Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco

Character and identity

A downtown landmark dating to 1875 (rebuilt 1909 after the earthquake and fire), the Palace occupies a full block at the seam of SoMa and the Financial District. The architecture is the headline: marble columns, ornate ceilings, and the Garden Court, a 110 by 85 foot ballroom under a seven million dollar stained glass dome, now the hotel's dining and lounging heart. The Pied Piper bar holds court beneath the Maxfield Parrish painting commissioned for the 1909 reopening. A 2015 renovation modernised the 556 rooms with clean lines and muted palettes, plus a glass-roofed 60-foot indoor pool and an unusually warm, long-tenured doorman team.

Who's it for

Bottom line

You're paying for the building: the Garden Court and Pied Piper are genuine pieces of San Francisco history, and the 2015-refreshed rooms (from 300 square feet, Frette linens, TOTO washlets on some floors) keep the experience current rather than museum-like. Book a higher floor for the washlet bathrooms, and target shoulder-season weekends when corporate rates soften.