Watch as Joel Greene explores the beauty of the Inn at the Presidio in San Francisco, California!
As we arrived at the Inn, we were immediately overtaken by the beauty of the building covered by the boundless nature of San Francisco surrounding it. We fell in love with the architecture of the Inn and the serenity it gives.
We met up with Terry Haney, the general manager of the Inn at the Presidio, to be guided through the history and grace of this location.
History
Terry told us about the great, interesting history of how the Inn at the Presidio became the Inn it is today.
He informed me that the Presidio was originally an army base until it was closed in 1994 along with many other military bases in the United States. The government then turned it over to the national park service. Many of the trees that make up the beauty of San Francisco, specifically the beauty of nature around the Inn, were planted by soldiers in the 1800s.
The specific building it was remodeled into was a bachelor officers’ quarters due to the feeling of hospitality it already had. There were houses already built around it for the soldiers with families, but the ones that were single lived in the much bigger bachelor officers’ quarters.
Nature
A huge part of the allure the Inn at the Presidio brings is the abundance of trees and gorgeous scenery that surrounds it. Eucalyptus and cypress trees planted by soldiers centuries ago make up the magnificent environment that captured me as we visited the Inn.
Fifteen-hundred acres of a national park encompasses the Inn at the Presidio with it being in the heart of the park. To help display the nature, they created a hang-out area of open space for people to enjoy the national park that surrounds them, even having the Ecology Trail there to encourage people to explore more of the glory of what is there.
Terry Haney told me that he wants the guests to feel separated from the bustling streets of downtown San Francisco, which is why they exhibit stunning pictures of landmarks of nature around them, showing them how to drive, bike, or walk there.
The Inn
Immediately, as I walked in, I was stunned by the openness and serenity of the place. It was calm and relaxing, not to mention beautiful.
Terry walked me through the main floor of the Inn, and I was amazed by the elegance of a former military base. He introduced me to their spacious lobby along with their dining room that has a continental breakfast for everyone to enjoy.
I was interested in how they successfully took a military base and turned it into what it is today; the lobby being their living room, the dining room being their mess hall, and the other parts of the Inn. He explained that they had expert teams of architects, designers, art curators, etc. to help create a hospitable place while maintaining most of the original parts of the former army base.
Walking into one of the 17 single-bed rooms, it felt very spacious and much like home. The room felt nothing like a hotel room and more like a room in your own home.
The Inn at the Presidio was a joy to visit with the nature surrounding it, the rich history behind it, and the beauty of it. It’s an amazing place to stay in at San Francisco, California, and I would love to stay there again.