San Francisco’s iconic Mark Hopkins Hotel has the cachet to stand up to historical scrutiny.

Named for one of the “Big Four” railroad tycoons whose investments made the Transcontinental Railroad possible in 1869, the hotel stands atop Nob Hill. All four businessmen settled their families here; Nob Hill remains one of San Francisco’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Mark Hopkins’ home was an opulent 40-room mansion. It stood until it succumbed to the great earthquake and fire of 1906.

Twenty years later, in 1926, the new Mark Hopkins Hotel opened on the original site. The 19-floor structure, built by an ownership group headed by investor George T. Smith, was a 19-floor architectural marvel. And now, in 2026, the iconic Mark Hopkins will mark its centennial anniversary.

The palatial property boasts 383 rooms including 26 full-size suites. Of these, a half-dozen are super-luxury specialty suites with décor to match.

Connie Perez Wong, the hotel’s creative director, described the architecture as a blend of French Chateau and Spanish Renaissance styles. “It is inspired by the splendid chateaus of the Loire Valley,” she said. “The structure is built in a winged fashion, allowing all rooms to have views.”

The most famous room in the hotel is the Top of the Mark, San Francisco’s most revered penthouse cocktail lounge since it opened in 1939. Once the nine-room suite of mining engineer Daniel Cowan Jackling, it took on a new life when Smith, the owner, took the advice of his friend, newspaper columnist Herb Caen, to open a lounge with a dance floor and live music.

During the Second World War, an estimated 30,000 servicemen visited the Top of the Mark. Soldiers lined up for a potential last drink, well aware of their uncertain futures. According to Chief Concierge Ric Lee: “One day, a serviceman bought a bottle of bourbon, telling the bartender that anybody from my squadron can get a free shot, but the person who gets the last shot has to buy another bottle and leave it at the bar to keep the tradition going. The Squadron Bottle was created, and still exists to this day.”

The hotel’s signature restaurant, the elegant Nob Hill Club, is nestled off the lobby. It serves three meals daily, contemporary American fare with global influences. Think steak frites, seared king salmon, chicken piccata, and even bacon cheeseburgers.

“The property has a diverse clientele of almost half leisure and business travelers,” Lee told me. “Families are always welcome, and travelers arrive to delve into the hotel’s rich history.”