Westin St. Francis

The Westin St. Francis anchors Union Square with its twin towers of gray stone and rust-colored terracotta. Opened in nineteen oh four, it survived the great earthquake and fire two years later, though the fire consumed the original interior. The hotel manager, James Woods, famously kept the bar open throughout the disaster, serving guests and refugees alike. In the decades that followed, the hotel installed the ornate, belt-driven brass elevators that remain a fixture in the lobby, carrying visitors up to the city views.