Hotel Californian (San Francisco, California) facts for kids
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The Spero Hotel is a famous old hotel building in San Francisco, California. It was first called the Hotel Californian, then the Serrano Hotel, before becoming the Spero Hotel in 2018. A designer named Edward E. Young created the original building, which was finished in 1923. Later, in 1929, a four-story part was added by Alfred Henry Jacobs. This 12-story hotel is located at 405 Taylor Street. It had a big update that cost $16 million. The hotel is special enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hotel History: A Look Back
The building started as a fancy apartment hotel, which means it had apartments for people to live in, but also offered hotel services. It was owned by M. A. Little, who ran it as a place for guests to stay.
In 1935, a woman named Lizzie Glide bought the building. She used money from her husband's oil property to start the Glide Foundation. This foundation helped people and supported places like the Glide Memorial Methodist Church, which is close to the hotel. From 1935 until 1978, the Hotel Californian was a "temperance hotel." This meant that no alcohol was served there. In 1938, people attending a big meeting for teachers, called the NEA Convention, stayed at the hotel and had lunch there.
Building Design: What It Looks Like
The outside of the Spero Hotel was built in a style called Renaissance Revival architecture. This style often looks grand and classic, like old European buildings. The main entrance area, called the lobby, was designed with a Spanish Colonial Revival architecture look. This style often includes decorative ironwork and warm colors.
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When the new part was added in 1929, it brought in Art Deco features. Art Deco is a style from the 1920s and 1930s that uses bold shapes and rich decorations. The outside of the hotel has special metal panels, balconies, and fancy decorations near the roof. Inside, the floors are made of marble. The lobby has unique columns that look like they are twisting, along with beautiful iron designs. While the shops on the ground floor have changed over time, the upper floors of the hotel mostly look the same as they did years ago.
Places to Eat at the Hotel
In the past, the hotel had a coffee shop and a soda fountain where guests could get drinks and snacks. Today, the Spero Hotel has a restaurant where people can enjoy meals.
