San Francisco’s affluent Nob Hill neighborhood is a fitting home for The Huntington Hotel, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels collection. From its hilltop perch, the hotel overlooks San Francisco, offering sweeping views of the Grace Cathedral and the city skyline.

Since 1924, Huntington Hotel has been serving the San Francisco community. Originally opened as residential apartments, the 12-story building was transformed into hotel in 1947. Among the many historical facts attached to the illustrious Huntington Hotel: The structure was the first steel-and-brick high-rise west of the Mississippi.

During its metamorphosis into a hotel, the designer retained the apartment-size rooms, so today’s accommodations are substantially larger than most standard rooms. The property boasts 96 guestrooms and 40 suites, each elegantly appointed with signature artwork and stylish furnishing, and all with views of either the skyline, Huntington Park or Grace Cathedral. Known throughout the city for its posh luxury, Huntington Hotel often plays host to visiting dignitaries and celebrities.

Thirty-nine of the hotel’s guestrooms were recently renovated to reflect San Francisco’s sunsets and foggy skies. The rooms also feature custom cabinetry made of eco-sustainable bamboo, and custom bedding and casework adorned with the hotel’s signature H logo.

Huntington Hotel celebrated its 85th anniversary in October 2009, a milestone for the property, which is under its third generation of family management. The familial ties are evident in every aspect of the hotel, from its level of service to its impeccable room standards.

While visiting the Huntington Hotel, guests can indulge at the Nob Hill Spa. Inspired by Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Victorian influences, Nob Hill Spa reflects the melting pot of San Francisco’s neighborhoods, architecture and people. The 11,000-square-foot facility overlooks the city and features an indoor infinity pool surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows.

With a total of 10 treatment rooms, the spa offers a full range of services, including massages, body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures. Each of the rooms showcases one-of-a-kind décor and is named for one of the 10 attributes of good fortune as dictated by the Asian culture. The overall design of the facility is based according to feng shui principles. Three rooms offer fireplaces and two are dedicated to couples’ treatments.

In the Premier Spa suite, spa-goers can host small social or corporate functions. Each guest has unlimited access to the infinity pool, whirlpool, workout room and steam and sauna rooms.

Sample a taste of what Nob Hill Spa has to offer with the Renewing Detox package, including the Seaweed Leaf Body Ritual, Cowry Shell Detox facial, a healthy spa lunch, a JAMU Ginger Tumeric drink and a 15-day supply of GliSODin
take-home detox supplements.

Huntington Hotel’s Big 4 Restaurant, named for Central Pacific Railroad’s big four tycoons, serves contemporary American cuisine. Chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls changes the menu seasonally to reflect the fresh ingredients and agriculture of the Northern California region. One of the menu mainstays, due to its overwhelming popularity, is Chef Ciccarone-Nehls’ chicken potpie, baked in a sherry-laced cream.

Chef Ciccarone-Nehls, who studied at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, has been with the restaurant, and responsible for all the food and beverage operations at the hotel and spa, since 1981. With a number of impressive accolades under her belt, Chef Ciccarone-Nehls delivers delectable cuisine daily. The restaurant’s Wild Game Week in November (a specialty of the chef) is one of San Francisco’s most highly regarded culinary events.

In addition to its award-winning spa and restaurant, Huntington Hotel offers guests a number of high-quality amenities, sure to please even the most discerning business or luxury traveler. Tea and coffee are offered upon arrival and complimentary chauffeured sedan service is available Monday through Friday from the hotel to Union Square and the Financial District. Five different meeting spaces — Big 4 Restaurant, Central Pacific Dining Room, Charles Crocker Room, Tobin Room or the Executive Board Room — can accommodate up to 75 people. And, in true San Franciscan fashion, the California Street Cable Car stops right outside the Huntington Hotel front door.

Experience San Francisco from the comfortable accommodations of this city icon. For more information, visit www.huntingtonhotel.com.