InterContinental Mark Hopkins One Nob Hill, 999 California Street • San Francisco • California 94108

Since it opened in 1926, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins has been one of San Francisco’s premier hotels. Poised at the crest of Nob Hill, it rises nineteen stories and is as much a San Francisco icon as the cable cars that clang past its grand entrance. So it’s no surprise that it evokes lots of romance and history. During WWII, the Top of the Mark was the site of many farewell rendezvous where couples met for a last drink before the men shipped out. Wives and girlfriends stayed behind to watch from the top-story windows as their sweethearts’ ships slipped through the Golden Gate.

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins is still a perfect place for a romantic rendezvous—happily without a tearful farewell. Hold your wedding in the Room of the Dons, notable for its 26-foot ceiling and nine vibrant murals (by Maynard Dixon and Frank Van Sloun) depicting scenes from early California. Painted in a rich medley of reds, blues and browns against gold leaf, they were completed in 1926 for the hotel’s grand opening. The seven-foot-high murals, set off by the subtle cream-and-taupe walls and ceiling, create a colorful banner around the room’s perimeter. While you’re admiring their artistry, say your vows in front of a towering arched window, which is gracefully draped in silk brocade.

Receptions are often held in the Peacock Court, a light, palatial ballroom befitting a grand hotel. Complete with its own stage, its classical details include gold and ivory walls framed by delicately carved plaster moldings, arched windows draped in layers of amber and bronze silk brocade, and a ceiling with intricate plasterwork.

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins has many smaller event rooms as well, which reflect the hotel’s grace and elegance and provide flexible event-planning options. Or for a world-class treat, reserve the Top of the Mark, a glass-walled sky lounge on the 19th floor with a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of San Francisco and much of the Bay Area. The Art Deco theme features dark woods and wrought-iron balustrades, while a 20-foot vaulted ceiling and split-level floor offer unobstructed views from virtually every seat. Let the staff transform the upper terrace for your wedding ceremony with a floor-to-ceiling mirrored backdrop that adds extra glitz. You can choose to have your guests seated so that they overlook either the bay and Golden Gate Bridge or the glittering downtown skyline. Literally one of The City’s high points, the sky lounge is also an exceptional spot for impressive receptions and rehearsal dinners—or even a bridal shower brunch. (Famous for its 100 Martini menu, the room hosts great bachelorette parties, too.)

Whatever type of event you have, the Mark Hopkins will leave you and your guests walking on air.