The St. Regis San Francisco: Executive Suite 1817, SoMa Cultural Walk & Big Sur Road Trip

For our three-night October 2021 stay in San Francisco, Maureen and I booked The St. Regis San Francisco at 125 Third Street—situated right next door to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and directly across from Yerba Buena Gardens.

We redeemed 255,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for the three-night stay and applied three Suite Night Awards (SNAs), which cleared into a high-floor Executive Suite (Room 1817) valued at $4,292.00 retail ($1,430.67 per night), plus $300.00 in qualifying incidentals earning 10,750 Bonvoy points.

[!NOTE] Audit Status: Field Audited and Ledger Reconciled
Property: The St. Regis San Francisco (125 Third Street, San Francisco, CA)
Stay Window: October 13-16, 2021 (3 Nights, Executive Suite 1817)
Audited By: Gene Salvatore, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite and Lifetime Platinum
Ecosystem Context: Luxury staging at The St. Regis San Francisco (including a walking visit to the historic Palace Hotel Garden Court) before our Pacific Coast Highway road trip to Pismo Beach

Stopping In at the Historic Palace Hotel: The Garden Court

While staying at The St. Regis on Third Street, we spent Thursday afternoon on foot exploring downtown San Francisco and stopped inside the historic Palace Hotel a block and a half away at New Montgomery and Market Street—not for a hotel stay, but specifically to see its famous interior courtyard.

“Walking around San Francisco checking out some of the local culture. Stopped in at the Palace Hotel - the indoor garden courtyard is beautiful”

(Gene Salvatore, live dispatch from San Francisco, October 14, 2021)

Stopping inside the legendary Garden Court at the Palace Hotel San Francisco during our afternoon walk: monumental 8,000-square-foot public atrium, soaring marble colonnades, and 14 Austrian crystal chandeliers beneath a 70,000-piece iridescent glass domed ceiling.

Stepping through the hotel doors off New Montgomery Street and entering The Garden Court commands immediate respect. The scale of the room is monumental. Originally built in 1875 as the hotel’s interior carriage entrance (then known as the Grand Court), it was reimagined and converted in 1909 into the hotel’s grand lobby lounge and signature dining room.

Looking straight up into the soaring vaulted ceiling: gilded cornices finished in antiqued 22-carat gold leaf, arched clerestory windows, and massive Austrian crystal chandeliers weighing 750 pounds each.

The room’s history plaque on the wall provides fascinating engineering details on how this room was preserved across generations:

• Domed Ceiling: Measures approximately 12,000 square feet, holding roughly 70,000 individual pieces of iridescent stained glass that allow natural sunlight to filter through with a warm amber glow. Valued at over $7 million, between 60% and 65% of the glass remains original from 1909, with a meticulous $1.5 million restoration completed to reinforce the structural suspension.
• Austrian Crystal Chandeliers: Fourteen massive crystal chandeliers hang throughout the court. The four primary center chandeliers stand six feet tall, weigh approximately 750 pounds each, and are valued at over $75,000 apiece.
• Historic Status: Designated as Official San Francisco Historical Landmark #18 in 1969, with the remainder of the hotel incorporated into landmark protection in the 1980s.

Official landmark marker inside the Palace Hotel, documenting the Grand Court carriage entrance in 1875, the Palm Court of 1909, and the engineering behind the stained-glass dome and crystal chandeliers.

Sitting in the Garden Court for coffee or afternoon drinks surrounded by the towering Italian marble columns is an experience every architecture enthusiast and Marriott Bonvoy member should check off their list.

Heritage Cocktails: The Pied Piper Bar & Maxfield Parrish

Just off the lobby lies another historic jewel of the Palace Hotel: The Pied Piper Bar.

Behind the dark mahogany bar hangs one of the most famous pieces of public art in San Francisco: Maxfield Parrish’s original 1909 oil painting, The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Measuring 6 feet high by 16 feet wide, the painting was commissioned for $6,000 by the hotel during the post-earthquake reconstruction. Today, the masterpiece is insured for over $5 million.

The bar’s leather club chairs, warm brass accents, and moody amber lighting create an authentic early 20th-century American cocktail lounge atmosphere. Sipping an Old Fashioned or a classic gin martini under Parrish’s vibrant blue and gold brushstrokes feels like stepping right into 1909 San Francisco history.

Exploring San Francisco Culture: Yerba Buena Gardens and SFMOMA

Before visiting the Palace, our afternoon was dedicated to a walking tour of the surrounding South of Market (SoMa) district. The Palace Hotel’s location is ideal: Market Street transit lines are directly outside, and you are just a three-block walk from Yerba Buena Gardens and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

Strolling through Yerba Buena Gardens on a crisp, clear California afternoon: open green lawns, public art terraces, and contemporary downtown towers framing the skyline.

