San Francisco — something of a backwater, wouldn't you say? — will at last cater to the American aristocracy forced to do business with its nouveau riche.

"San Francisco needed a proper luxury hotel," John Vanderslice, the global head of luxury and lifestyle brands at Hilton Worldwide, operator of the Waldorf brand, confided to Condé Nast Traveler. Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Vandersomething, it is such a royal bore to stay at the St. Regis **expensive laugh** ...

The hotel will take up the first 21 floors of this SoMa mixed-use building at First and Eckert designed by London-based Foster + Partners. Hirsch Bedner Associates will be doing the interior design. With more than 250 rooms, a quarter of them suites, the hotel will also feature several restaurants. San Francisco could really use a decent place to eat, wouldn't you agree?

I think that Vanderperson put it best when he said, "This project is ground zero for luxury there." That DOES have a ring to it!

Related: Super Thin, Nine-Story Hotel Proposed For Harrison Street