Since 2005, The St. Regis San Francisco has held down the heart of SoMa, sharing a wall with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and drawing much of its character from that proximity. The hotel occupies the Williams Building, a 20th-century landmark, and its 260 rooms and suites are the work of Toronto's Chapi Chapo Design, which threads tradition and contemporary restraint through a single interior. Step inside and the financial district skyline fills the floor-to-ceiling windows, with custom furniture, crisp Frette linens, and a broad workstation each in its place. The marble bathroom holds a soaking tub deep enough to disappear into, paired with a rainforest shower built for travelers coming off a long flight. Art is the hotel's structure rather than its ornament: works by acclaimed local artists line the lobby and corridors, and you find yourself slowing down on the walk back to your room. On the 19th and 20th floors, the St. Regis Suites open across 1,500 square feet, framing the skyscrapers of the financial district, the rolling peninsula hills, and the far ridgelines of the East Bay.
Dining begins on the ground floor at Astra, where the kitchen builds seasonal American plates from Bay Area and Northern California produce, with bread from Berkeley's Acme bakery and pancakes regulars keep coming back for. The St. Regis Bar pours handcrafted cocktails, among them the Golden Gate Mary, the hotel's local read on the classic Bloody Mary, drawn from the color of a Pacific sunset. Thursday through Saturday, the Tea Salon carries on the afternoon tea tradition Caroline Astor began more than a century ago. The 9,000-square-foot spa spans two levels, with cedar saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, a Himalayan Salt Room, and an indoor infinity pool. What ultimately defines the St. Regis, though, is its butler service, a hallmark stretching back over a hundred years: from a pressed suit to a hard-won dinner reservation, one call at any hour is enough. This is a house for travelers who appreciate art and expect to be looked after with the same care.
