MARKETS
A Premier Suite with views of Yerba Buena Gardens , Market Street and city .
“ With work-from-home being so big , we ’ ve become favored as a picturesque setting for the in-person meetings that still are called for by the executives in our community ,” Gras said — the hotel is located at the convergence of Union Square , SoMa ( South Market ) and the Financial District . The hotel also has more than 15,000 square feet of traditional space dedicated to meetings and events .
A city defined by its steep climbs has a five-person concierge team with dizzying street-by-street encyclopedic knowledge : three of the five have achieved status within the storied Clefs d ’ Or ( Golden Keys ). A technical innovation at Four Seasons is these concierges ’ availability via messaging as well as in person — and that messaging functionality is available in more than 100 languages via the magic of real-time , twoway , AI-powered translation .
Turnarounds , he said , are rarely instant , and this one is ongoing . What the city has been doing , Gras alluded to , can be seen all around : innovative community-based efforts , including from the police force , resulting in getting unhoused people off the streets and into the care they need .
There are also several forces working in the city ’ s favor , and , by extension , the hotel ’ s favor . “ The comeback of the international traveler is very strong ,” Gras said , both from Europe and even more so from Asia . A stronger European traveler aside , it ’ s
A set-up of a private dining room . the comeback of the Asian traveler that has Gras and the hotel most excited : San Francisco is a huge travel destination for Asians . Always has been .
The return of events is gradually contributing to the upswing as well , Gras said , basing that on the number events now confirmed to be coming back at their regular cadence . “ Finally ,” he said , “ there ’ s an ongoing tech rebound , including in biotech and , of course , AI , and nowhere is more central for and essential to the tech industry than the Bay Area .”
Gras ’ impression would appear to align with other , less anecdotal , data . In a recent article titled “ With U . S . cities struggling , San Francisco has actually become a shining model of recovery ,” The Hill pointed out : “ The negative narrative about San Francisco is out of date , at least nine months behind the reality .”
The report went on to say , “ In the San Francisco of spring 2024 [ as opposed to how it was three quarters of a year ago ], you [ now ] find commuters grabbing coffees and heading into their offices ; tourists admiring the streets comprised of unique Edwardian and Victorian architecture ; friends enjoying the fresh fish at outdoor restaurants ; and families playing in the beautiful parks .
BURNISHING THE BAY One doesn ’ t need AI to to interpret the challenges San Francisco has gone through and , to some extent , remains mired in . “ Certainly , this is the first or second question I get asked , at least by the press : Is San Francisco on an upswing or not yet ?” Gras said . “ My answer is — and this is without reservation — in the positive .”
76 hotelsmag . com July / August 2024