Mark Hopkins Hotel
Historic luxury hotel on San Francisco's Nob Hill, operated as InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Mark Hopkins Hotel is a historic luxury hotel on the southeastern summit of Nob Hill in San Francisco, California. It operates under the InterContinental name as the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco and is managed by InterContinental Hotels, a subsidiary of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The property is recognized for its prominent hilltop setting, 1920s architecture, historic interiors, and long association with San Francisco civic, social, and hospitality life. The hotel's identity is rooted in the earlier Mark Hopkins mansion that occupied the site. Mark Hopkins, a founder of the Central Pacific Railroad, selected the Nob Hill location for a residence intended for his wife, Mary. The mansion was completed in 1878, after Hopkins's death. Its tower was then the highest point in San Francisco, and photographer Eadweard Muybridge used the location for a panoramic view of the city in 1877. After Mary Sherwood Hopkins died in 1891, the property passed to her second husband, Edward Francis Searles. Searles later donated the mansion and grounds to the San Francisco Art Association, which operated the site as the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. The mansion survived the 1906 earthquake but was destroyed in the fires that followed. George D. Smith subsequently acquired the Nob Hill site and developed a new luxury hotel. Designed by the San Francisco firm Weeks and Day, the 19-story building combined French château references with Spanish ornamental elements. The Hotel Mark Hopkins opened on December 4, 1926, establishing the building that remains the basis of the present hotel. A defining attraction is the Top of the Mark, a glass-walled cocktail lounge created in 1939 from the former 19th-floor penthouse suite. Its elevated location gives it broad views across San Francisco and the Bay Area. During World War II, the lounge became a well-known meeting place for servicemen and their partners before deployment to the Pacific. The property also contains historically significant decorative work, including large panels painted for the hotel's opening by Maynard Dixon and Frank Von Sloun in the banquet area known as the Room of the Dons. Ownership and lease arrangements changed repeatedly during the second half of the twentieth century. The hotel was sold to Kratter Corporation in 1961, to financier Louis Lurie in 1962, and was leased to Gene Autry in 1963. Loew's Hotels obtained a 99-year lease in 1967, after which a Hawaiian investment group assumed the lease. In 1973, Lurie's heirs entered into a long-term management agreement with Inter-Continental Hotels, beginning the property's continuing association with the InterContinental brand. Inter-Continental later acquired the lessee interest in 1983 and the freehold in 2010. Woodridge Capital Partners affiliates and Oaktree-managed funds acquired the hotel in 2014 for a reported $120 million, while InterContinental retained management under a long-term contract. The Mark Hopkins remains an operating luxury hotel serving transient guests, business travelers, groups, events, and visitors seeking a historic San Francisco setting. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America, has received AAA Four-Diamond recognition, and is associated with both San Francisco and California landmark designations.
History
The Mark Hopkins Hotel occupies a site with a long connection to San Francisco's nineteenth-century elite and cultural institutions. Central Pacific Railroad founder Mark Hopkins selected the southeastern peak of Nob Hill for a mansion for his wife, Mary. The residence was completed in 1878, after Hopkins had died. Its elevated tower became an important vantage point in the young city; Eadweard Muybridge used the location for a panoramic photograph made in 1877. Mary Sherwood Hopkins died in 1891 and left the mansion and a substantial estate to her second husband, Edward Francis Searles. In 1893, Searles donated the property to the San Francisco Art Association for use as a school and museum. It became known as the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. The building survived the earthquake of 1906 but was destroyed by the fires that swept through San Francisco during the following three days. Mining engineer and hotel investor George D. Smith later acquired the Nob Hill site. The former art-association building was removed and replaced with a major luxury hotel designed by Weeks and Day, a San Francisco architectural practice. The 19-story structure combined the appearance of a French château with Spanish decorative elements. It opened as the Hotel Mark Hopkins on December 4, 1926. The building's historic character was reinforced by its interior decoration. The Room of the Dons contains nine large panels painted for the 1926 opening by Maynard Dixon and Frank Von Sloun. One of the panels depicts Queen Calafia and her Amazons beneath a gold-leaf sky, connecting the hotel interior to the legendary figure associated with the name California. In 1939, the top-floor penthouse was converted into the Top of the Mark, a glass-enclosed cocktail lounge. The venue became one of the hotel's best-known spaces because of its height, views, and association with San Francisco social life. During World War II, it was a favored meeting place for servicemen and their partners before they left for the Pacific. The hotel also hosted notable social events, including the 1960 wedding of race-car driver Lance Reventlow and actress Jill St. John. The property's legal and operating arrangements changed several times after 1960. George D. Smith's ownership gave way to Kratter Corporation in 1961 and Louis Lurie in 1962. Gene Autry acquired a long-term lease in 1963. Loew's Hotels obtained a 99-year lease in 1967, although the lease arrangement was later transferred to a Hawaiian investor group. In 1973, Lurie's heirs entered a long-term management agreement with Inter-Continental Hotels, and the property became The Mark Hopkins—An Inter-Continental Hotel. Inter-Continental acquired the lessee interest in 1983 and the freehold in 2010. In 2014, affiliates of Woodridge Capital Partners and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management purchased the hotel for a reported $120 million. InterContinental continued to manage the property under a long-term contract. The hotel now operates as the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco within IHG Hotels & Resorts' InterContinental portfolio. The property has both historic and commercial significance. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's official program, and has received AAA Four-Diamond recognition. The site is marked as California Historical Landmark No. 754, commemorating the former Mark Hopkins Institute of Art, and the hotel itself is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark.
