The best gay-friendly hotels in San Francisco

The St. Regis San Francisco is the epitome of timeless elegance. Think extravagantly appointed suites, personalized butler service (at an additional fee) and sweeping glass windows that give way to glittering downtown views. This quintessential gay-friendly San Francisco hotel is squirrelled away in the SoMa District, where top attractions like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts are just a few steps away. In keeping with its creative neighbours, thought-provoking art installations and sculptures are on display throughout the hotel, and the Museum of the African Diaspora can be accessed from the lobby.

For five-star luxury near to thrumming Union Square, it’s hard to beat the Hotel Taj Campton Place. Rooms are light and airy, primarily decorated in natural colour palettes to create a decidedly contemporary feel. Exercise lovers will appreciate the 9th-floor open-air fitness center, especially on a sunny San Fran day when the plastic tent covering is rolled back to reveal Union Square views. That said, the undeniable piece de resistance here is the hotel’s two Michelin star restaurant helmed by Chef Srijith Gopinathan. A feast for the senses, come for innovative Cali-Indian fusion best enjoyed via the seven-course tasting menu.

Pacific Heights is famed for its posh boutiques, opulent mansions, and sparkling bay views, where well-heeled locals enjoy extravagant living. Join in the high-life at Hotel Drisco, a gay-friendly San Francisco hotel that feels perfectly at home in its stylish surroundings. From staff outfitted in gold waistcoats to afternoon wine receptions to black and white photographs of old San Francisco, everything about Hotel Drisco exudes refined grandeur. Rooms are equally distinctive with unique details such as bespoke pillows (accompanied by a pillow menu) and even sleep machines.

A serene retreat that belies its ultra-convenient location in the heart of downtown, The Four Seasons San Francisco lives up to the brand’s sophisticated reputation. The design skews towards contemporary with a serene colour palette that draws to mind the blues and greys of the surrounding landscape. Rooms are spacious and bathed in light, complete with cozy cushioned window seats and decadent marble bathrooms. Don’t leave home without your runners—included in your stay is unlimited access to Equinox, a splashy private health club that’s set across three floors. In addition to a melange of top-notch machines, come for the full-size basketball court, swimming pool and barre room. After burning all those calories, you’ll want to head straight to MKT, a market-to-table restaurant where simple, sustainable ingredients shine on the Californian-inspired menu.

From its ideal perch atop swanky Nob Hill, the Fairmont San Francisco has been delighting travellers since it first opened its doors in 1907. Designed by the one and only Julia Morgan, the Fairmont feels palatial with its Beaux-Arts architectural details, iron lace balconies and grandiose pillars. Most rooms have a view, though the Signature Rooms clearly steal the show with their gobsmacking vistas stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to Coit Tower. The only thing that perhaps feels out of home at this classic hotel is the kitschy Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar, a tiki-themed bar that’s flamboyantly fun in all the right ways.

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