1 Hotel San Francisco Is The Place To Stay In That City Now

There are reasons to stay on or near the Embarcadero in San Francisco: the views over the Bay and Bay Bridge; the proximity to The Ferry Building for its ferries to points north and east or-even better- the feast of top level restaurants and artisan food purveyors contained within from Hog Island Oyster Company to Miette Patisserie and The Slanted Door. There hadn’t been a special place to stay in that location, though, until 1 Hotel San Francisco opened steps away on Mission Street in June of last year.

Anyone who has stayed in one of the company’s other hotels, in Miami’s South Beach, midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, West Hollywood, Sanya, China and Toronto will recognize the design elements: the reclaimed wood lining the walls, patches of greenery, exposed brick, rustic stones, all contributing to the look of urban nature in sync with the group’s sustainability focus. The components here include salvaged barn wood, recycled rubber for the fitness center flooring, and handwoven rugs of plant fibers and recyclable wool. To reduce the shipping footprint, much of the material that comprises the décor is domestic and some particularly local: the redwood lumber of the corridors and each guest elevator landing was reclaimed from the old San Francisco Bay Bridge. Sustainable bona fides aside, though, the overall effect is attractive, sophisticated, and soothing, the latter element particularly beneficial for a big city hotel.

“1 Hotel San Francisco is an inspiring example of what our brand stands for,” said 1 Hotels Founder and CEO & Chairman of Starwood Capital Group Barry Sternlicht. “It is a tangible extension of our vision and purpose: to place holistic wellness at the forefront of our operations for our guests, local communities, and the planet. This vibrant and eclectic city has long been at the forefront of driving sustainable change in architecture and design. Inspired by that rich history, our goal is to infuse an urban oasis with the natural beauty of the Northern California landscape and the sensibility of this dynamic community.”

The emphasis on nature extends upstairs to the 186 rooms and 14 suites which guests enter with recycled wooden key cards made from birch, basswood, black walnut, Sapele and cherry. A patchwork of recycled wood forms the wall behind the bed which is fitted with sustainably sourced sheets and topped with a downy pillow cover that makes it a delight to sink into. Live plants and other greenery plus cups and carafes created from recycled wine bottles and recycled pods for the Nespresso machines continue the sustainability focus.

The culinary program is a direct homage to the region’s trademark farm to table ethos. The Lobby Farmstand provides a selection of fruits, vegetables and nuts from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. In association with the urban farming company Farmscape, the hotel maintains an herb garden on the 8^th floor terrace along with an apiary to produce honey in conjunction with the urban beekeeping creators Best Bees. The restaurant Terrene, an indoor-outdoor café, utilizes those ingredients as well as the produce from area farmers in dishes such as lamb sliders with mango jam, shallot pickle and shaved fennel, a baby beet salad with avocado puree, marinated artichoke hearts, Kalamata crumble, smoked salt and pomegranate vinaigrette and shrimp skewers with scallion and ginger dressing with seasonal market vegetables.

For on site de-stressing, the hotel maintains an outpost of the Bamford Wellness Spa, the holistic spa located in England’s Cotswolds with a similar emphasis on natural, organic ingredients and mind/body treatments; fitness and yoga classes are provided as well. There are also electric bikes to explore the neighborhood, up to North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf, to the museums in SoMa or a baseball game at Oracle Park. For longer distances, the hotel offers the house Audi for two mile radius drives. Naturally, it’s electric.