The Marker, a San Francisco Hotel

Character and identity

Set in a 1910 Beaux-Arts building steps from Union Square, The Marker reopened in 2018 after a Perkins + Will redesign that layered contemporary furniture, jewel tones, and whimsical light fixtures into the historic shell. The 201 rooms run colorful and eclectic, with statement walls and furniture that pulls from no single era. Tratto, the in-house Italian restaurant, anchors the social scene with rustic cooking and a busy happy hour. Service is warm and notably unstuffy by luxury-city-hotel standards, and the 18 meeting rooms (each named for a Dashiell Hammett character) signal the property's comfort with business travel.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pitch is value and location: a characterful boutique in a Beaux-Arts shell, walkable to most of downtown, at rates that undercut the city's grander addresses. Service is friendly rather than formal, and Tratto is a genuine reason to come down for dinner. Book above the entry queen if you need room to spread out, and lean on the front desk for restaurant tips.