One of my favorite hotels

One of my favorite hotels – The St. Francis, San Francisco, CA

The Grande Dame Of San Francisco Union Square Hotels

At the turn of the century, the guardians of the Charles Crocker family announced plans to buildThe Westin St. Francis. Their vision was to make San Francisco the “Paris of the West,” and their stunning Union Square San Francisco hotel would be their flagship. After studying all of Europe’s grand hotels – from those in Berlin, Vienna, and Monaco to Claridge’s in London and The Ritz in Paris – construction on the original St. Francis began. Two years and $2.5 million later, on March 21, 1904, the doors of The St. Francis opened. By seven o’clock that evening, a line of carriages and automobiles stretching three blocks waited to approach her brightly lit towers. The hotel became so popular that within six months, the owners announced plans to add a third wing, two floors of apartments, and a ballroom. The St. Francis had become the center of the city’s social, literary, and artistic life.

Source: http://www.westinstfrancis.com/our_history/

The St. Francis back when

photo credit: http://www.westinstfrancis.com/our_history/

The St Francis from Union Square

The St Francis at the clock

The St Francis Lounge