The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel

The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel is a historic hotel at 495 Geary Street in the Theater District, just west of Union Square in San Francisco, California. It is best known for its early twentieth-century origins, a 1913 building listed for the property, and for the later redesign of its public rooms by Philippe Starck, which gave the lobby and ground floor an eccentric, theatrical look that still sets it apart from other downtown hotels. The Redwood Room, an art deco cocktail bar panelled in redwood, is the hotel's signature space and a long-standing San Francisco drinking destination. The location is convenient for visitors: Union Square and its shopping streets are a few blocks east, the Geary and Curran theaters are nearby, and the Powell Street cable cars and the Powell Street BART and Muni station are within a ten to fifteen minute walk. Accommodation includes King rooms, Double Queen rooms and suites. Rooms tend to be modest in size, as in many older city hotels, and are styled in a contemporary manner. Amenities listed include a restaurant, a bar, a fitness centre and free Wi-Fi. Dining centres on the on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner, and on the Redwood Room for cocktails; the neighbourhood around Union Square offers many additional restaurants. No spa or pool is listed. The service character is that of an upscale, design-conscious hotel favoured by leisure visitors, theater-goers and business travellers who want a distinctive address rather than a standard chain environment. Nightly rates generally run from about $220 to $550, rising during conferences and the summer season. Visitors should note that the blocks around Geary Street have a mixed urban character, so walking at night is best done along main thoroughfares. The hotel suits travellers who value history, a notable bar and a central location from which to reach shopping, performances and the cable car network.