Beacon Grand, A Union Square Hotel

Character and identity

Behind the Union Square facade of the former Sir Francis Drake, Beacon Grand carries nearly a century of San Francisco social history into a 2022 refresh. The lobby still trades on French and Italian marble, a grand staircase and oversized chandeliers, but regal blue walls, bronze fixtures and leather lounges pull the look firmly into the present. Across 418 rooms, expect European hardwood floors, panelled walls and custom wallpaper nodding to the city's art scene. At The Post Room handles Mediterranean-Californian cooking all day; the 21st-floor Starlite, open Thursday to Sunday, runs vinyl, cocktails and skyline views.

Who's it for

Bottom line

This is a social hotel first, with the Union Square address and the rooftop Starlite doing as much work as the rooms themselves. Book it if you want to be in the thick of downtown and inside a piece of San Francisco history; splurge on the 885-square-foot Beacon Grand Suite for its rooftop terrace, and time a stay around a Thursday-to-Sunday window to catch Starlite.