This year, San Fran’s Clift Hotel is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and we were privileged enough to be invited out to check out the property and learn a thing or two in the process. San Francisco itself has a lot to offer, especially in the Union Square district of downtown where Clift is located. There’s a booming retail experience, art galleries, plenty of places to eat and the SF MOMA and piers within walking distance.
The challenge for Morgans Hotel Group was to rediscover and restore the hotel’s essence while at the same time introducing a modern sensibility. There are some crucial components that were brought back to life like the lobby’s higher ceilings and enormous fire place. Like all Morgans hotels, you’ll first notice a dynamic shift in the atmosphere as you enter through the front doors and into the neutral foyer area, something the company likes to call the decompression chamber. This allows guests to transfer from the buzz and motion outside to a separate reality within and its done in a very subtle manner.
Clift also houses the Velvet Room, a restaurant that’s one of the city’s finest as well as the Redwood Room, an elegant and welcoming lounge. It has a rich history and you’ll notice it stays true to it as fine details in the space have been left untouched since their inception.
I travel often and beyond all the decor and the elegance, service is what I really remember. For Clift, they were nothing short of exceptional and that’s aligned with what was said by many of whom I spoke with during my stay. It has a place in the city’s every-evolving culture but standing the test of time is what we’d expect from a space so timeless.
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