- 2014
Woodridge and Oaktree-affiliated funds become owners
[1]The hotel was purchased by Woodridge Capital Partners affiliates and Oaktree-managed funds for a reported $120 million.
- 2010
Inter-Continental acquires the freehold
[1]Inter-Continental acquired the property's freehold interest.
- 1983
Inter-Continental acquires the lessee interest
[1]The hotel group acquired the lessee interest in the property.
- 1973
Inter-Continental begins management
[1]A long-term management contract made Inter-Continental Hotels the operating manager and added its name to the property.
- 1967
Loew's Hotels obtains a 99-year lease
[1]Loew's Hotels acquired a 99-year lease, which was later taken over by a Hawaiian investment group.
- 1963
Gene Autry takes a long-term lease
[1]Gene Autry acquired a long-term lease on the hotel.
- 1962
Louis Lurie acquires the property
[1]Kratter Corporation sold the hotel to San Francisco financier Louis Lurie for more than $12 million.
- 1961
Hotel is sold to Kratter Corporation
[1]George D. Smith sold the hotel to Kratter Corporation for more than $10 million.
- 1939
Top of the Mark opens
[1]The former penthouse was converted into the hotel's glass-walled cocktail lounge.
- 1926
Hotel Mark Hopkins opens
[1]The 19-story hotel designed by Weeks and Day opened on December 4.
Products and positioning
Historic, full-service luxury hospitality centered on a landmark Nob Hill location, panoramic city views, heritage architecture, and the InterContinental brand.
Hotel accommodation · 1926
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's core offering is full-service luxury accommodation in a historic 19-story building on Nob Hill. Rooms and suites serve leisure travelers, business guests, groups, and visitors seeking a central San Francisco location with historic architecture and city views.
Cocktail lounge and dining · 1939
Top of the Mark
Top of the Mark is the hotel's signature glass-walled cocktail lounge, created in 1939 from the former 19th-floor penthouse. Its elevated position and panoramic views have made it one of the property's most recognizable guest experiences and a long-standing San Francisco hospitality venue.
Banquet and events · 1926
Room of the Dons
The Room of the Dons is a historic banquet area decorated with nine large panels painted for the hotel's 1926 opening by Maynard Dixon and Frank Von Sloun. It represents the hotel's combination of event business, architectural heritage, and California-themed design.
Hospitality events · 1926
Meetings, weddings, and social events
The property provides event and banquet facilities for meetings, weddings, receptions, and other social functions. Its Nob Hill setting and historic interiors support a positioning that combines formal event service with a landmark San Francisco environment.
Brand decisions
2014
Sale to Woodridge and Oaktree-affiliated ownershipM&ABackground
After Inter-Continental had held the lessee interest and later the freehold, the property was transferred to an investment ownership group.
Action taken
Woodridge Capital Partners affiliates and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management purchased the hotel, while InterContinental retained management under a long-term contract.
Aftermath
Ownership and hotel management became separated, with the investment group owning the property and InterContinental continuing to operate it.
Reported purchase price. $120 million (2014)
1973
Long-term Inter-Continental management agreementStrategyBackground
The property's ownership and lease structure had changed repeatedly, creating an opportunity to place operations with an international hotel company.
Action taken
Lurie's heirs signed a long-term management contract with Inter-Continental Hotels, and the property adopted the Inter-Continental name.
Aftermath
The hotel entered a continuing relationship with the InterContinental brand that remains central to its current operation.
1939
Conversion of the penthouse into Top of the MarkProduct launchBackground
The hotel had an unusually elevated 19th-floor penthouse that could be developed into a distinctive guest venue.
Action taken
The penthouse was converted into a glass-walled cocktail lounge.
Aftermath
Top of the Mark became a signature feature and a prominent social venue associated with the hotel.
Recent events
- 2014
Woodridge and Oaktree-affiliated funds acquire the hotel[1]
M&A
Woodridge Capital Partners affiliates and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management purchased the hotel for a reported $120 million; InterContinental continued to manage it under a long-term contract.
- 2010
Hotel freehold passes to Inter-Continental[1]
M&A
Inter-Continental acquired the freehold interest in the hotel before selling the property to a new investment ownership group in 2014.
- 1983
Inter-Continental acquires the hotel's lessee interest[1]
M&A
Inter-Continental acquired the lessee interest in the property, strengthening its control of the hotel's operating and property interests.
- 1973
Inter-Continental begins long-term management of the Mark Hopkins[1]
Other
Lurie's heirs signed a long-term management contract with Inter-Continental Hotels, bringing the hotel into the group's operating network.
- 1939
Top of the Mark is created from the penthouse[1]
Product launch
The hotel's 19th-floor penthouse was converted into the glass-walled Top of the Mark cocktail lounge, which became a signature feature of the property.
- 1926
Hotel Mark Hopkins opens on San Francisco's Nob Hill[1]
Other
A new 19-story luxury hotel designed by Weeks and Day opened on the former Mark Hopkins mansion and art-institute site.
Sources1 sources
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