The St. Regis Hotel San Francisco

Imagine lying in a supremely comfortable bed, gazing out at a world class city skyline over a beckoningly deep soaking tub, and wondering how the people of Africa settled the farther reaches of the earth. If you’re staying at the St. Regis San Francisco, you could wander down to the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD), which happens to be housed in the same building. Just think, if you were staying elsewhere, you’d be out of luck.

It’s not as strange a combination as it sounds. MOAD is a very good museum, St. Regis is a very good hotel, and architecturally the entire composition gets a big gold star. Along with MOAD, the St. Regis melds an unapologetically modern tower and a converted historic San Francisco building, topped by one of the better roof terraces in town.

The hotel’s main restaurant, AME, serves up new American fare in a stylish setting, and there’s a full-service spa as well. Rooms are no-nonsense crisp and elegant — perhaps a bit muted, but very current and quite indulgent, right down to the flat screens in the bathrooms. Location-wise, St. Regis could not be better endowed. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is right next door, and across the street are the Yerba Buena arts complex and gardens and the City’s convention center. Downtown is a few steps north, and the nightlife and swank restaurants of SOMA just a few to the south.