As a teenager visiting the grand city of San Francisco, we often walked over to the famous Palace Hotel on New Montgomery Street. Though we were stuck at a modest fleabag hotel on Powell Street, we would marvel at the ornate Palace Hotel. We, like many other tourists, marveled at the famous glass dome of the Garden Court. The other timeless creation was the 1909 mural of “The Pied Piper of Hamlin” by Maxfield Parrish.
The Palace Hotel has been THE hotel of San Francisco for over 100 years. The hotel opened on December 15, 1909, just three short years after the famous April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Among the guests were Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, and Slick Willie Clinton. Other iconic names who stayed were John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Oscar Wilde, and actress Sarah Bernhard, who stayed here with her pet baby tiger. President Woodrow Wilson stayed here when the United Nations held their opening session.
The Palace Hotel was actually built in 1875, and was the costliest, largest, and most luxurious hotel in the world. It officially opened on October 2, 1875. Architect John P. Gaynor designed the historic building with 7000 windows, and 14 foot high ceilings. The Garden Court was actually conceived as the carriage entrance. The hydraulic elevators were an engineering marvel at the time. Each room had an electronic “call button” to ring for anything they wanted. Plus, air conditioning was a standard feature!
On earthquake day, singer Enrico Caruso was a guest at the hotel. The building structure survived the quake, but the hotel itself was destroyed. It would take three years to rebuild the hotel. It was for this second opening that Maxfield Parrish was commissioned to paint the famous 16 foot “Pied Piper of Hamlin” mural, that is now displayed in the Pied Piper Bar.
Over the years, I have attended meetings here. This will be my first overnight stay here. I have enjoyed lunch in the Garden Court on numerous occasions. Besides the Garden Court and the Pied Piper Bar and Grill, the hotel is home to
Japanese cuisine. It should be an interesting stay. We are in the City for a concert at Davies Symphony Hall. Perhaps dinner first at Local, breakfast Sunday morning at Sears Fine Food. Not bad!
The Palace Hotel has been THE hotel of San Francisco for over 100 years. The hotel opened on December 15, 1909, just three short years after the famous April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Among the guests were Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, and Slick Willie Clinton. Other iconic names who stayed were John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Oscar Wilde, and actress Sarah Bernhard, who stayed here with her pet baby tiger. President Woodrow Wilson stayed here when the United Nations held their opening session.
The Palace Hotel was actually built in 1875, and was the costliest, largest, and most luxurious hotel in the world. It officially opened on October 2, 1875. Architect John P. Gaynor designed the historic building with 7000 windows, and 14 foot high ceilings. The Garden Court was actually conceived as the carriage entrance. The hydraulic elevators were an engineering marvel at the time. Each room had an electronic “call button” to ring for anything they wanted. Plus, air conditioning was a standard feature!
On earthquake day, singer Enrico Caruso was a guest at the hotel. The building structure survived the quake, but the hotel itself was destroyed. It would take three years to rebuild the hotel. It was for this second opening that Maxfield Parrish was commissioned to paint the famous 16 foot “Pied Piper of Hamlin” mural, that is now displayed in the Pied Piper Bar.
Over the years, I have attended meetings here. This will be my first overnight stay here. I have enjoyed lunch in the Garden Court on numerous occasions. Besides the Garden Court and the Pied Piper Bar and Grill, the hotel is home to
Japanese cuisine. It should be an interesting stay. We are in the City for a concert at Davies Symphony Hall. Perhaps dinner first at Local, breakfast Sunday morning at Sears Fine Food. Not bad!
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