Bask in luxury at Palace Hotel, San Francisco
The lobbies, ballrooms, and iconic Garden Court, with their great scale and exquisite detail, provide a stunning hotel environment that can only be attained by such sizable and opulent facilities.
William Chapman Ralston, a banker and businessman from San Francisco, constructed the original Palace Hotel. He mainly relied on his precarious banking network to help fund the $5 million venture. It didn’t prevent the Palace Hotel from opening on October 2, 1875, even though Ralston’s Bank of California folded in late August 1875, and Ralston himself perished in San Francisco Bay on the same day that he lost control of the organization.
At the southwest intersection of Market and New Montgomery streets in San Francisco, California, stands the iconic historic Palace Hotel. In order to distinguish it from the old 1875 Palace Hotel, which had been destroyed by the fire brought on by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the hotel is often referred to as the “new” Palace Hotel.
On the same site as the preceding building, the current one was inaugurated on December 19, 1909. The hotel was closed for a two-year refurbishment and seismic upgrade from January 1989 to April 1991. The hotel’s nine-story main structure, which has been standing for more than a century, is situated across Market Street from Lotta’s Fountain and next to the BART Montgomery Street Station. It is also next to the Monadnock structure.
The original Palace Hotel, sometimes known as the “Bonanza Inn” informally, had 755 guest rooms when it first opened, making it the biggest hotel in the Western United States at the time. The hotel was San Francisco’s tallest structure for almost a decade at 120 feet (37 m) in height. Grand Court with seven storeys of white columned balconies that served as an exquisite carriage entry could be found in the building’s skylit open center. This space was transformed into a lounge dubbed the “Palm Court” not long after 1900. Jules Harder served as the hotel’s first chef, and William ‘Cocktail’ Boothby, a barman, worked there for a number of years. Large hydraulic lifts with redwood panels that were referred to as “rising rooms” were present throughout the hotel.
The “New” Palace Hotel opened on December 19, 1909, completely rebuilt from the ground up, and rapidly regained its eponymous predecessor’s status as an essential San Francisco landmark and home to many of the city’s big events. While the outside is considerably plainer than the old Palace, the new “Bonanza Inn” is as magnificent, luxurious, and polite on the interior as the 1875 structure. Since its inception, the “Garden Court” (also known as the “Palm Court”) has been one of San Francisco’s most prominent hotel dining rooms.
The Garden Court is the centerpiece of the palace and a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts architecture. The main eating area is a stunning, enclosed atrium with stained glass. This location was the Grand Central Court in 1875, a carriage entry that welcomed visitors. The Garden Court is undoubtedly vast, measuring 85 by 110 feet, or roughly the size of an Olympic-sized skating rink. The Italian marble columns, the beautiful crystal chandeliers, and the large glass dome are just a few of the Garden Court’s original historic elements that still exist today. This magnificent area was rightfully recognised as a San Francisco landmark in 1969.
Socializing and mixing are encouraged in the Pied Piper’s setting. All of the things you need are prepared and ready to greet you. A trendy fireplace immediately beckons you into the space. Cozy armchairs and luxurious couches are arranged around marble coffee tables with mirrored tops. Mid-century modern tables are surrounded by stylish communal seating that is polished pure black granite. Take a moment to picture your guests relaxing in a comfortable living area with you, delicious food, and well-crafted beverages.