Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Boutique Hotel

Updated regal icon reigns over downtown

This historic hotel, which opened in 1928 and was renovated in 1999, is a half-block from Union Square and right on the cable car line.

The hotel offers views from most of its 417 guestrooms, with their distinctive green-striped walls and star-print carpets.

Dressed in full beefeater regalia, the porter ushers guests into an era when San Francisco was the toast of the coast.