Yerba Buena Gardens is one of the finest public urban green spaces in California. At the center of the park sits the powerful Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, featuring a cascading 50-foot-wide granite waterfall.

Inscribed glass memorial panel at Yerba Buena Gardens: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless words on moral courage, comfort, convenience, and controversy.

Walking along the walkway behind the rushing waterfall, the granite walls are engraved with excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches, including his historic 1956 address delivered right here in San Francisco:

“I believe that the day will come when all God’s children, from bass black to treble white will be significant on the constitution’s keyboard.”

(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., San Francisco, 1956)

Looking through the mist behind the Yerba Buena waterfall: gold lettering carved into polished grey granite commemorating Dr. King’s 1956 speech.

The cascading water drowns out the hum of city traffic, creating a calm, reflective sanctuary in the middle of a bustling commercial district.

Wide perspective of the multi-tier granite waterfall memorial, with pedestrian bridges and terrace overlooks above.

The surrounding park pathways feature mature trees, quiet benches, and outdoor sculpture exhibits that make an afternoon walk refreshing and peaceful.

Sunlit landscaped terrace with park benches: a quiet respite in the heart of San Francisco’s cultural corridor.

Leaving the gardens, we walked along Third Street past SFMOMA, checking out the museum’s striking Mario Botta and Snøhetta architecture, along with casual outdoor terraces like Joyride Pizza.

Strolling down Third Street past the red brick and striped turret facade of SFMOMA and the upper terrace entrance to Joyride Pizza.

The proximity of top-tier art, open green parks, and premier dining within a ten-minute walk makes staying at or visiting the Palace Hotel extraordinarily convenient.

Lush green borders and sunny walking paths framing the Yerba Buena cultural plaza on a bright October day.

SoMa Staging Base: High-Floor Executive Suite 1817 Walkthrough

For our three-night stay in San Francisco, we staged our urban operations in a high-floor Executive Suite (Room 1817) situated right in the center of the SoMa cultural district on Third Street, just steps from Yerba Buena Gardens and Market Street.

Our audited award redemption utilized 255,000 Marriott Bonvoy points with three confirmed Suite Night Awards (SNAs), unlocking an audited cash value of $4,292.00 across the 3-night stay ($1,430.67 per night retail benchmark), achieving a very respectable 1.7 cents per point redemption rate.

Entering Suite 1817: stone tile foyer, minimalist wood console table, and hallway leading into the living room.

Stepping inside, the suite opens into a sprawling living salon with wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over downtown San Francisco and Salesforce Tower.

Suite 1817 living salon at night: large round dining table with purple leather chairs, contemporary sofa, and twinkling downtown high-rise views.

The suite features light white oak wall paneling, a dedicated dining area, and a large glass-top executive work desk equipped for remote business.

Executive workspace setup: floating glass desk, high-end task lighting, laptop workstation, and camera gear ready for the field.

During the daytime, natural California sunlight floods the living room, highlighting the contemporary furniture, neutral textiles, and fresh white orchid arrangements on the marble windowsills.

Daytime living room ambiance: sunlit seating area with tailored cream sofa, plush accent rugs, and expansive skyline views.

The master bedroom is completely private, featuring a plush king mattress, integrated headboard reading sconces, and refined artwork.

Master bedroom: king bed dressed in luxury white linens, warm recessed headboard lighting, and quiet acoustic insulation.

Adjoining the bedroom is a private dressing room nook with full-height mirrors, custom wardrobes, and a seated vanity table.

The master bathroom is a showcase in modern luxury, clad in polished slab limestone with a deep freestanding soaking tub, a double quartz vanity, and a separate glass-enclosed walk-in limestone rainfall shower.

Master bathroom: polished limestone flooring and walls, deep oval soaking tub, and illuminated double vanity.

Floating double quartz vanity with integrated mirror lighting and polished chrome fixtures.

Walk-in limestone rainfall shower: oversized ceiling showerhead, handheld wand, and recessed marble niche.

Looking out from the 18th floor gives you an unobstructed look at the architectural evolution of downtown San Francisco, from classic pre-war brick facades to the soaring glass silhouette of Salesforce Tower.

Daytime view looking out toward Salesforce Tower and the high-density glass and steel towers of SoMa.

Morning Dining: In-Suite Breakfast Presentation

Each morning, we enjoyed a full hot breakfast served right at the round dining table in our suite before heading out to explore the city.

