Palihotel San Francisco

Safe to say the Palihotels phenomenon is no longer confined to the Los Angeles area. Palihotel San Francisco joins Seattle and Miami Beach as remote outposts for this small chain, which is quickly expanding into a bona fide empire. It’s a city that’s well suited to the Pali aesthetic — not only is it a young and vibrant city, with a constantly booming tech sector that’s open to the brand’s laid-back, low-frills approach to luxury, but it’s also got a bohemian heritage with plenty of cultural history to draw on.

The immediate setting is a century-old building at the foot of the Stockton Street Tunnel, with Union Square and the Financial District below it and Chinatown and Nob Hill just above. Inside it, you’ll find a style that’s 20th-century California in a nutshell: Victorian architecture made modern by Craftsman-style warmth and simplicity. Queen and king rooms are relatively compact — typical for San Francisco — but the Nespresso machines, Smeg fridges, and walk-in rain showers go a long way, and the suites expand to generous sizes.

Fisher Loft, the hotel’s second-floor restaurant, is an all-day café, bar, and bistro, trading on San Francisco’s affection for all things French — a fine addition to a city that’s got no shortage of first-rate restaurants and bars. And from here, the rest of the city’s offerings are close at hand — not only is the neighborhood centrally located, but at a compact 49 square miles, the whole of San Francisco is within reach.