark the founding of the United Nations.
Today, the Palace—now part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection Portfolio—still retains this sense of history and occasion.
However, it is particularly suitable for families.
My boys got lost in the street level branch of San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. They spent hours posing for selfies on the hotel’s dramatic first floor, before heading to the Palace’s indoor pool, one of the largest in the city.
We spent the evening dining by a roaring fire in the Pied Piper, the hotel’s luxurious pub, where children feel as welcome as adults.
The menu of comfort classics with a global twist (such as Croque Madame, Braised Beef Ribs, Ricotta Cavatelli Cacio e Pepe and Eggplant Walnut Meatballs) comes courtesy of newly appointed Executive Chef David Tieg, a veteran of Michelin-starred restaurants in France.
Our room – one of 556 rooms and suites throughout the hotel – was reached through a dramatic central corridor that felt nothing short of palatial. Inside, the room was filled with luxurious touches like solid oak doors and brass doorknobs, 11-foot ceilings, Frette linens, and marble bathrooms. Best of all, the large windows offer views of the fog rolling across San Francisco Bay, a welcome reminder of my childhood in the city.
Of course, no visit to the Palace is complete without tea at the Garden Court Restaurant. Located at the heart of the hotel, it features neoclassical colonnades topped by a soaring European glass-domed roof made of 80,000 panes of glass along with acres of royal purple carpets. Although fully grown, the hotel offers Prince and Princess Afternoon Tea – a fitting way to experience a landmark that feels nothing short of truly regal.
Rooms from $339.
#stay #newly #renovated #Palace #Hotel #San #Fran
Image Source : nypost.com