Thank you to our travel writer Kathy Chin Leong for heading to San Francisco and discovering this hotel.
In 1973, the cutting-edge Hyatt Regency Embarcadero was the marvel of San Francisco. This concrete skyscraper pierced the clouds and landed a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the largest hotel atrium. It was designed by the pre-eminent architect John Portman, famous for the iconic Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. With ethereal cantilevered balconies and balloon-like glass elevators, the Hyatt starred in movies and TV shows for decades. Those who remember its beginnings will recall the Equinox, Hyatt’s rotating tower restaurant that romanced visitors with views of the city. On Sundays, ballroom tea dances in the lobby drew men and women from all over the Bay Area.
Today, Hyatt Regency enters a new era. New is a multi-million dollar refresh of all 821 rooms and suites in coffee, gray, and cream hues. Updated modern furniture, new carpet, new paint, and new lighting and tech features are creating buzz. According to Rob Ferguson, director of marketing and sales, occupancy is nearing 2019 levels, and conventions are back.
Even more exciting is the return of the rotating tower on the 20th floor. Equinox ceased business and stopped rotating in 2007. After 17 years, corporate officials decided the panoramic space would benefit the hotel by turning once more. Last May, Dennis Alcaire, the engineer who originally worked on its revolving mechanics, restarted the “spin.”
Today the area is now dubbed the Regency Club, open exclusively to hotel guests on Tuesday through Saturday for now. Guests who pay an extra $150 per day during the length of their stay can have access to breakfast, mid-day snacks, savory and sweet munchies at night. According to Ferguson, the public can also book the club for private events.
Every seat and table yields views where sights never get old. One minute you approach yachts in the bay; the next, 19th-century bell towers adjacent to 20th-century skyscrapers. The glow of office lights and car headlamps twinkle in dusk.
The hotel is definitely one with plenty of volume and space, ideal for business clients who want to meet and network. But for the leisure traveler, what is there to do within? It’s not a resort with a spa or swimming pool, but if you get creative, you’ll find yourself keeping busy.
The sun-lit atrium, where you can look up to 17 floors, features intimate spaces even though it spans out at 42,000 square feet. Conversation groupings of couches, solo reclining cubbies, a restaurant, and a grab-and-go market fill up the real estate like cows dotted on a landscape.
A gym with Peloton stationary bikes, weights, and an assortment of workout goodies lets wanna-be athletes work out comfortably. Cycling and weight lifting for an hour is a great way to start the day. I didn’t do it, but I’ve heard this is a good idea.
Photo buffs will have a grand time poking around for interesting shots. There’s the show-stopping Eclipse, a striking 40-foot aluminum sculpture in the center of the lobby by artist Charles O. Perry. Pretty lights dance on it, creating a rainbow kaleidoscope. Almost daily, says Ferguson, architectural students and tourists wander in to admire the sculpture, the geometry of the atrium, the circular tile floors, and its staggered parallel balconies.
Here on the 9th floor in Room 916, we are in a corner king-sized suite with a view of the Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building, and the Salesforce Tower. Officially it is the King Bay View Balcony room with 385 square feet. New is an open armoire for hanging coats and setting luggage. No more closet. We’ve got a living room on one end; the bed on the other. Amenities include robes, a coffee maker, a mini fridge, and an electronic safe.
And while we are in one of my most favorite cities in the world, this room is so comfortable, we decide to spend one of our afternoons just reading, stretching out on the modular couch, kicking off the slippers from our feet, and channel surfing on the LG flat screen television – one of two in our suite.
Hyatt Regency’s location on the Embarcadero Center suite of buildings means it is steps away from excellent eats. The popular dim sum and banquet hall, Harbor View, is next door. A flower shop, a sushi restaurant, and a Thai eatery are a few of the treasures. Nearby is the famous Tadish Grill, the oldest restaurant in California, from 1849.
San Francisco is truly a walking city, and the hotel is ideally situated for those who like to hoof it everywhere. On Day One, we trod to the Ferry Building, two blocks away, situated along the waterfront. Filled with coffee joints, ice cream stalls, pop-up restaurants, and gift shops, the Ferry Building is a must-visit even if you are a local like me. You never know what you will find.
Day Two drew us to Chinatown, the country’s oldest Chinatown, about four blocks away. Chinatown is reinventing itself with new enterprises. One cute shop is On Waverly, an Asian American bookstore filled with books and gifts. Fortunately, still alive are age-old dim sum delis, bakeries, and the popular Wok Shop, a fixture in Chinatown since the 1970s.
Stationing yourself at the Hyatt Regency will deliver comfort with nostalgia. While the hotel has not brought back afternoon ballroom dances, the refurbished icon makes for a refreshing stay, and the location delivers on delight as you skip to historic neighborhoods within its walking orbit.
- To book your stay visit Hyatt.com
