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SF Hotel Stories
Peter Nasatir
Hospitality Industry Veteran / Writer


You Ate it Here First, Folks
Many people know that sourdough bread originated in San Francisco, but what you might not know is many foods you eat often, also came...
ckesta
Oct 10, 20243 min read


San Francisco Hotel Confidential! The Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco hotels have been part of the fabric of the city since the Gold Rush of 1849. In the early days, flop houses for sailors...
ckesta
Oct 3, 20243 min read


San Francisco Tax Dollars At Work
As a hotel concierge I have extolled the virtues of San Francisco to thousands, if not tens of thousands of visitors (maybe even more!),...
ckesta
Oct 3, 20244 min read


San Francisco Hotel Confidential! The Palace Hotel
San Francisco hotels have been part of the fabric of the city since the Gold Rush of 1849. In the early days, flop houses for sailors...
ckesta
Sep 23, 20243 min read


San Francisco's Limelight
San Francisco's theater tradition dates back to the days when this was still a frontier town. A bygone era when Lotta Crabtree began her...
ckesta
Sep 19, 20244 min read


Welcomed Visitors
Although it's not really mentioned, San Francisco is named for Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. San Franciscans...
ckesta
Aug 26, 20243 min read


Hidden Treasures (Not The Movie) of San Francisco
Coit Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the TransAmerica Pyramid are well known iconic structures. Seen from not only San Francisco, but...
ckesta
Aug 23, 20243 min read


Covid And The State Of San Francisco Hotels in 2024
When the Covid 19 pandemic sucker punched the world in general, but hotels specifically, no one could have predicted how it would have...
ckesta
Aug 22, 20247 min read


The Many Similarities Between Cotton, Minnesota And San Francisco
Cotton is a small town on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota and has a population of 437. San Francisco has a population of a little...
ckesta
Aug 22, 20243 min read


Hiking The Rugged Environs of San Francisco
At 49 square miles, and population density of 18,832 persons per square mile, San Francisco is one of the most densely populated cities...
ckesta
Aug 15, 20244 min read


It Will Always Be The Sir Francis Drake To Me
The Sir Francis Drake was one of the grand dames of classic San Francisco hotels, like the Fairmont and Palace Hotel. This lesser-known...
ckesta
Aug 15, 20245 min read


POPOS - San Francisco's Best Kept Secret
Like the skin of an onion, San Francisco has many different layers to unveil. There are some benefits to living in this city which are...
ckesta
Aug 9, 20243 min read


Exploring Beyond San Francisco
As well-known as the city of San Francisco is, many visitors don't just come to, as former president William Howard Taft proclaimed, "The...
ckesta
Aug 9, 20245 min read


The Last Shoeshine Man In San Francisco
At the apex of the city, where California and Market Streets meet, stands the lone practitioner of a dying art: the shoeshine man. It is...
ckesta
Jul 25, 20242 min read


Frozen Music - San Francisco Architecture
Everyone knows famous architects like Mike Brady and Howard Roark designed many buildings in San Francisco. Stop anyone on the street...
ckesta
Jul 25, 20245 min read


Unique San Francisco
I have highlighted concerns in my previous blogs about the post-pandemic drop in tourism for San Francisco. Despite the pandemic, the...
ckesta
Jul 19, 20242 min read


Roger Corman 1926-2024
Roger Corman died on May 9th, at the age of 98. As a filmmaker, he is not particularly associated with San Francisco like Francis Ford...
ckesta
Jul 12, 20244 min read


Kids are People Too
It’s summertime now, and that means the kids are out of school and families are on vacation. When considering family-friendly vacation...
ckesta
Jul 12, 20245 min read


I Love A Parade
Since June is not only Pride month but also Juneteenth, two culturally different yet equally notable events for different reasons. For...
ckesta
Jun 17, 20245 min read


Rev. Cecil Williams 1929 -2024
Legendary minister, activist, community organizer, and civic institution Cecil Williams left this mortal coil on April 22nd. Originally...
ckesta
May 3, 20242 min read
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