Palace Hotel, San Francisco

2009 marks the historic Palace Hotel's 100 year anniversary. On
December 15, 1909 the Palace Hotel re-opened its doors, completely rebuilt after the
devastation of the April 18, 1906 great quake of San Francisco. Since its 1909 reopening
the Palace has remained the Grand Dame of San Francisco sharing its many treasures
with the loyal citizens of San Francisco and visitors from around the world.

Join Chef Duff Goldman of the TV Food Network's Ace of Cakes as he teams up with
Palace culinary experts Executive Chef Jesse Llapitan and Pastry Chef Russell Costa to
unveil their 100 Year Anniversary Cake on Thursday August 27, 2009 at 6:00PM in The
Garden Court.

The inspiration for the cake comes from the beauty of the historic Palace Hotel itself. The
ten tiers represent each decade and reflect elements of the hotel's exquisite interior
created with the 1909 reopening and admired over the years.

The cake is made from 129 pounds of Chocolate, 115 pounds of Butter. 106 pounds of
Sugar, 301 Eggs, 7 pounds of Coco Butter, 35 pounds of Sour Cream, 1 pound of Salt, 29
pounds of Cake Flour, 17.5 pounds of Water, 336 Egg Whites, 6 Vanilla Beans, 21 Gallons of
Cream, 56 Sheets of Gold Leaf and of course, tons of talent !

The Palace invites the community to join in this very special event. Thursday August 27, 2009
6:00PM in The Garden Court. Space is limited and RSVP required. Please call the Palace
Hotel Anniversary Hotline for reservations at 415-546-5092.

The four star, four diamond Palace Hotel is a member of Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Luxury Collection. The historic Palace features 553 guest rooms, 53,000 square feet of
meeting and conference space, a self contained conference center with full service
business center, three award winning restaurants; Maxfield's, The Garden Court and
Kyo-ya, health club and indoor pool.. Centrally located in the heart of San Francisco,
the Palace is walking distance to Union Square, Cable Cars, the Embarcadero,
Chinatown, the Moscone Convention Center, AT&T Park, the San Francisco Museum
of Modern Art and the Theater district.

San Francisco, CA - 2009 marks the historic Palace Hotel’s 100 year anniversary. On December 15, 1909 the Palace Hotel re-opened its doors, completely rebuilt after the devastation of the April 18, 1906 great quake of San Francisco. Since its 1909 reopening the Palace has remained the Grand Dame of San Francisco sharing its many treasures with the loyal citizens of San Francisco and visitors from around the world. Among the magical creations of 1909 are The Garden Court, The Palace Gold Service and The Pied Piper of Hamelin mural all enjoyed by a parade of famous guests.

The Garden Court: When the hotel was rebuilt in 1909, The Garden Court was unveiled after being redesigned to function as the main court on the first floor, with separate men's and women's dining facilities in rooms adjoining the newly created Garden Court. Today, The Garden Court serves as the Palace's main dining room, offering breakfast and
lunch, as well as afternoon tea and Sunday Brunch. Since its debut in 1909, The Garden Court has been recognized as one of world’s most beautiful public spaces. It is crowned by a $7 million stained-glass dome and flanked by a double row of massive Italian marble Ionic columns. Measuring 110 feet long by 85 feet wide the Garden Court is further enhanced by original chandeliers made of the finest Austrian crystal. In 1969, the Garden Court was designated San Francisco Landmark Number 18 by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board. In the 1980s the landmark status was extended to include the entire hotel except for its southwest corner.

The Palace Gold Service: Created especially for the Palace reopening in 1909, the historic Palace Gold Service remains one of the oldest and most complete collections in the world. The beautiful gold rim china has been used on such occasions as a banquet for General U.S. Grant, a State Dinner for President William McKinley, and an official dinner for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Mural: In May 1909, owners of the Palace contacted artist Maxfield Parrish and commissioned him to create a mural for the hotel reopening for $6,000.00. This was the inception of the celebrated mural of the Pied Piper of Hamelin featuring the Pied Piper leading a band of 27 children. It was originally installed in the Palace bar but was moved to the Rose Room during Prohibition. Today The Pied Piper mural is valued at over 2 million dollars and is proudly displayed by its namesake, the Pied Piper Bar which was selected as "One of the World's Seven Greatest Bars" by Esquire magazine.

Famous Guests: Among the many famed guests who have passed through the portals of the Palace since 1909 are: Woodrow Wilson (who gave his famous League of Nations speech in The Garden Court), President Warren G. Harding (who died while in office at the Palace on August 2, 1923), Madam Chiang-Kai-Shek, Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, Lord and Lady Mountbatten, King Alexander of Yugoslavia, Prince Philip of Great Britain, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Guglielmo Marconi, Will Rogers, Richard Byrd, Konrad Adenauer, Madame Nhu, Nikita Kruschechev, Queen Noor of Jordan, Al and Tipper Gore, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bob and Elizabeth Dole, Barbara Bush, and an extensive list of celebrities including Sean Penn, Whoopie Goldberg and Sophia Loren.

100 Year Anniversary Celebration: With numerous historical moments to celebrate, the hotel will commemorate the 100 year anniversary with a series of events beginning in June 2009. Guests will be invited to partake in the celebration and share in the hotel’s indigenous and fabled history. A detailed Anniversary Calendar of Events will be release in June 2009.