BY FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER 

Ample outlets and USB charging ports both bedside and at the work desk – check. Kinima.fit virtual personal training and Peloton training bikes in the fitness center - check. Extensive access to electronic magazines and newspapers through PressReader – check.  

After a full renovation and makeover, the iconic 400-room Stanford Court Hotel provides a thoroughly modern Nob Hill experience that celebrates San Francisco’s start-up state of mind. From a fresh arrival and check-in experience, to completely remodeled guest rooms and corridors, it is clear that this is no longer your grandmother’s Stanford Court – though she’ll continue to fit right in - inclusivity is one of the hotel’s hallmarks. And, she’ll appreciate the hotel’s continued dedication to its storied history.

The legacy of the hotel’s namesake (railroad mogul and philanthropist Leland Stanford) is conveyed via the lobby’s expansive mural based on photographer Eadweard Muybridge’s ‘Sallie Gardner at a Gallop,’ an innovative photo series centered on a horse’s gait. Commissioned by Stanford in 1878, the series of 24 images shot in rapid succession not only enabled Stanford to win a bet proving horses become airborne in gallop, but also laid the groundwork for the motion-picture industry. A 3-ton, 10-foot tall Beniamino Bufano granite sculpture has found its way out of the landscaping at Pine and Powell Streets to stand guard at the hotel entrance. And any Steve McQueen fan will recognize the painting adorning the ceiling of the new lobby bar (above); it’s the San Francisco street chase scene from the 1968 move Bullitt.

That new lobby bar is Seven Stills Nob Hill, a swank and vibrant social space that offers signature and seasonal craft cocktails that focus on the San Francisco brewery and distillery’s whiskeys, vodka, house spirits, and draft beers. The bar also features collaborations and tap takeovers with elite guest breweries from across the country, as well as a selection of California wines on tap. This is Seven Stills’ third outpost in San Francisco and the first to offer a food program specifically designed to pair with its libations. Designed to be “whiskey friendly” and shareable, the food menu offers appetizers, mains, and desserts that follow the stages of distillation. Dishes include Hopped Mussels with chorizo, potato, onion, fennel and beer broth; Beer Can Chicken Cobb with romaine, bacon, tomato, avocado and blue cheese; and a Stout Float made with Seven Stills beer. Further showcasing how Stanford Court is breaking the traditional mold, the menu offers a Steak + Whiskey Flight with wagyu, Kobe, and filet paired with three different whiskeys.

Stanford Court guest rooms are outfitted with a mix of modern functional furnishings, high-speed internet connectivity, and in-room amenities featuring 55” Google Chromecast-equipped HDTVs. A tech library allows guests to check-out Jambox speakers, iPads, GoPro cameras, MacBook Air and Chromebook computers. For those seeking lo-tech, the lobby also boasts a music room with a record player and hundreds of vinyl albums, as well as a wall-length library of San Francisco and California-centric periodicals. ‘Green’ amenities include Blix Electric Bikes, electric vehicle charging stations, and FloWater filling stations, for which guests are gifted reusable water bottles.

 “Character, culture, tech, style and comfort are the focus of the new Stanford Court. Our mission is to redefine what a hotel is to travelers seeking fresh and authentic ways to savor our city,” says General Manager Tony Roumph. “A combination of practical comfort and refined revelry is the goal for this new era of our storied hotel.”