Hotel Spero

San Francisco’s hotels tend, perhaps, to be a bit more restrained in their stylishness than many other cities’ boutique hotels. But if you appreciate a bit of subtlety you can’t help but admire what architects and designers Perkins+Will have done with the 1923-vintage Spanish Colonial Revival hotel that’s now, after a substantial 2018 renovation, been transformed into Hotel Spero.

The décor bypasses the obvious San Francisco signifiers — the strained hipness of the tech industry, or nostalgia for the city’s rock-and-roll heritage — in favor of a grown-up elegance that takes its inspiration from the original building’s Spanish influences. While the rooms aren’t enormous, they’re sizable enough, and they’ve got space for a work table by the window and, in the suites, a proper living room..

Thanks to the recent vintage of the renovation, all the subtle little hospitality details are perfectly up to date, from the lighting and electronics to the bathroom fixtures and the in-room amenities. And while San Francisco’s city center isn’t exactly short on restaurants — you’re just a couple of blocks from Market Street and Union Square — you’ll be grateful for Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen, the hotel’s all-day restaurant and bar.