Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE HUNTINGTON
HOTEL
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Many people consider Nob Hill to be San Francisco's crown jewel. It has always been home to the
very rich and famous; city pioneers and great railroad barons, such as Charles Crocker, Leland
Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and C. P. Huntington, all built great mansions above the masses. The
founders of Hibernia Bank, the Tobin family, also built a mansion there in the 1870s on the site of
what is now the Huntington Hotel.
Construction of the Huntington Apartments in 1922 cost $2.5 million, a very large sum at the
time. It was the first steel and brick high-rise west of the Mississippi. The
Illustrated Daily Herald
referred to this residential apartment hotel building as the last word in luxury. Offering San Fran-
cisco's first twin wall-beds or Murphy beds, Pullman kitchens with electric stoves, and inset steam
radiators, The Huntington offered the finest apartment facilities with the most up-to-date hotel
service. Room service for the residents was considered a unique innovation.
Eugene Fritz, a real estate developer who managed the property, purchased the Huntington
Apartments in 1924, and continued the long-standing tradition of high standards and gracious ser-
vice. After World War II, Fritz transformed the apartment building into the elegant Huntington
Hotel. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of this change was that Fritz retained the very
large size of the apartments, making the Huntington's guest rooms substantially larger than those
of competitors.
Fritz's daughter Dolly took over the management of the hotel in 1950, expanding the hotel's
exclusive reputation through an extensive renovation project. She lavishly refurbished the hotel's
rooms and suites. Appointed with antiques, imported silks, and original artwork, she made sure that
no two rooms were alike. Her commitment to service and a strong belief in a guest's right to privacy
attracted patrons such as Princess Grace, the Vanderbilt family, Claudette Colbert, the Rothschilds,
and many others.
Dolly also transformed the ground-floor executive offices into the Big 4 Restaurant. Named for
the four great railroad barons of the Central Pacific—Huntington, Stanford, Crocker, and Hop-
kins—the restaurant's club-like atmosphere showcases Dolly's impressive collection of nineteenth-
century railroad and early California memorabilia. Currently, a third generation of Dolly's family
is actively involved in managing the property at every level.
