The Palace Hotel San Francisco: What is it like to stay in this beautiful, historic property in the heart of San Francisco?
San Francisco’s history is one of the most interesting of any U.S. city despite the fact that it dates back less than 200 years. Starting with the Gold Rush in the 1850s, San Francisco has had the strange mix of a thriving Chinatown, elegant downtown, and military outposts.
The city changed dramatically in 1906 when the great earthquake destroyed much of the city, and the fires that broke out shortly after continued the destruction. But after that tragic event, the city rebuilt to become a center of culture in North America. One place that has been at the heart of much of the city’s history is the Palace Hotel.
The Palace Hotel San Francisco
A Luxury Collection Hotel in downtown San Francisco, the Palace Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America. It was the largest and most expensive hotel in the world when it was built in 1875.
When you check in, you can see a painting that shows what the hotel looked like back then, with wide dirt streets around the imposing hotel. When the earthquake hit in 1906, the hotel was still standing but was destroyed soon after in the fire that ripped through downtown San Francisco.
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In just three short years, the hotel was completely rebuilt and reopened in 1909. The new look centered around two extraordinary features: the Garden Court, with its extraordinary glass domed ceiling and Austrian crystal chandeliers, and the Maxfield Parrish painting “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.”
Nowadays visitors can enjoy the Garden Court while having a cocktail; breakfast, lunch or the Signature Tea service daily; or the City Brunch served 12-2 PM on Sundays. The stunning domed ceiling contains more than 72,000 pieces of iridescent glass!
The buffet breakfast is a highlight of any stay at the Palace Hotel.
Just down the hall is The Pied Piper, the hotel’s famous historic bar and restaurant where you can enjoy fantastic food and drinks in an intimate setting. It’s worth at least popping in the entrance to see the 16-foot mural painting that hangs over the bar.
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The Palace Hotel room features:
The Palace Hotel offers 556 guestrooms and suites. Many rooms have 11-foot ceilings, expansive windows with views of downtown San Francisco, and original architectural details that have been preserved. We stayed at the Palace Hotel twice.
The first time, we stayed in the Palace Suite, an elegant corner suite with a large separate sitting room perfect for settling in with a snack after our arrival. Because the room preserves the original look, it feels more like a city apartment than a hotel room.
The second time, we stayed in a standard double room with two beds. The room was small but very clean and nicely appointed. We used the perks of my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get free breakfast for two plus a $100 credit, which we used to pay for our kids’ breakfasts. While the room size was disappointing, the experience of staying at this beautiful, historic hotel and the amazing breakfast made it worth it.
Is the Palace Hotel kid or pet friendly?
Yes, we found it kid friendly. Not only were my kids welcome during our stay, we saw families with small children checking in and enjoying breakfast the following morning, and cribs and pack-and-plays are available.
The hotel allows one pet up to 15 pounds per room with a $75 non-refundable fee.
The Palace Hotel amenities:
- A non-smoking hotel
- Fitness Center
- Indoor heated pool under a glass ceilings and whirlpool
- A delicious buffet breakfast for $48
- Continental and American breakfasts starting at $33
- Daily housekeeping service
- Newspaper delivered to room, on request
- 24-hour room service
The Palace Hotel room features:
- 11-foot ceilings with original architectural details in every room
- Coffee maker/tea service
- Crib/Play Yard available
- Individual climate control
- Iron and ironing board
- Mini fridge
- Pull-out sofa bed
- Rollaway bed for $50 per day
- Safe
- Separate bath and shower in marble bathrooms
- Bathrobes
- Cable TV with movies available for purchase
What to do near the Palace Hotel:
The Palace Hotel is centrally located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, close to the Financial District and Moscone Center. Within walking distance are the cable cars, Embarcadero, Ferry Building Marketplace, Chinatown, Union Square, SFMOMA, and AT&T Park. There are plenty of things to do in San Francisco that are easily accessible from this location.
Where can I park at the Palace Hotel?
The Palace Hotel offers valet parking for $74 until 6 PM on the day of check out. There is a garage directly across the street from the hotel entrance, so you can very easily save money on parking by using self-parking there.
The bottom line: Palace Hotel review
I highly recommend staying at the Palace Hotel to experience a piece of San Francisco history and to soak in the atmosphere in the Garden Court. Rooms start around $390 in the summer.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary stay in the suite at the Palace Hotel for the purpose of this review.
Beautiful hotel.