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By Root 626 0

millionaire Mark Hopkins’s turreted mansion once stood, the 19-story Mark Hopkins gained fame during World War II as the kiss-and-cry spot for Pacific-bound servicemen toasting their goodbyes at the Top of the Mark cocktail lounge. Nowadays, this grand hotel caters mostly to convention-bound corporate executives, since its prices often require corporate charge accounts. Each neoclassical room is exceedingly comfortable and comes with all the fancy amenities you’d expect from a world-class hotel, including custom furniture, plush fabrics, sumptuous bathrooms, Frette bathrobes, and extraordinary views of the city. The luxury suites are twice the size of most San Francisco apartments and cost close to a month’s rent per night. A minor caveat: The hotel has only three guest elevators, making a quick trip to your room difficult during busy periods. Be sure and head up to the Top of the Mark for a twilight cocktail and some of the best views in the city.

1 Nob Hill (at California and Mason sts.), San Francisco, CA 94108. www.markhopkins.net. 888/424-6835 or 415/392-3434. Fax 415/421-3302. 380 units. $399–$599 double; from $650 suite; from $3,000 luxury suite. Breakfast $17 for juice, coffee, and pastry to $23 for full buffet. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $54, some oversize vehicles prohibited. Bus: 1. Cable car: California St. or Powell–Market line (direct stop). Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; concierge; exercise room; room service. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, VCR/DVD in suites only, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi ($13 per day).

The Mark as Movie Star

One of the city’s most architecturally impressive hotels, the Mark has starred in numerous films. In Steve McQueen’s famous cop thriller Bullitt, a suspect is spotted in the hotel’s marble lobby. In Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Jimmy Stewart can be spotted at the hotel’s grand porte-cochere entrance (but vertigo prevents him from going to the Top of the Mark). The Mark also makes a cameo in Clint Eastwood’s Sudden Impact. The Mark occasionally screens these films for free on its rooftop in the summer. Check www.markhopkins.net for details.

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco ★★★ The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco has been the benchmark for the city’s luxury hotels since it opened in 1991 in the former Metropolitan Insurance headquarters. The interior was restored with fine furnishings, fabrics, and artwork, including a pair of Louis XVI blue marble urns with gilt mountings, and 19th-century Waterford candelabras. Rooms were completely upgraded in 2008 to the tune of $12.5 million. Club rooms, on the top floors, have a dedicated concierge, separate elevator-key access, and complimentary small plates throughout the day. No restaurant in town has more formal service than Dining Room, which serves exquisite modern French cuisine with a Japanese influence by famed chef Ron Siegel (a veteran of French Laundry and Charles Nob Hill, and one of the only non-Japanese chefs to win the Iron Chef competition). The less formal Terrace Restaurant offers contemporary Mediterranean cuisine and the city’s most lavish Sunday champagne/jazz brunch. The Lobby lounge serves classic afternoon tea and cocktails with low-key live entertainment daily, and sushi Wednesday through Saturday.

600 Stockton St. (btw. Pine and California sts.), San Francisco, CA 94108. www.ritzcarlton.com. 800/241-3333 or 415/296-7465. Fax 415/291-0288. 336 units. $445–$480 double; $499–$629 club-level double; from $579–$699 executive suite. Buffet breakfast $32; Sun champagne brunch $65. Weekend discounts and packages available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $62. Cable car: California St. cable car line (direct stop). Amenities: 2 restaurants; 3 bars; concierge; outstanding fitness center; Jacuzzi; indoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi ($13 per day).

Moderate

Nob Hill Hotel The Nob Hill Hotel is an amazing deal for such an over-the-top Victorian inn, with rates around $130 in peak season (and often less). Located in a quiet area between the Tenderloin and Nob Hill (aka