San Francisco: 5 Places to Stay

Unlike its predecessor in NYC, this St. Regis is modern—Jean-Michel Frank modern, that is—in both style and amenities: master panels that control all the lights and shades; a fax/copier/printer in each room; "rainforest" and regular showerheads; plus the usual flat-screen TV's, DVD/CD players, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet Internet access. The hotel and its 306 rooms are furnished in a symphony in beige and wood grain. (In the vestibule, the walls are covered in beige leather; behind the headboards, a beige faux shagreen.) Even in the standard rooms, the bathrooms feel monumental, like the Met's Temple of Dendur; each has a separate tub and shower stall with bench.

Insider Tip: The team that runs Ame, the hotel's well-regarded restaurant, also manages the lobby bar; there, you can order from a modified Ame menu, even at lunchtime (when the restaurant itself is closed).

Room to Book: The Metropolitan Suites, at opposite corners of each floor, are nearly 1,000 square feet. Ask for room 2008, on the highest floor—it faces northwest, which means a cube's-eye view of Daniel Libeskind's geometric Contemporary Jewish Museum.

• 1. The St. Regis San Francisco
  125 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-284-4000 37.786291-122.401375 stregis.com/sanfrancisco