San Francisco's Award-Winning Hotel Is All About Sustainability, Style, And Wellness In The Heart Of The City

Despite its questionable reputation, San Francisco is considered the "Healthiest City in America," and the city is also one of the greenest. CoworkingCafe named it the most sustainable city in 2024, thanks to factors like public transportation, recycling, and climate action plans. If you're looking for a sustainable-minded hotel when you're visiting the City by the Bay, check out 1 Hotel San Francisco. 

One Hotels is a worldwide upscale brand focused on combining eco-friendly practices with a sense of home and a celebration of nature, and the San Francisco branch fully exemplifies this ethos. It blends sustainability with luxury, providing an ideal base to check out the city while also being a peaceful retreat and wellness destination in and of itself. As you enter the lobby, you'll notice a living green wall behind reception (pictured) that includes native California plants, and the floor is made from reclaimed wood. There are all sorts of sustainable design features throughout the hotel, including redwood lumber that came from the original San Francisco Bay Bridge.

You'll find this oasis at the end of Mission Street, right across from the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building, an iconic waterfront marketplace with artisanal shops and eateries. This puts it within walking distance of places like America's oldest Chinatown, and a 20-minute cable car ride up to Nob Hill, one of the city's oldest and ritziest neighborhoods. Along with a great location, it received a One Michelin Key rating in 2024, officially making it a "very special stay."

The 1 Hotel San Francisco also includes little things with an eye towards sustainability, like timers in the showers to remind you to be mindful of water usage, room keys that are made from recycled wood, and a "Do not disturb" rock. All those little details can really add up. A few more of the eco-friendly aspects here: the building is LEED Gold certified, with energy-efficient cooling and heating systems, and you won't find any single-use plastics. The hotel has both recycling and composting programs, even for the in-room Nespresso pods.

The relaxed ambiance, neutral tones, and nature-inspired vibe of the lobby continue into the 200 guest rooms, which feature 14 suites. They all have sustainable mattresses and cotton bedding, as well as unexpected elements like salvaged driftwood decor. You can see the San Francisco Bay Bridge from some of the rooms, and some suites have their own private terrace. If you stay in one of the suites, you get a free breakfast for two people each morning. 

Terrene is the restaurant at 1 Hotel San Francisco, open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends. Dinner dishes include items like kampachi crudo and roasted carrots served with whipped tahini, garden herbs, chili honey, and toasted pistachios. The chef's zero-waste initiatives extend to the seasonal cocktail menu, with libations made with ingredients from within 50 miles of the restaurant, along with a selection of organic California wines. The rooftop garden even has beehives for ultra-local honey. Beyond the restaurant, guests can sample some of the literal fruits of labor from local farmers at a lobby farm stand stocked with seasonal produce.

Aside from nutritional well-being, the Bamford Wellness Spa is on the eighth floor of the hotel, with treatments designed for rejuvenation. Indulge in a rooftop spa tub with specialized bath salts to enjoy a relaxing soak. Along with the baths, the spa has a number of massage and facial treatments using organic products. 

For more active wellness experiences, there are free yoga and HIIT classes that guests can attend, along with personal trainers. Plus, you can borrow the hotel's electric bikes to go exploring. San Francisco has a lot of hills, and having an e-bike can make things a lot easier without having to use a car.