Clift San Francisco

Clift San Francisco Review

The entrance is so nondescript here, you could walk right past it without a hint of what's inside, and that's exactly how the clientle—a mix of hipsters, music-industry types, and celebrities—like it; hiding behind what is a seriously sexy hotel, the brainchild of entrepreneur Ian Schrager and artist-designer Philippe Starck. A moody, dramatically illuminated lobby is dominated by a gigantic Napoleonic chair that could accommodate Shaquille O'Neal, with room to spare. This theatrical staging is enhanced by surreal seating options like a leather love seat with buffalo tusks, all surrounding a floor-to-ceiling, pitch-black fireplace. Spacious rooms—as light as the lobby is darkly intriguing—have translucent orange Plexiglas tables, high ceilings, flat-screen TVs, and two huge "infinity" wall mirrors. Some visitors have remarked on the thin walls and advise booking a room on an upper-level floor to avoid street noise. The art-deco Redwood Room bar, paneled with wood from a 2,000-year-old tree, is known for its beautiful clientele. Asia de Cuba restaurant prepares an artful fusion of Asian and Latino cuisines.