The inside local's take
Opened in 1928 as the city's tallest hotel. The Powell cable car passes the front door every few minutes — you can watch it from the lobby windows.
The rooftop Starlight Room has hosted swing dancing since Herb Caen was a young columnist. The city view from the 21st floor is spectacular after dark.
One block from the Union Square shopping district and the Powell Street BART station.
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Palace Hotel
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.