How Proper Hotel San Francisco became the city’s hippest hotel

As most of you already know, the charms of San Francisco are aplenty. Breathtaking scenery? Check. Cultural attractions? Check. Noteworthy restaurants and bars? Check. And with last year’s opening of Proper Hotel San Francisco, The Golden City finally got the design-driven boutique hotel it needed (and deserved). Below, all the reasons why you should make Proper your home base when visiting the Bay Area.

Background in Brief

Opened in September 2017, this boutique hotel occupies a historic flatiron building perched at Seventh and Market in Mid-Market. Co-founded by Brad Korzen, Brian De Lowe, and Alex Samek, Proper Hospitality unveiled its first project in June 2016 with Hollywood’s Proper Residences, then followed up with its first hotel in San Francisco. (Hotels in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Austin are in line to open later this year, and early next.) Though each property celebrates the unique personality of its respective city, what they have in common is relatable luxury, hip amenities, and a striking look masterminded by famed interior designer Kelly Wearstler. From the moment you enter the lobby – which multitasks as a reception area, work space, and lounge – and are greeted with an eclectic (yet cozy) mishmash of artwork, furnishings, and preserved original details (the lobby marble, for example, is over 80 years old ) you get a sense of what Proper is all about: bringing together the old and new, to create a vibe that’s fresh and of-the-moment – yet rooted in history.

Accommodations

Practically every inch and corner of the 131 guest rooms has been thoughtfully considered by Wearstler. To that end, you’ll discover a vibrant juxtaposition of colors, textures, even wallpapers, that in true Wearstler fashion – work together for a wholly original effect. So instead of a hotel, you feel like you’re a guest at someone’s impossibly chic abode. Luxe accents abound, as evidenced by the plush Aireloom mattresses, Aesop bathroom amenities, and Nordic Vifa speakers. Even the robes are a surprising touch. Being short, I find standard ones bulky, cumbersome, and long, but Proper’s versions are fashioned from a lightweight black-and-white cotton you tie like a kimono. (They’re so stylish, they can be worn in public.) While working in hotels is a necessity given my line of work, I appreciated that instead of a standard desk, I had a versatile window side table that served as a spot for snacking, writing, and chilling out.