Hotel Californian, Historic hotel in Tenderloin, San Francisco, United States.
Hotel Californian is a twelve-story building at 403 Taylor Street that combines Renaissance Revival style on its exterior with Spanish Colonial design in the lobby. Its facade features decorative pressed metal panels, marble flooring runs throughout the interior spaces, and a parking garage is connected to the structure for guest convenience.
Edward E. Young designed the original structure in 1923, and a decade later Alfred Henry Jacobs added a four-story expansion to the site. These two construction phases shaped the building into its current form, with each architect contributing distinct design elements.
The name references California's gold rush era and the aspirations of early settlers who came west seeking opportunity. Walking through the spaces today, you can sense this historical connection woven into the building's identity.
The building sits in an active downtown neighborhood with good access to public transportation and nearby services. Visitors should note that Tenderloin is an intense urban environment, so it helps to be aware of your surroundings and plan visits during daylight hours.
The lobby preserves Spanish design elements with twisted columns and elaborate decoration that have remained carefully maintained since the original construction. These details are examples of craftsmanship often overlooked today but form a striking contrast to the building's exterior style.
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