Queen Anne Hotel San Francisco

This hotel's history is both exciting and varied. It was built in 1890 by Senator "Slippery Jim" Fair as the most exclusive girl's school in San Francisco. He had an affair with the headmistress, whose reputation was subsequently ruined and left in shambles. It also had a Voodoo Queen for a neighbor and eventually came to be a brothel. Scandalous! Oh, and it's haunted!

All that aside, the Queen Anne exhibits the timeless romance and grand style that the Gold Rush brought to San Francisco in the 1800s. If you get the corner tower room, you can sit and look out the window at the beautiful cityscape of San Francisco at night.

Having a glass of wine, reading a book, and having a light repast before hitting the cozy, comfy, poofy bed that is just begging for you to get in, is just part of the pleasure of staying here.

In the afternoon, they have Sherry and hors-d'oeuvres in the lobby, where you can mingle with the other guests, sit next to a cozy fire, read a book, or be entertained by the lovely strains of the piano.

Morning brings a lovely breakfast with coffee or tea and juice. The dining room is scintillating with its Victorian decor, and the dishes all feel so proper. I kept waiting for ladies to walk in dressed in 19th-century gowns. Go. You know you want to.