[4K] SAN FRANCISCO FAIRMONT HOTEL TOUR

Published 2023-11-30

The Fairmont Hotel dates to 1903, when two sisters—Theresa Fair Oelrichs and Virginia Fair Vanderbilt—decided to build a spectacular boutique hotel in the heart of San Francisco’s Nob Hill. Dedicated in honor of their father, Senator James Graham Fair, the two hoped that the business would become a renowned local icon. Yet, mere weeks after the building debuted, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 struck the region. Like many other buildings in Nob Hill, The Fairmont Hotel was utterly destroyed. Undeterred, the sisters hired architect Julia Morgan—who would later come the nation’s preeminent female architect—to rebuild the entire structure. Exactly one year after the quake, the Fairmont Hotel re-opened and soon the destination became the social hub of the city. During the next several decades the hotel shifted ownership several times until the early 1930s, when the economic stagnation caused by the Great Depression eventually dragged the hotel into a state of benign neglect. But once again, The Fairmont Hotel rose from the ashes. At the end of World War II two events served to transform the business: the International Conference—which led to the birth of the United Nations—and the purchase of the hotel by Benjamin Swig. Swig an East Coast businessman that, "had a knack for seeing a good thing and turning it around." In turn, Swig hired interior decorator Dorothy Draper, who completely redesigned the space to reflect the ambiance of a Venetian palace.

Under Swig’s watch, The Fairmont Hotel underwent a cultural renaissance. It quickly became the desired spot for visiting celebrities, athletes, and even U.S. presidents. The refurbished Venetian Room's grand opening as San Francisco's premier Supper Club took place in 1947 and for decades the room would attract big-name entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Marlene Dietrich, Joel Grey, Bobby Short, Vic Damone and James Brown. But the Venetian Room is perhaps most famous as the place where Tony Bennett first sang, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in 1961. The Cirque Room—the first bar to open in San Francisco following prohibition—is also inside the Fairmont. It was decorated by architect Tim Pflueger in a beautiful Art-Deco style with an incredible bar and murals by the celebrated Bruton sisters. Before the Venetian Room opened, the Cirque was the place to go for entertainment in the city. In November of 1961 another section opened: the 29-story tower, designed by Mario Gaidano. A recent $85 million restoration elevated the entire location to its present-day status, transforming the historic building into one of San Francisco’s most fabulous destinations. Now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, this wonderful historic hotel continues to entertain patrons in the same manner it has since its founding more than a century ago.
(From Historic Hotels - Tom Wolfe)