In-suite breakfast presentation: hot farm-fresh omelet, brioche French toast with warm syrup, fresh fruit plate, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

On Saturday morning, before loading the rental car for our long coastal drive down Highway 1, room service delivered a substantial spread to power our road trip: fluffy buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, crispy applewood-smoked bacon, breakfast potatoes, fresh blueberries, strawberries, and a pot of hot coffee.

Fueling up for the Pacific Coast Highway: buttermilk pancakes, farm eggs, crisp bacon, fresh berries, and steaming French press coffee.

The Great American Road Trip: Driving Highway 1 and Big Sur to Pismo Beach

Our time in San Francisco was the opening chapter of one of the all-time great American road trips: driving south along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH / California State Route 1) toward Los Angeles.

“This weekend we’ll be driving from San Francisco to LA along the Pacific Coast Highway, staying in Pismo Beach on Saturday night. I know that we’re not splitting the drive equally, but the deal and the room at the Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, Autograph Collection was too good to pass up. We’d like to get to Pismo Beach before sunset as we’ve heard it’s a great location to watch the sunset with a drink in hand 🍸🥃”

(Gene Salvatore, road trip staging dispatch, October 14, 2021)

On Saturday morning, we grabbed our bags, retrieved the rental car from the valet on Third Street, and aimed south toward Highway 1.

Valet claim check ready to retrieve the car and launch our weekend drive down California State Route 1.

Driving Highway 1 through Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey is scenic, but once you cross south of Carmel-by-the-Sea into Big Sur, the terrain becomes truly spectacular. The road narrows, clinging to sheer granite cliffs hundreds of feet above the churning Pacific Ocean.

By late afternoon, the autumn sun began its descent toward the western horizon. As we wound our way through Big Sur, the ocean below turned into a sheet of liquid gold.

The golden glow of late afternoon sun striking the Pacific Ocean along Highway 1 heading south toward Big Sur.

We pulled off at several scenic dirt overlooks perched on the bluffs to get out of the car, take in the crisp Pacific ocean air, and watch the light change over the water.

Maureen walking along the scenic cliffside overlook at golden hour as the sun illuminates the coastline.

The sun cast a brilliant golden path across the rolling ocean swells, stretching all the way from the horizon straight to the base of the cliffs.

The dazzling golden reflection of the afternoon sun dancing across the vast open Pacific.

Looking south down the coastline, the steep headlands and mountains of the Santa Lucia Range drop directly into the surf, framed by rugged coastal scrub and sea mists.

The wild, untamed beauty of Big Sur: sheer coastal cliffs plunging directly into the breaking Pacific waves.

Weathered Monterey cypress and coastal pine trees cling to the steep mountainside, standing as silent sentinels against decades of ocean winds.

A weathered Monterey cypress framed against the golden sunset sky high above the California coastline.

As 6:30 PM approached, the sun touched the ocean horizon, glowing deep orange and red before sinking cleanly into the Pacific.

The final moment of sunset: the sun touching the flat ocean horizon line in a blaze of amber light.

The twilight afterglow that followed was unforgettable: deep orange, violet, and indigo bands stretching across the sky, punctuated by a high-altitude jet contrail catching the last rays of sunlight above the sea.

Twilight afterglow along Highway 1: crimson and orange bands over the Pacific Ocean with a high-altitude contrail cutting across the evening sky.

From our sunset pullout in southern Big Sur, we drove the final stretch through San Simeon and Morro Bay, rolling into Pismo Beach right on schedule to check in at the oceanfront Vespera Resort, Autograph Collection.

Location, Accessibility and Ambassador Elite Verdict

• Transit and Airport Links: Situated at 125 Third Street at the corner of Mission Street, The St. Regis San Francisco sits steps from Montgomery Street BART/Muni station, connecting directly to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in roughly 30 minutes.
• Neighborhood Walkability: SFMOMA is literally next door, Yerba Buena Gardens is right across the street, and the Palace Hotel’s historic Garden Court, Union Square, and the Ferry Building are all within an easy 5 to 15-minute walk.
• Final Verdict: The St. Regis San Francisco delivered an outstanding 3-night Ambassador Elite stay in Executive Suite 1817 (255,000 points + 3 SNAs for $4,292 in suite value), complete with polished limestone soaking tub, panoramic Salesforce Tower views, and daily hot room-service breakfasts. Stopping into the nearby Palace Hotel on foot to see the 70,000-piece stained-glass Garden Court dome—and then launching south down Highway 1 through Big Sur to Pismo Beach—made for an unforgettable Northern California trip.