York Hotel

INDEPENDENT REVIEW BY ULTIMATEHOTELS.COM STAFF

Opened in 1922, the York Hotel boasts a storied past that includes a starring role in the Alfred Hitchcock movie ‘Vertigo.'

One of the hotels other lives was as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Thirsty patrons knocked on a door across the street and were escorted through an underground tunnel to the Empire Plush Room, located inside the York Hotel, where they drank bootleg liquor and listened to local bands.

Still part of the hotel, the Empire Plush Room remains one of the city’s better jazz and cabaret clubs featuring well-known acts and entertainers performing five nights a week.

The York Hotel boasts 96 spacious rooms and suites that have been recently remodeled. Featuring color palettes awash with terra cotta and green, each guestroom showcases black and white photographs of San Francisco as part of the celebration of a bygone era. Suites and superior rooms feature upgraded amenities such as flat-screen televisions, brand new beds, executive desks and contemporary bathrooms.

The hotel is located between downtown and Cathedral Hill six blocks from Nob Hill and Union Square shops. Although the block includes several apartment buildings, fancy salons and nice cafés, be aware that the neighborhood can be a bit edgier than some.