SAN FRANCISCO — I’m standing in the soaring lobby of the Hyatt Regency, where the colossal atrium and futuristic design function as a cathedral to modernity. Designed by architect John C. Portman Jr., who died in 2017, the interior remains as striking as the day it opened in 1973. At the time, the idea of a hotel with a sky-high atrium was radical. Portman’s concept, first executed at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta in 1967, found its ultimate refinement in San Francisco.
This was no ordinary hotel. While critics initially scoffed, the design forever changed how guests experience hotels. Imitations soon popped up everywhere, from major U.S. cities to resorts around the world.
From the Hyatt Regency’s prime location at the foot of Market Street and along the Embarcadero, San Francisco unfurls like a map, inviting exploration. This is a place that demands you walk its streets and climb its hills. I set out toward the Ferry Building.
The 1898 landmark, crowned by its 245-foot clock tower, is a Beaux-Arts beauty turned gastronomic hub. Inside, artisanal vendors sell everything from cheese and pastries to farm-fresh produce. A bustling farmers market takes over the plaza every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with Saturday drawing the biggest crowds.
Not far away is another icon: the Transamerica Pyramid. Completed in 1972 and newly refreshed after a $1 billion renovation, the pyramid by William Pereira remains one of the world’s most recognizable silhouettes—an architectural exclamation point in steel and concrete.
Rather than attempt the cable car, where tourists were lined up for blocks, I walked up California Street to Nob Hill. The climb is steep, but the reward comes with the view: skyscrapers in one direction, the bay in the other, and houses clinging to impossibly angled streets. Visitors not wanting to walk can easily hail a Waymo ride. The self-driving cars are seemingly everywhere.
In Nob Hill and beyond, the city’s architecture is not just about the skyline. Neighborhoods reveal a patchwork of styles. Stuccoed villas inspired by the Mediterranean sit beside stately Edwardian townhouses. Most famous of all are the colorful Victorian houses known as the Painted Ladies. They survived the 1906 earthquake and fire and today remain among the most photographed homes in America.
San Francisco’s beauty is unlike any other city in the United States. Its setting certainly elevates the architecture. On mornings when the fog is slow to burn off, the skyline seems to float above the clouds, as if suspended between heaven and earth.
Eventually, I return to the Hyatt Regency and grab a chair in the vast atrium. Fifty-two years later, Portman’s vision continues to define the guest experience. Glass elevators glide skyward, framed by concrete hallways that appear like cliffs carved by human imagination.
Yes, San Francisco faces challenges. But what some headlines portray simply doesn’t match reality. I first wrote about this last year, when I pushed back on the so-called doom-loop narrative. On this return visit, I found a city that remains vibrant and perfectly safe for visitors. San Francisco still inspires. It still surprises. And it still delivers unforgettable moments, often just by looking up.
### If You Go
You don’t need to be a guest to experience Portman’s atrium at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, but staying the night certainly enhances the effect. The former revolving restaurant atop the hotel has been reimagined as a club lounge with expansive views. Guests with certain membership in Hyatt’s loyalty program or those booking club-level rooms can enjoy access.
Besides the Ferry Building and its farmers market (Saturday is the best day to go), other must-visits include:
– The Legion of Honor art museum
– The Gothic revival Grace Cathedral (Episcopal)
– The modernist Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (Roman Catholic)
– Mission San Francisco de Asis (Roman Catholic) with its late 18th-century adobe chapel, the city’s oldest building.
*Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.*
https://www.christianpost.com/news/travel-rediscovering-san-francisco-from-an-iconic-hotel.html