Hilton San Francisco Financial District
Encyclopedia
Hilton San Francisco Financial District is a 27 story hotel located Chinatown's Portsmouth Square
in San Francisco, California
at 750 Kearny Street. Formerly the Holiday Inn San Francisco
, the hotel re-opened in January 2006 after a renovation.
The lobby interior, designed by Gensler
, is based on the ancient Chinese aesthetic system of Feng Shui
. Water, fire and earth, three of Feng Shui's five elements, greet visitors as they enter the lobby, beginning with a medallion fountain centered in the hotel foyer. Potted orchids line the lobby perimeter and represent earth. A glass enclosed fireplace marks the entrance to The Grille at Seven Fifty and completes the Feng Shui circle.
The Hotel is within walking distance of the Financial District, North Beach
and Chinatown
. Onsite attractions and outlets include The Grille at Seven Fifty, Flyte Wine Bar, Tru Spa and the Chinese Culture Center
.
Theatre was the original structure, followed by City Hall
. In 1900 the San Francisco Hall of Justice was built on this site but it burned in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The Hall of Justice was rebuilt and re-opened in 1912. That building was on the site until it was demolished in 1968. The hotel was built on the site in 1971. The hotel was completely renovated the reopened in January 2006 as the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.
The television show Ironside
(1967–75), starring Raymond Burr
, featured many exterior shots of the old SF Police headquarters formerly located on the land now occupied by the hotel. This was supposed to be the site of Ironside's office, the building was actually the old San Francisco Hall of Justice. The old Hall of Justice was demolished in April 1968.
The hotel was originally built as the Holiday Inn Chinatown in 1971. The new hotel had an unusual rooftop swimming pool 37°47′42.7"N 122°24′15.7"W that is featured in the opening scenes of the first Dirty Harry
film (1971).
Portsmouth Square
Portsmouth Square is a one-block park in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, that is bounded by Kearny Street on the east, Washington Street on the north, Clay Street on the south, and Walter Lum Place on the west....
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at 750 Kearny Street. Formerly the Holiday Inn San Francisco
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
, the hotel re-opened in January 2006 after a renovation.
The lobby interior, designed by Gensler
Gensler
Gensler is an American design and architecture firm headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded in 1965 by Art Gensler, Drue Gensler, and James Follett, and originally focused on corporate interiors...
, is based on the ancient Chinese aesthetic system of Feng Shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
. Water, fire and earth, three of Feng Shui's five elements, greet visitors as they enter the lobby, beginning with a medallion fountain centered in the hotel foyer. Potted orchids line the lobby perimeter and represent earth. A glass enclosed fireplace marks the entrance to The Grille at Seven Fifty and completes the Feng Shui circle.
The Hotel is within walking distance of the Financial District, North Beach
North Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Russian Hill. The neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy, and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. It still holds many Italian restaurants today, though...
and Chinatown
Chinatown, San Francisco, California
San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants to the United States and North America...
. Onsite attractions and outlets include The Grille at Seven Fifty, Flyte Wine Bar, Tru Spa and the Chinese Culture Center
Chinese Culture Center
The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, California, USA, is a major community-based, non-profit organization established in 1965 to foster the understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Chinese American art, history, and culture in the United States.The facilities of the Center, totaling ,...
.
History
The landmark site of the Hilton San Francisco Financial District dates back to the mid-19th century. The Jenny LindJenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
Theatre was the original structure, followed by City Hall
San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco City Hall, re-opened in 1915, in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is the fifth largest in the world...
. In 1900 the San Francisco Hall of Justice was built on this site but it burned in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The Hall of Justice was rebuilt and re-opened in 1912. That building was on the site until it was demolished in 1968. The hotel was built on the site in 1971. The hotel was completely renovated the reopened in January 2006 as the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.
The television show Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
(1967–75), starring Raymond Burr
Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain...
, featured many exterior shots of the old SF Police headquarters formerly located on the land now occupied by the hotel. This was supposed to be the site of Ironside's office, the building was actually the old San Francisco Hall of Justice. The old Hall of Justice was demolished in April 1968.
The hotel was originally built as the Holiday Inn Chinatown in 1971. The new hotel had an unusual rooftop swimming pool 37°47′42.7"N 122°24′15.7"W that is featured in the opening scenes of the first Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
film (1971).