Photo Credit: Hyatt Regency San Francisco
In celebration of its 51st anniversary, the iconic Hyatt Regency San Francisco has restored and reopened the rotating venue perched atop the hotel. The 821-room property last operated the venue as a rotating restaurant in 2007; the space subsequently was used as a stationary Regency Club, but had been closed over the past year for the renovation.
The venue-in-the-round offers 360-degree views of the city and San Francisco Bay from the hotel's vantage point along the Embarcadero. It rotates six hours a day — three in the morning and three in the evening — with each complete rotation taking 56 minutes. The club will be open for hotel guests who book a Regency Club guest room or take advantage of a promotional Revolve Package when making a reservation. While club-level guests can engage in small, impromptu meetings in the space, there currently are no plans to make it available as a private event venue.
Morning breakfast service will be offered Wednesday through Sunday from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., and evening service that features an honor bar and hors d'oeuvres will be held Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Staff engineer Dennis Alcaire inspired the decision to restore the iconic venue. Alcaire, who has been with the company for 47 years, formerly was the lead mechanic in charge of operating the rotation. "It brings me great joy to see the rotation's revival before my retirement," Alcaire noted.
Refreshing an historic San Francisco hotel
Hyatt Regency San Francisco atrium, seen from above Photo Credit: Michael J. ShapiroThe Hyatt Regency San Francisco is known for having the largest hotel lobby in the world, a massive 42,000-square-foot space with a 17-story atrium that accentuates the structure's unique wedge shape. Film buffs might recognize the space, with its unique glass elevators, from 1970s movie classics such as "The Towering Inferno" and Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety." The neofuturist design debuted with the hotel's opening in 1973 — and isn't likely to be duplicated anytime soon, given modern real-estate costs and the requirement for revenue-generating space.
Reopening the Regency Club is the property's latest update, following a $50 million rooms renovation last year. "We are excited to continue to reintroduce iconic aspects of the property in new ways," said the hotel's general manager, Matthew Humphreys. "Restoring the rotating venue pays homage to the hotel’s long-standing prominence as a fixture along the Embarcadero, and allows guests to create new memories in a historic space."
The hotel offers 72,000 square feet of event space, including the 11,125-square-foot Grand Ballroom.
Strategic vantage point
San Francisco Ferry Building at the Embarcadero Photo Credit: Michael J. ShapiroThe Embarcadero neighborhood is an attractive landing spot for meeting participants, offering beloved San Francisco views as well as convenience. Situated near a cable-car turnaround and the bustling Ferry Building, as well as the extensive waterfront promenade, the neighborhood is a stone's throw from the financial district, a 15-minute stroll to Chinatown and a 25-minute walk to Moscone Center. New hotels — such as the 200-room, sustainability-focused 1 Hotel San Francisco, and the 360-room Jay Hotel, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection — provide additional lodging options in the immediate area.