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San Francisco's Nob Hill has always been home to the very rich and the very famous. As the city has grown and changed over the years, however, one thing has remained the same: Nob Hill is still San Francisco's crown jewel.
- Nob Hill was first adorned with the mansions of the great railroad barons of the Central Pacific Line - C.P. Huntington, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker, known as the Big Four - during the days of the Wild West.
- James Fair and James Flood, who amassed fortunes during the Gold Rush, later built their mansions there as well.
- The Tobin family, founders of The Hibernia Bank, joined their affluent contemporaries on Nob Hill in the 1870's with the construction of a very large Victorian home.
- In 1922, the former site of the Tobin Mansion became a 12-story, $2.5 million residential apartment hotel building. Constructed by Weeks and Day, the 140 room Huntington Apartments was the first steel and brick high-rise west of the Mississippi.
- In keeping with Nob Hill's exclusive ambiance, the new building was described by San Francisco's Illustrated Daily Herald as “the last word in luxury…the finest apartment facilities with the most up-to-date hotel service, offering a combination of features never before attempted in the West.”
- Some of the apartments were installed with San Francisco's first twin wall - or Murphy – beds, Pullman kitchens with electric stove, inset steam radiators and a main kitchen providing room service to residents - considered quite the innovation at the time.
- In 1924 Eugene Fritz, the real estate developer who managed the property, purchased the Huntington Apartments. The Huntington maintained its reputation as the West's most elegant apartment building, home to some of San Francisco's most distinguished citizens.
- Following World War II Fritz, a shrewd businessman, realized the vast potential for increased transient business to San Francisco due to the city's high visibility during the war effort.
- In 1945, Fritz began a two-year renovation program to transform the apartments into the elegant Huntington Hotel while maintaining the original room sizes, leaving The Huntington's guest rooms substantially larger than industry standards.
- A cozy lobby was created on the ground floor with the Zebra Room Restaurant located directly adjacent to it. The Huntington and the Zebra Room quickly became home to visiting dignitaries, royalty, top-level executives and San Francisco's “Café Society.”
- Years later a posh nightclub, the Romanoff Restaurant, replaced the Zebra Room - catering to an exclusive clientele that was fast, flashy and favored such watering holes as the original Cirque Room. In 1960 L'Etoile, another elegant and famous restaurant, replaced Romanoff's.
- In 1950, Eugene Fritz stunned the male-dominated industry by turning over the hotel's ownership to his 14 year old daughter, Dorothy.
- As one of the country's first women to own and later manage a hotel, "Dolly" Fritz expanded the hotel's exclusive reputation. Her 1967 marriage to Newton Cope, a Sacramento real estate developer, restaurateur and California historian cemented the family's commitment to Northern California's hospitality industry.
- Newton Cope transformed the ground floor of the Huntington Hotel into Big 4 Restaurant, one of the country's most celebrated cocktail lounges and dining rooms. Named for the Central Pacific Railroad's "big four" tycoons, the restaurant's club-like ambiance showcases Mr. Cope's impressive collection of 19th century railroad and early California memorabilia.
- The space formerly occupied by L'Etoile was renovated to become the Nob Hill Spa, currently celebrating its 13th anniversary. A pool was built where the old dining room had been, and treatment rooms were placed under the lobby in the location of the old kitchen. For the first time, a gift shop was opened for hotel and spa guests alike.
Today, The Huntington Hotel maintains its long standing tradition of high standards and gracious service. Its reputation for quiet and understated luxury has made it a favorite among savvy travelers who prefer individuality and elegance.
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