The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square is a storied hotel and landmark standing before Union Square in San Francisco, California. It opened in 1904 and quickly became the city's social epicenter, associated with presidents, royalty, and Hollywood stars.

The hotel faces Union Square, a 2.6-acre public plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton Streets. The name also describes the surrounding central shopping, hotel, and theater district, placing The Westin St. Francis at the heart of one of downtown San Francisco's best-known urban settings.

What is The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square?

The Westin St. Francis is a historic San Francisco hotel whose early reputation was built around its role in the city's social life. Its 1904 opening places the building among the landmarks that shaped the Union Square district, while its connections with presidents, royalty, and Hollywood stars give the hotel a distinctive place in the city's public memory.

What happened to The Westin St. Francis in the 1906 earthquake and fire?

The Westin St. Francis withstood the initial earthquake tremors in April 1906, but fires later swept through its lower floors. The flames charred the lobby and gutted the interiors, while the hotel's steel frame endured.

That surviving frame allowed the hotel to become one of the first major buildings restored after the disaster. It reopened its doors to guests by late 1907. The quick restoration made The Westin St. Francis a beacon of resilience and hope for a city in ruins, connecting the hotel's history directly to San Francisco's recovery.

What should you notice on the hotel’s exterior?

The elegant façade still hints at The Westin St. Francis's early-20th-century origins. Look for the ornate stonework and iron details preserved from the original construction. These details make the exterior especially striking beside the account of what happened inside in 1906: the lower floors were damaged by fire, the lobby was charred, and the interiors were gutted, but the steel frame endured.

The hotel is one stop on the San Francisco 1906 Earthquake and Fire Tour, which connects its preserved exterior with the earthquake and fire that tested the building. The route places The Westin St. Francis within the wider story of San Francisco's destruction and determined rebuilding, while leaving the landmark's surviving details visible on Union Square.

To understand the hotel as part of that history, explore the San Francisco 1906 Earthquake and Fire Tour and make The Westin St. Francis one of your stops around Union Square.