Five of the City's Most Unique Hotels that Lived a Previous Life

Once quarters for unmarried military officers, now an inn [Photo: Inn at the Presidio]
San Francisco loves to reuse its old buildings, and many of those have been turned into swanky hotels. From banks to warehouses to officer's quarters, here are five of the city's most unique hotels that lived a previous life.

Inn at the Presidio
Once functioning as the Presidio military base's unmarried officer's quarters, this 22-room inn was remodeled in 2011. Built in 1903, the Georgian Revival-style building later was a Visiting Officers' Quarters until the Army left in 1994. The inn is the only formal lodging in the Presidio.

Argonaut Hotel
The Haslett Warehouse was built between 1907-1909 as part of Del Monte's Fisherman's Wharf cannery. When canning operations ended, the buildings were used as warehouses until they were slated for demo in 1963. The interior was destroyed in a fire in 2002, and after it was renovated as the Argonaut Hotel. Today the building is owned by the National Park Service and houses the San Francisco Maritime Park Museum.

Omni Hotel
Built as a financial center in 1926, the downtown Omni Hotel was designed by Frederick Meyer. It still has an elaborate marble lobby that harkens back to its earlier life.

Harbor Court Hotel
The old Army-Navy YMCA residence, built in 1926, was renovated as the Harbor Court Hotel in 1991. The project required partial demolition, reconstruction, and the complete renovation of the original structure with part of it functioning as a modern hotel. The YMCA facilities, except for those housed in the hotel portion, were completely demolished and replaced.

St. Regis Hotel
The St. Regis Hotel incorporates the historic Williams Building with a contemporary tower. The 1907 Clinton Day-designed Williams building that was originally an office building now holds two restaurants and the hotel spa. SOM designed the adjacent 42-story tower in 2005.