Fairmont San Francisco facts for kids
| Fairmont San Francisco | |
Quick facts for kids  |
|
| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°47′33″N 122°24′37″W / 37.7924°N 122.4102°W |
| Address | |
| Opening date | Main: 1907 Tower: 1962 |
| Architect | James W. and Merritt J. Reid Ira Wilson Hoover Julia Morgan |
| Management | Fairmont Hotels & Resorts |
| Owner | Mirae Asset Global Investments |
| No. of restaurants | Caffé Cento Laurel Court Restaurant and Bar Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar |
| No. of rooms | 591 |
| of which suites | >11 |
| No. of floors | Main: 9 Tower: 29 |
The Fairmont San Francisco is a famous luxury hotel in San Francisco, California. It sits on top of a hill called Nob Hill.
Two sisters, Theresa Fair Oelrichs and Virginia Fair Vanderbilt, built the hotel. They named it after their dad, James Graham Fair, who was a rich miner and a U.S. Senator. This hotel was the very first one in the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts group.
The Fairmont San Francisco has appeared in many movies, like The Rock. It was also used for the TV show Hotel. The hotel became a historic place on April 17, 2002. It is also part of the Historic Hotels of America program.
Contents
The 1906 Earthquake and Hotel Opening
The hotel was almost finished when the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit. The building itself survived the shaking. However, the inside was badly damaged by fire.
Because of the fire, the hotel's opening was delayed until 1907. A talented architect named Julia Morgan was hired to fix the building. She used a special way of building with reinforced concrete. This made buildings strong enough to handle earthquakes and other disasters.
United Nations Was Created Here
In 1945, the Fairmont Hotel hosted important meetings. Leaders from different countries met here. These meetings led to the creation of the United Nations.
The final details of the United Nations Charter were worked out in the hotel's Garden Room. There is a special plaque at the hotel to remember this important event.
First Concierge in the United States
The Fairmont was the first hotel in America to offer concierge services. A concierge is like a helpful guide at a hotel. They can help guests with many things, like getting tickets or finding places to visit.
Tom Wolfe was the Fairmont's first concierge. He had learned about this job in Europe. He worked at the Fairmont from 1974 to 1981 and then returned in 1995.
The Unique Tonga Room
One of the hotel's most fun spots is the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. It's a historic tiki bar that first opened in 1945. It was updated in 1952, 1967, and again in 2009.
The Tonga Room has a bandstand that floats on a barge in an old swimming pool. The dining area is made from parts of an old sailing ship. It even has artificial thunderstorms inside!
In 2009, there were plans to close the Tonga Room. But a group worked to make it a San Francisco landmark. Because of this, the Tonga Room is still open today.
Hotel Ownership Changes
On May 9, 2012, two companies bought the hotel for $200 million. These were Oaktree Capital Management and Woodridge Capital Partners LLC. They also bought the Mark Hopkins Hotel nearby in 2014.
The Fairmont San Francisco was sold again on November 30, 2015. A South Korean company called Mirae Asset Global Investments bought it for $450 million.
Images for kids
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The hotel lobby in August 1964
See also
In Spanish: Fairmont San Francisco para niños
