Treasures of the Palace Hotel – SF, California - Atlas Obscura

Should a traveler to decide to vacation in the ‘City by the Bay’, they are greeted with a number of options when it comes to choosing an accommodation. There is a plentiful bounty of hotels/motels to select from, budget to boutique, luxury to modest. Should they have deep pockets and decide to stay at the Palace Hotel, in the city’s financial district. They are not only choosing America’s first luxury hotel, and at the time of its construction, the country’s largest.

Not only would this visitor be privy to the establishment’s amenities, they would have unfettered access to the hidden wonders within the hotel’s confines. It should also be noted that anyone, whether lodging here or not, can spot these precious items. They just need to know where to look them. The first is rather easy to locate, as it situated just across from the establishment’s main lobby and reception.

When the hotel opened it’s doors in 1875, this open air courtyard was known as the “Grand Court”. Its expanse was so massive as to allow horse drawn carriages to ride up and load and unload passengers. Unfortunately, the 1906 earthquake and ensuing fires would damage, but not destroy the buildings foundations. Much like the city’s emblem, it would rise like a phoenix from the ashes, and be re-christened in 1909. This time the “Grand Court” would be enclosed with a multimillion dollar stained glass ceiling.

This next item on our list of obscure gems is located near the hotel’s coat check room. It is here that one will find a mini-museum. Arranged in several display cases are objects and ephemera pertaining to the establishment’s illustrious history. These include photographs of political leaders, movie stars, as well as other noteworthy guests who either dinned or stayed on the premises. There are also mementos chronicling pivotal events; like the attempt to garner support for the Versailles Treaty, as well as the formation of the League of Nations .

The last two artifacts on our list are to be discovered are at the opposite end, also on the ground floor. The first up is a massive painting, 16 feet in length, by the American artist Maxfield Parish, (1870 - 1966). The piece entitled “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, (1909) hangs above a cocktail bar, appropriately named after the work of art, and is estimated to cost between 3 to 5 million dollars. The hotel almost sold the piece, but a petition was put forward to have it remain. It should be noted that the artist painted himself as the titular character, with two of his sons being led astray.

Finally, we have the last item on our list, but it probably has the most humbling of beginnings of the objects located in this registered Historic Landmark. A dishwasher at the hotel was doodling his co-workers, when his caricatures caught the eyes of upper management.

Soon, the Bolivian born artist, Antonio, ‘Tony’ Sotomayer, (1902 - 1985) was hired to become the hotel’s “artist in residence”.  He was also commissioned to produce works for the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island, (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pacific-basin-fountain-on-treasure-island). Two of his paintings hang in the restaurant adjacent to the Pied Piper and depict many notable characters from San Fransisco’s history, including; ‘Little Lotta Crabtree’, Wyatt Earp, Emperor Norton, Mark Twain, and several others.

Know Before You Go

All the items listed here are located on the ground floor of the hotel.  The "Grand Court" is directly across from Hotel Reception. The coat check room is to the left and at the end of a long corridor. Both the 'Pied Piper' and Sotomayor paintings are to the right, at the end of the corridor. 


The Palace Hotel is open to the public, though certain functions may prevent access to certain areas. The Pied Piper Bar does not open until 4 PM, closes at 10 PM daily.