Fans of the Four Seasons brand are discovering San Francisco’s hospitality secret – Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero. The newest of the City’s two Four Seasons hotels (the other is at Market between 3rd and 4th Sts.), the Financial District hot spot is popular with visiting notables who appreciate its boutique quality, stellar service, and its emphasis on privacy and discretion. The tasteful entrance off of Sansome St. rarely encourages paparazzi activity, yet a separate entrance is made available for those who wish to skip the sunglasses and hoodies.
The Financial District hot spot is popular with visiting notables who appreciate its boutique quality, stellar service, and its emphasis on privacy and discretion.
Boasting the highest hotel elevation in San Francisco, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero’s 155 cloud-adjacent rooms and suites are located on the upper 11 floors of the 48-story 345 California Center building. Be it fog or sunshine, the sky-high panoramas are stunning. Most floors feature a Sky Bridge with floor-to-ceiling windows that afford north and south vistas featuring the iconic Transamerica Pyramid, Alcatraz Island, and Salesforce Tower. Weather permitting, bubbles are served on the 40th floor outdoor Overlook Sunset Bar, the city’s highest altitude outdoor setting.
In redesigning the hotel, design firm Marzipan placed emphasis on the stunning views. Neutral tones are punctuated with splashes of color within bespoke mid-century modern furnishings and carefully chosen textiles such as the custom-designed, hand-tufted wool rugs. Thoughtful details are everywhere, such as the threads of gold woven through the wallcoverings that represent the city’s gold rush history. The hotel’s newly unveiled premium specialty suites, the Golden Gate Terrace Suite and Embarcadero Terrace Suite, feature separate living and sleeping areas, along with a dining room, kitchenette, powder room, rain shower, and extra space for entertaining, such as the private 800 sq. ft. furnished terraces with unobstructed views of the skyline and Bay. And, as reliable as is a Starbuck’s grande mocha ordered anywhere in the world, so too is the luxurious Four Seasons bed. Always indulgent with sumptuous linens and plush pillows, those at this Four Seasons are no exception.
The hotel’s centralized location places guests steps from all that make San Francisco one of the nation’s most beloved cities. Explore Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury shopping, walkable neighborhoods such as North Beach, Jackson Square, and Chinatown, the Embarcadero waterfront and its twice-weekly Ferry Building farmers market, and SFMOMA. (Art fans will enjoy the hotel’s own commissioned lobby-located sculpture “Ohlone” by Guy Dill.) A few blocks away are Chase Center, home of NBA champion Golden State Warriors, and Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants’ home field. Guests can venture further via the city’s famed cable cars, or via the ferries that shuttle back and forth to Angel Island, Alcatraz, Sausalito, Alameda or Oakland. The hotel’s expansive, state-of-the-art fitness center stands ready 24 hours a day for those who require additional activity.
The hotel’s street level Lounge and Bar (for which exciting new plans are underway) serves locally sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner items within a cozy environ. Dinner menu choices include a variety of comfort food favorites such as pizzas, pastas, roast chicken, and a 16 oz. bone-in Ribeye. Enjoy crafted cocktails and California wines at the bar while watching televised San Francisco sports of the season. Or better yet, capitalize on the views by ordering room service; the rolling fog, the setting sun, and the twinkle-lit city below provide the ultimate in entertainment.
All photos courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero