In 1913, Frederick C. Clift, an attorney from a large family in the Sierra foothills, commissioned the 300-room hotel on a lot the family had inherited. The hotel was to open in time for the Pan Pacific Exposition. The architect, a former student of the Ecole de Beaux Arts, was George Applegarth of McDonald and Applegarth. Advertised as the first hotel in San Francisco to be fire and earthquake proof, Clift has held up to its expectations. With its 1924 addition of 3 floors, it became the largest hotel in the state... (Information via Wikipedia... photos via Google search for Clift Hotel San Francisco)
Clift was purchased from the Four Seasons group in 1996 by Morgans Hotel Group...and renovations have continued to evolve throughout the years... I will show you the latest remodel... I have not seen these... I stayed in the hotel in 1993 while working as a Fashion Designer Rep... 
The original lobby... again I did not see this lobby either... this was before my time...
The current lobby... quite a bit different... decorated with some rather LARGER furniture... hard to tell in this photo...
but you can tell with this photo...
I'm sorry I don't have a photo of someone on these lovely French sofa... but I wish I was there to lie on it to demonstrate... maybe we can send Laura to the hotel to snap a photo sitting on it in the future... hmmmm...
The famous Art Deco Redwood room in the beginning...
with a new Redwood room refurbished...
Now I really wish I had photographs from when I stayed at the Clift Hotel... however when you are working you don't think about snapping photos... and I sooo wish I had so I could show you the fashions of the 90s that I represented. I can tell you about one designer that you all may know about... her name is Vivienne Tam... however at the time I was a rep for her she designed under the name Vivienne Tam for East Wind Code... sooooo... here is her Summer Collection 2009...
and here are some of my old fashion sketches... 
I hope you ENJOYED my past life adventure... and transformation of the Clift Hotel... thank you to Laura for having moi!
8 comments:
Very interesting reading about clift hotel!!!!
Sorry sooo late to post a link to you... away all weekend with swim meetings! Link up... people should start arriving soon! Hope you are enjoying your trip!
Thank you again for having moi!
Fifi
Ooops I almost forgot... please send photo via email if you sit on that French sofa!
Very Fun! I want to lay on the sofa too. :)
Never had the pleasure of staying there, but recently had drinks at the hotel with a friend. I was tempted to take a seat in that giant chair, too. Great guest post :)
Fun post. Love the fashions. Fun to hear about your past with Fashion and in San Francisco no less. Great sketches too.
so fun! I love the history of buildings - what they were, what they are and what has been subtracted, added, redone along the way. Thanks for sharing your sketches with the jackets!
What a huge difference they've made in that hotel... I think I kind of like the retro earlier ones more though.. lol
I had no idea that you were a fashion designer rep in your past life. What a cool world that must have been.
I followed your post from your 3baychicks site and have to tell you that my vacations since having 3 young boys have also become much more of a "stay at home" and chill kind of experience... except without the "chill". LOL
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