Occidental Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Occidental Hotel |
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| General information | |
| Type | Hotel and restaurant |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Address | Montgomery Street between Bush and Sutter |
| Town or city | San Francisco, California |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 37°47′26″N 122°24′08″W / 37.790546°N 122.402188°W |
| Opened | 1861 |
| Closed | April 18, 1906 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Caleb Hyatt, Thomas Johnston, William Mooser |
The Occidental Hotel was a famous luxury hotel that opened in San Francisco, California in 1861. It was a very fancy place for rich travelers. The hotel was built around the time the California Gold Rush was ending and silver mining in Nevada was starting. This meant many people were moving to California, and some of them were very wealthy.
The Occidental Hotel was one of the grandest hotels in San Francisco. Other luxury hotels at the time included the Lick House, the Russ House, and the Palace Hotel. Sadly, the Occidental Hotel was completely destroyed during the big San Francisco earthquake and the fires that followed in 1906.
Contents
Building the Grand Hotel
The Occidental Hotel was built in three main parts between 1861 and 1869. The first part opened in 1861. It was designed by an architect named Caleb Hyatt. He created a four-story building in the Italianate style. This style was popular for its fancy details and tall windows.
The hotel was one of the tallest buildings in the area. You could even see it from outside the city! Its rooms were very elegant and large.
Later, other architects helped finish the hotel. Thomas Johnston directed the second phase of construction. William Mooser was in charge of the third and final phase.
We know that the hotel's foundation was made from rocks from Angel Island. The floors and beams were made of wood. Iron bands were used to make the building strong and stable.
Life at the Hotel
What the Hotel Was Like
In 1863, a writer named Edward Peron Hingston described the Occidental Hotel. He said that when you walked in, you immediately felt a sense of "splendor and easeful comfort." Even though it wasn't fully finished yet, it felt like a first-class hotel.
The bedrooms were spacious, and the beds were soft and large. There was a huge dining hall with beautiful decorations. The hotel also had special rooms for breakfast and supper. Guests could enjoy hot and cold baths. There were elegant sitting rooms for ladies, with pianos and comfy chairs.
The service at the hotel was excellent. The staff were very helpful and polite. Guests would even find vases of fresh flowers and platters of fruit in their rooms when they arrived! All of this cost about two dollars and fifty cents per day, which included the service.
Famous Guests
Many famous people stayed at the Occidental Hotel. These included authors like Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain. In 1865, Mark Twain wrote in his notebook, "Home again—home again at the Occidental Hotel."
Another famous guest was Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well-known writer and speaker. He stayed at the hotel while giving lectures. The hotel was popular with writers because a weekly magazine called The Golden Era had its offices there. The writer Joaquin Miller said the magazine's offices were very fancy, with beautiful carpets and furniture.
Restaurant and Bar
The hotel's restaurant and bar were popular places for people to meet. Business leaders and politicians would often gather there to talk.
A famous bartender named Jerry Thomas worked at the Occidental. Some people say he invented the Martini cocktail right there! Jerry Thomas was known as the "father of American mixology" because he created many new drinks. He earned a lot of money at the Occidental, even more than the Vice-President of the United States at the time!
The Big Earthquake and Fire
On April 18, 1906, a huge earthquake hit San Francisco. Many people were staying at the Occidental Hotel when it happened. Henry Pittock, a newspaper publisher, was a guest. He wasn't hurt, but he said his suitcase was "flattened like a pancake."
Journalist Ashton Stevens was also there. He wrote that when the ceiling started to fall, everyone quickly ran out of the hotel. Author Gertrude Atherton had some of her belongings stored at the hotel. After the earthquake, she could only find parts of her unfinished book.
The earthquake badly damaged the hotel, so everyone had to leave right away. Soon after, a massive fire spread through San Francisco, destroying much of the city. The fire also reached the Occidental Hotel, burning what was left of it. The damaged building was later torn down.
Before the fire, experts thought the earthquake-damaged hotel was worth about $285,000. After the fire, it was only worth $15,000. This was a huge loss of $270,000. Years earlier, the hotel had been valued at almost a million dollars.
