The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco sets the bar for traditional elegance and cutting-edge hospitality in the City by the Bay. The only AAA Five Diamond hotel in town, it welcomes guests to a 1909 neoclassical landmark on Nob Hill, which borders the Financial District near Chinatown and Union Square. A cable car stops right outside the door.

The hotel’s meeting and event venues — including a 9,360-square-foot ballroom, conference rooms, boardrooms, and a tented courtyard — takes their cue from the world of haute couture but also incorporate the latest technology, floods of natural light, and a distinctly modern feel. From planning through event time, teams of dedicated meeting professionals ensure that even the smallest detail meets Ritz-Carlton’s standard of perfection. In addition, the Moscone Center is less than a mile away, where groups can find more than 700,000 of exhibit space.

Delegates settle in to a choice of 336 recently renovated accommodations, all with intricately detailed furnishings, feather beds, the latest electronics, and original art celebrating local scenes. The onsite rewards go on to include a spa, fitness center, and one of the city’s most highly acclaimed restaurants. Parallel 37 matches handcrafted cocktails with globally inspired cuisine made from Bay Area ingredients at the peak of their seasons. The JCB Tasting Lounge, meanwhile, was created in partnership with famed winemaker Jean-Charles Boisset to serve rare, exclusive wines in an equally posh setting.