The Palace Hotel occupies a full city block at the intersection of Market and New Montgomery Streets. It is defined by its immense size and the Garden Court, a dining space crowned by a massive, luminous stained-glass ceiling and…
Union Square Historic Hotels
This self-guided walk leads you through the opulent lobbies and historic corridors of Union Square's most legendary hotels, uncovering the stories of high society, iconic architecture, and Gilded Age grandeur that shaped San Francisco's civic heart.
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1. Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco
2. 140 Maiden Ln
One hundred forty Maiden Lane is defined by a simple, windowless brick façade, broken only by a single Romanesque archway that serves as the building's entrance. This structure is the only work by Frank Lloyd Wright in San Francisco. He…
3. Hotel Triton Union Square San Francisco
Hotel Triton sits at three hundred forty-two Grant Avenue, positioned at the convergence of Union Square, Chinatown, and the Financial District. The building dates to nineteen thirteen and is distinguished by its vivid, eclectic interior…
4. Taj Campton Place, San Francisco
Taj Campton Place is defined by its royal blue canopy and an entrance tucked discreetly along Stockton Street, just steps from the bustle of Union Square. This boutique hotel occupies two historic structures originally built in nineteen oh…
5. Beacon Grand Hotel
The Beacon Grand rises twenty-one stories above the corner of Sutter and Powell Streets, its exterior marked by the ornate, Renaissance Revival style favored by architects Weeks and Day. Originally opened in nineteen twenty-eight as the…
6. Chancellor Hotel on Union Square
The Chancellor Hotel on Union Square rises at four hundred thirty-three Powell Street, identifiable by its proximity to the Powell Street cable car line. When it opened for business in nineteen fourteen, it held the title of the tallest…
7. The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square
The Westin St. Francis occupies the western edge of Union Square, defined by a massive, twelve-story structure of stone and steel that first opened in nineteen oh four. Designed by architects Bliss and Faville, the original building…
8. The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel stands as a seventeen-story tower of light-colored brick at four hundred ninety-five Geary Street. Designed by architects George Applegarth and Kenneth MacDonald Junior, the building opened on February first,…