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1875
Palace Hotel
San Francisco, California
2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94105-3402
Original Property Opened in 1875
Historic Hotels of America member since 2010
- 2025 Historic Hotels of America® Annual Awards of Excellence Winners
- 2024 Historic Hotels of America® Annual Awards of Excellence Winners
- 2022 Historic Hotels of America® Awards of Excellence Nominee Finalists
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Culinary Heritage and Traditions List Is Announced
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Historic Bars List Is Announced
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Magnificent Art Collections List Is Announced
- 2022 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Unique Culinary Heritage and Traditions Announced
- The 2023 Historic Hotels of America Top 25 Afternoon Tea
- The 2023 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Magnificent Ceilings and Domes
- The 2023 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Magnificent Art Collections List Is Announced
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Where U.S. Presidents Made History List Is Announced
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Afternoon Tea Experiences List Is Announced
presidential
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tours
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memorabilia
When the Palace opened in 1875, it was San Francisco’s first luxury hotel and the largest in the world. With unprecedented opulence, it was America’s counterpart to the grand hotels of Europe. After destruction in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Palace was completely rebuilt, reopening in 1909. For over 100 years, this icon has been the city’s treasure, a landmark with timeless original creations such as The Garden Court with its glass ceiling and Austrian crystal chandeliers, and the Maxfield Parrish mural, The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Renovation revealed classically inspired contemporary design that complements authentic historic architecture. Guests will enjoy first-class accommodations, lavish amenities, superb dining, and genuine service.
Discover
- Discover the elegance of the landmark Palace Hotel, which was the first luxury hotel in San Francisco. Gaze at the 11-foot-tall ceilings, expansive windows, and original architectural details.
- Marvel at The Garden Court, one of the most beautiful rooms in the world. The glass domed ceiling contains more than 72,000 individual pieces of iridescent glass and features several Austrian crystal chandeliers.
- Gaze at The Pied Piper of Hamelin painting that was commissioned for the hotel’s reopening in 1909 and hangs in the Pied Piper Bar today. Maxfield Parrish painted himself as the Pied Piper and also featured his wife, mistress, and two sons in the masterpiece.
Explore
- Explore the hotel’s history gallery, “Landmark 18,” located on the lobby level. Few hotels in the nation can claim such significant relevance within their cities. With over a century of history in San Francisco, Palace Hotel’s legacy includes heads of state, technological innovations, and legendary artists, all under show-shopping architectural grandeur.
- Pass through the Dragon Gate Arch and experience the sights, sounds, and scents of Chinatown. San Francisco’s Chinatown is filled with a multitude of small gift shops and vibrant displays of culture, as colorful red lanterns dance above the streets and musicians play the erhu.
- Explore the Mission District, a neighborhood as vibrant and colorful as the amazing murals that grace its buildings. Artists began painting these murals in the 1970s, and there is hardly a block that does not pop with an incredible work of art. Wander down Clarion Alley, an ever-evolving canvas of art.
Experience
- Step into history on a Palace Hotel tour. Learn more about the history and architecture of this iconic hotel on the guided experience through the magnificent building. End the tour with a spectacular three-course lunch under the stained-glass dome of the Garden Court.
- Experience an afternoon of timeless splendor at one of Palace Hotel’s impeccably curated dining experiences. Explore local California wines at an unforgettable wine tasting at Pied Piper, one of the hotel’s signature restaurants. Or relax around the table with a stunning Afternoon Tea held inspired by the Bay Area. Afternoon Tea is held in the marvelous Garden Court.
- Learn about the area on a visit to the California Historical Society, located on Mission Street. Experience the latest exhibitions and programs offered by the historical society. Then take in the view of the Bay Bridge, which is best seen from the Embarcadero and is a photo opportunity to behold. This marvel connects San Francisco with Oakland and other East Bay communities. With its expansive views of the bay, its tremendous 525-foot-tall tower and its asymmetric design, the Bay Bridge is an icon in San Francisco.
Taste
- Taste the Palace’s Signature Crab Salad with Green Goddess Dressing. The Green Goddess Dressing was created at the Palace Hotel in 1923 by Executive Chef Phillip Roemer. Roemer created the dressing for a banquet honoring hotel guest George Arliss, the lead actor in William Archer’s play “The Green Goddess.” The dressing is made with mayonnaise, chives, parsley, minced anchovy, and lemon juice. For decades, the dressing has complemented the famous Palace Signature Crab Salad offered in The Garden Court.
- Walk just four blocks from the Palace Hotel to Bush Street and enter Chinatown. The smell of garlic, ginger, and toasted almonds fills the air and foreshadows the authentic Chinese restaurants. Beyond the mouthwatering restaurants, San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and one of the largest in North America, established in the mid-1800s. It is a vibrant cultural hub filled with ornate architecture, bustling markets, and historic temples.
- Enjoy a signature San Francisco food destination, the Ferry Building Marketplace, which features amazing culinary shops, top restaurants, artisan vendors, and an unrivaled farmers market. Admire the historic clock tower that anchors the Ferry Building Marketplace along the waterfront, located at the foot of Market Street. The abundance of sun-ripened fruits and vegetables, handcrafted cheeses, small-batch baked goods, California wines, specialty meats, and freshly caught seafood is a delight for food lovers.
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Book the Best Available Rate at this property on HistoricHotels.org and receive a complimentary one-year family membership (a $30 value) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
