Staying at the elegant Inn, then, is almost museumlike, in the best sense, amidst one of world’s iconic land- and seascapes. Everywhere at The Presidio is this drama of two and a half centuries of history: in the names of buildings and streets — Moraga, Sheridan, Arguello, Hardie, Gorgas; the magnificently renovated brick and wood buildings; coastal defense structures Forts Scott and Point; the Chapel of our Lady at the San Francisco National Cemetery; and Crissy Field, the only Army airfield continually active in the western U.S., 1919–1936. My very comfortable third-floor suite looking out to Funston House, the parade grounds and toward San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate is in Keyes Hall, remembering Erasmus D. Keyes, a general and businessman, who became president of a Mexican gold mining company.
The Presidio, in fact, seems self-sufficient, with its own administration and spirit — an excellent hospitality alternative to the many fine but decidedly urban hotels elsewhere in San Francisco. Approximately, 8,000 people live, work and go to school here; that it’s still home for many intensifies the appeal, the charm, the history. Outside of the Inn are groves of eucalyptus and cypress trees, the park includes 145 acres of native plant communities and, for rock fans of the geological variety, serpentinite and other subduction rocks reveal the area’s geological volatility. A combined 25 miles of hiking and biking trails are outside the door, and six scenic overlooks are memorable stops on the way. Both the Inn and Funston House are pet friendly, so daily strolls with them are popular. For Inn guests, the nearby SenSpa provides massage treatments by appointment and a cross-training gym work-out opportunities, and in-room massage and private dining can be arranged.
A new Sunday Picnic in the Park on the Main Post is produced by local event impresario, Off The Grid; it’s very festive, with vendors and residents enjoying the Presidio with their families. Haney notes that a restaurant inside The Officers Club a block away from the Inn is opening soon as well as another restaurant in Building 101 that will be serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just minutes from the Presidio by highway or city streets are the city’s great shopping and cultural resources in North Beach, Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf the Ferry Building and Golden Gate Park. And, of course, just north of the Golden Gate is Marin County, with its beaches and walkable small towns, such as Sausalito, Muir Woods and the Wine Country of Napa and Sonoma. Another repurposed fort, Cavallo Point, is also an excellent Golden Gatearea boutique hotel, with great views of the bridge (see sidebar).
“Hotels like the Inn at the Presidio and Cavallo Point really illustrate how unique San Francisco is as a city,” says Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association. Both properties are adjacent to the breathtaking Golden Gate Bridge and sit on National Park Service land.
“One could spend their entire stay gazing at the beautiful ocean, coastline and hillsides. Yet the vibrancy and excitement of the city are just a car, bicycle, ferry or bus ride away, with world-class dining, shopping, museums, performances and events, offering 49 square miles of unique neighborhoods to explore.”
