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The inside local's take
Completed just as the 1906 earthquake struck — the exterior survived, the interior burned, and it opened one year later to the day. The Tonga Room in the basement is a legally protected historic tiki bar with a rain-storm floor show.
The Powell-Mason and California cable car lines both stop at the door. You can literally step off the running board into the lobby.
Ask for a room in the original 1907 tower on a high floor for classic bay windows and views over the Bay Bridge.
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The Garden Court's stained-glass ceiling has hosted presidents, kings, and Sunday brunch since 1909. San Francisco's most opulent public room.
The Westin St. Francis
The 1904 landmark facing Union Square, with the famous glass-walled exterior elevators shooting up 32 stories to the Bay's edge.
InterContinental Mark Hopkins
The Top of the Mark sky lounge on the 19th floor has served martinis with 360° city views since 1939 — a genuine San Francisco rite of passage.