Many years ago I worked at an internet company based in San Francisco’s up-and-coming South of Market District, and when the owners brought the creative team to town, they put them up at Ian Schraeger’s sumptuous, futuristic boutique The Clift. When my bosses ghettoized me to a nearby knockoff, I knew exactly what they thought of me.
But I did get to admire both the rooms and the lobby at The Clift. Like all Schraeger’s hotels, it manages to be simultaneously welcoming and elitist. The decor suggests a big budget Sci-Fi Channel series that mixes the sleek modern design with details that would make Louis XIV proud - and a sense that whether you’re overdressed or underdressed, you’re probably messing with their tableau. The lobby, living room and bar all have that “boutique darkness” that’s so popular, but many of the guest rooms are actually bright white and even relatively cheerful, albeit in a "2001: A Space Odyssey" kind of way.
By the way, the restaurant, Asia de Cuba serves fusion cuisine that’s worth every penny.
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