SF Hotel Stories

Mission Dolores By the time the United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican-American War (1848 to 1848), the sleepy port village of Yerba Buena connected to the Mission via a two-plank road. After the Gold Rush of 1849, Yerba Buena and its port eclipsed the village around the mission as the cultural and economic center of the region. With the American victory came land disputes among the Mexican-owned rancheros, including those around the mission. The American government p

Welcome to Incoming, from SFHotelstories. Your concierge weekly guide to the pulse of what's happening in San Francisco. EVENTS The Chinese New Years Parade The Chinese New Year Parade meanders its way through downtown San Francisco and Chinatown on March 7th, to commemorate the Year of the Horse.  This  is one of the most popular events in the city, so arrive early.  It's only going to be you, me, and about 100,000 other people.   If you like this article, please hit like an

If you like this passage, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelStories@gmail.com , Subject: Contributors.

Mission Dolores The Declaration of Independence was signed in1776, establishing the United States of America. Every school kid knows that. But what most don't know is that same year, and across the continent, San Francisco as we know it was established just three months later. Misión San Francisco de Asís was established on October 9th, 1776, and is where San Francisco got its name. Yet it was actually named for the nearby Arroyo de los Dolores ("Creek of Sorrows"), or sim

Did you know the It's-It, everyone's favorite ice cream, oatmeal cookie, chocolate-dipped treat was invented right here in San Francisco's Playland-at--the-beach amusement park in 1928 by George Whitney. And was sold no where else until the park closed in 1974. Then they were everywhere! If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photog

https://digitalsf.org/record/40721?ln=en&p=mark+twain&v=uv#?xywh=-540%2C41%2C1787%2C985 From the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library “I have always been rather better treated in San Francisco than I actually deserved.” — Mark Twain If you like this passage, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelSt

Welcome to Incoming, from SFHotelstories. Your concierge weekly guide to the pulse of what's happening in San Francisco. EVENTS The Noise Pop Festival This February 19th through March 1st, several venues across San Francisco will host dozens of indie pop music groups.  The Festival is a way to explore new artists, venues and nightlife the old-fashioned way… by going from one show to the next.  Who knows, you stumble upon the next pop sensation before they become famous. If yo

If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com And just how is Power Boil different than Regular Boil? SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelStories@gmail.com , Subject: Contributors.

If you don't know by now San Francisco is an expensive city to live in. It's hard to believe but there are many working-class San Franciscans, who have children, and somehow manage to get by in the most expensive city in the United States. These are not tech executives' kids going to private academies. There are workers who wear nametags and shower after their shift ends, send their kids to public school, and somehow manage to raise a family in the land of the $3800-a-mont

Did you know the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill was scheduled to open on April 18th, 1906. The same day the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire occurred. Destroyed by fire, the Fairmont eventually opened exactly one year later to the day; April 18th, 1907. The Fairmont Hotel If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact

The city's libraries are not only a source of information, but a great place to see FREE events and exhibits. Tuesday, 2/17/2026, 10:30 - 11:00 Give your little one a chance to explore materials and self-expression with experiential art. Dress for mess! For ages 2–4.  Wednesday, 2/18/2026, 10:00 - 10:30 Enjoy fun and educational songs, rhymes and stories with Main Children's Center librarians in this special story time for toddlers, preschoolers, and their families every Wedn

"San Francisco itself is art… every block is a short story, every hill a novel." - -William Saroyan If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at http://www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelStories@gmail.com, Subject: Contributors.

Welcome to Incoming, from SFHotelstories. Your concierge weekly guide to the pulse of what's happening in San Francisco. EVENTS The Chinatown Flower Market Fair A festive street fair in Chinatown for Lunar New Year, featuring flowers, decorations, and cultural excitement. If you like this article, please hit like and follow us.  You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com COMEDY The Punchline TV star Adam Conover's Big Divorce Energy tour continues at the Punchline Febru

In my upcoming book, Service IS The Business (working title) I share a behind-the-desk perspective of what it is like to work at a real San Francisco hotel concierge desk. Enjoy this brief segment from the third chapter. I was lucky enough to know some of people who had worked at the Franklyn and who then moved on to other hotels. These guys would call me if they knew one of their colleagues would be off for a while due to vacation or illness. So in between those elusive fi

OK! Enough aready! Does everyplace get to have their own version of Monopoly? If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com And now Sheboygan, Wisconsin. SFHotelStories.com  is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelStories@gmail.com , Subject: Contributors.

I had so much feedback from this article, it seemed timely to share it again. If you left your heart in San Francisco, you wouldn't be the first.  San Francisco is considered a very romantic city.   Just look at the number of Rom Coms that take place here.  From Foul Play and What's Up Doc, to The Wedding Planner and So I Married An Axe Murderer, romance seems to permeate Hollywood films made in San Francisco. The city-by-the-bay is such a popular place to propose, there is e

San Francisco State University Actor Danny Glover, of Lethal Weapon fame, was born and raised in San Francisco, attended San Francisco State University, and still has a home not far from where he grew up.

Here is what's happening in some of San Francisco Libraries. Tuesday, 2/10/2026, 10:30 - 11:00 Storytime: For Families Marina Branch Tuesday, 2/10/2026, 1:30 - 3:30 Learn the principles and basics of Bocce ball. Bocce ball is an Italian game and initially played by Italian immigrants. Today, the game has become more popular and played by people worldwide. Learn the rules, proper techniques and how to score a match as you play with others. No formal teacher or instructions. No

“America only has three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everything else is Cleveland.” — Tennessee Williams, playwright If you like this article, please hit like and follow us. You can also follow us at http://www.sfhotelstories.com SFHotelStories.com is looking for contributors: writers, videographers, and photographers. Contact us at SFHotelStories@gmail.com, Subject: Contributors.

Welcome to Incoming, from SFHotelstories. Your concierge weekly guide to the pulse of what's happening in San Francisco. EVENTS Bay Area Museums Bank of America’s “Museums On Us” Free Museum Weekend, Sunday, February 8th.  Several museums around the San Francisco Bay Area are free thanks to the generosity of B of A.   If you like this article, please hit like and follow us.  You can also follow us at www.sfhotelstories.com COMEDY Punchline Mary Beth Barone's Galaxy Brain Tour