Interior designer Ken Fulk has transformed the hotel into a palatial Nob Hill residence, with thoughtful details that make guests feel at home.<\/p>\n
The Big Four restaurant, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, draws a local crowd with classic, comforting dishes and a warm, clubby atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Every one of the 143 guest rooms offers sweeping panoramas of San Francisco, ensuring that the views are a constant, captivating backdrop throughout a stay.<\/p>\n
The three-level, 9,000-square-foot Nob Hill Spa fills a notable gap in San Francisco’s high-end wellness offerings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Huntington always felt more like a regal apartment building rather than a grand hotel,” says Ken Fulk, San Francisco\u2019s most celebrated interior designer. \u201cWe sought to amplify that experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fulk, who has called the city home for over three decades, has infused The Huntington, which opened in March, with a residential vibe more akin to a palatial Nob Hill apartment than a hotel. And it all begins with the neighborhood<\/a>: the 1920s Italian Renaissance revival building sits directly in front of Huntington Park, one of the city\u2019s loveliest green spaces. All around it are grand apartment buildings, the imposing Gothic Grace Cathedral, and remnants of San Francisco\u2019s gilded 19th-century past, like the Pacific Union Club. The only background noise I experienced during my stay was the faint rumble of the city\u2019s famous cable cars and the lively foot traffic of locals\u2014and a few tourists\u2014on their way home from work or heading out to dinner.<\/p>\n Inside the hotel, Fulk\u2019s colorful, slightly playful style is immediately apparent. The lobby is framed by walls awash in a deep olive green and accented by oil paintings and tapestries depicting the city. I looked up to see the ceiling painted in an ethereal cloudscape outlined by ornately carved coffers. Surfaces were covered by huge arrangements of purple foxgloves, hellebores, and sweet peas. Whimsical elements and contemporary flair are balanced by the sense of history. Last year, the building, originally designed by architects Weeks and Day, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. San Francisco-based firm Bar Architects & Interiors led this most recent renovation, commissioned by The Huntington\u2019s new owners, Greg Flynn, founder and CEO of Flynn Properties, and the hospitality management company Highgate.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to respect and understand the past,\u201d Fulk says. \u201cThat said, you also can\u2019t be afraid. We inserted some modernity within the spaces, and it\u2019s this tension that gives the spark.”<\/p>\n As a Bay Area native who returns often, it\u2019s always been a mystery to me that San Francisco\u2019s hotel scene doesn\u2019t feel aligned with the fantastically dynamic nature of the place itself. \u201cI think most San Franciscans would agree that for such an extraordinary and worldly city, we have lacked the \u2018essential\u2019 hotel,\u201d Fulk says. \u201cThe Huntington solves that dilemma, and finally all of us who live here have an answer when someone inevitably asks: \u2018where should I stay in San Francisco?\u2019 Now, we can confidently reply, \u2018The Huntington, of course!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Below, my full review of San Francisco’s newest hotel.<\/p>\n The Rooms<\/p>\n All 143 guest rooms and suites have one thing in common: sweeping views of San Francisco, even from the lower floors, thanks to the hotel\u2019s position high on Nob Hill. The first thing I noticed in my one-bedroom suite was that I could look out all the way towards Potrero Hill, past Union Square, and the Mission District. I kept catching myself coming back to the windows, watching the light change throughout the day. It was almost enough to keep me from noticing the quality of Fulk\u2019s work inside, like the exquisite millwork and substantial, well-made furniture. He has brought a luxe residential vibe even in the unusually large bathroom, which features a proper stand-alone tub and dual vanities.<\/p>\n The textiles stood out too, with thick towels, rugs, and bedding. The in-room snacks felt specific to the city, and I ended up finishing two bags of the locally-made Thatcher\u2019s Popcorn.<\/p>\n Food and Drink<\/p>\n The Huntington\u2019s sense of history is strongest in its restaurant, The Big Four, a San Francisco institution that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Named after the four tycoons who founded the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s (Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker), the dining room is clad in dark woods, leather banquettes, and plaid-covered chairs, giving it a pleasantly clubby atmosphere. I ate here twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner, when a piano player performed. It was gratifying to see that the crowd was predominantly local, and the place is clearly integrated into the fabric of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n The menu is similarly old school: dinner was an excellent organic chicken pot pie and Parker House rolls, while for breakfast, I ordered the equally great Meyer lemon ricotta pancakes. Even with all of the incredible food options in San Francisco<\/a>\u2014and especially with Chinatown<\/a> being a few minutes\u2019 walk away\u2014it\u2019s worth staying on property for at least a meal or two, as there\u2019s nothing quite like the old school San Francisco energy you\u2019ll find at The Big Four.<\/p>\n The same could be said for Arabella\u2019s, a brand new, dark and moody cocktail lounge on the other side of the lobby. Its centerpiece is a painted mural that wraps around the entire space and depicts the life of its namesake, Arabella Huntington. (Her husband, Collis, was part of the aforementioned Big Four, and the couple lived in a mansion across from the hotel.) It\u2019s a jewelbox of a room, perfect for one last nightcap before heading up to your room. For a teetotaler like me, the bartender created a mean zero-proof cocktail with bitter notes, similar to a Negroni.<\/p>\n The Spa<\/p>\n My first view of the three-level, 9,000-square-foot Nob Hill Spa was of the Moroccan-inspired mashrabiya latticework that encased the stairs, through which I could glimpse the indoor swimming pool. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors flooded the pool deck with natural light, and led onto an outdoor terrace where spa-goers can soak up some sun or have lunch before or after treatments.<\/p>\n A curious thing about San Francisco is the lack of full-service, high-end spas, which makes The Huntington’s all the more noteworthy. Fortunately, it\u2019s well equipped to meet growing demand, with 12 treatment rooms, separate steam and sauna areas for men and women, an atrium warmed by a fireplace, a nail salon, and a retail space.<\/p>\n As for my treatment, I opted for the Exosome Regeneration Facial, which lasted about two hours and included enzymatic exfoliation, a sculpting massage, cryotherapy, and LED masks. It\u2019s pricey, yes, but the investment felt well worth it for the glowing results and unlimited use of the immaculate facilities.<\/p>\n The hotel also has a 1,800-square-foot gym with more killer views.<\/p>\n Accessibility<\/p>\n The Huntington has multiple ADA-compliant guest rooms and suites. The hotel’s entrance is step-free, and there are accessible paths through the common areas.<\/p>\n How to Book<\/p>\n The Huntington is part of The Leading Hotels of the World<\/a>. Leaders Club members receive special rates, complimentary breakfast, $100 hotel credit, and more.<\/p>\n Nightly rates at The Huntington<\/a> start from $799.<\/p>\n Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values<\/a>.<\/p>\n