I once stayed in San Francisco during an unusually intense heatwave. This would have been over Labor Day weekend in 2004. High temps topped the mid 90s and low temps were near 70 with no evening fog for about a week. That may not seem like much, but in a city that depends on fog and low evening temps to maintain a cool climate, few buildings had air conditioning, including the iconic Phoenix Hotel.
We all slept with our doors open and miscellaneous fans blowing. Not exactly the safest thing to do in the Tenderloin neighborhood at the time, but the gates were locked at night and we all had each others backs. For me, this only added to the legendary status of a lodge with a very colorful history.
I met the most amazing people that weekend. Travelers from all over the world (one couple from England kept in touch over the years), college kids, young professionals, a bachelorette party, and so on. One night, about a dozen of us commandeered some taxis and went on a bar hop throughout the city.
The Phoenix was recommended by musician friends who had stayed there while on tour. The history of the place fascinated me as did the gritty nature of the neighborhood. Despite efforts at the time to clean it up – the newly relocated Asian Art Museum had just opened across from the Civic Center and a push was made to rename the district ‘Little Saigon’ – it still felt rough.
With its conflicting retro, psychedelic, tiki bar, post-modern design, the Phoenix was a unique rest stop for artsy/music types as well as curious everyday folks. The hotel bar appeared to be a roadside diner from the outside and a slick Vegas lounge inside. The pool area was brightly colored and flanked by palm trees. The rooms were cozy. The street outside was a scene lifted from a 70s cop drama. The juxtaposition of styles should have created a sense of confusion, but it all somehow worked.
This one of a kind spot will surely be missed, but its tales of rock debauchery and good times shall live on.
So, why is it closing? Owner Chip Conley bought the former ‘pay-by-the-hour’ Caravan Motel in 1987 on the advice of concert promoter Bill Graham. The lease for the land is up on January 1, 2026. Conley – along with business partners Isabel Manchester and Jamie Flanagan – have made decided not to renew. It’s rumored that the land will be redeveloped to house a new 450 unit luxury residential complex.
I guess twenty years later, The Tenderloin has finally been ‘cleaned up’. It’s a shame but that’s how things go.
Cheers!
Stephen
Note: The images above are more recent than my original stay. I couldn’t find the ones from 2004 but things haven’t changed much.
