There aren't many hotels in San Francisco that have jail cells in their basements. Once the city hall, the Ramada Plaza is a truly unique and convenient hotel located in the theater district with a BART light-rail stop right at its front door waiting to whisk guests throughout the Bay Area. The hotel is steps from the Farmer's Market and three blocks from Union Square's exquisite shopping, cafes and entertainment.
Built in 1912 to serve as city hall, the historic hotel features a large, marble lobby with 30-foot ceilings, Austrian crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows and Janesero paneling. The lobby's ceiling beams are architectural remnants of the post-1906 earthquake era and made of fire-resistant concrete painted to look like wood. In the basement, giant metal doors lead to the original city hall's jail cells.
Guests will salivate over the hotel's Florinda's Market Street Grill and its steak and seafood specialties and a menu that changes with each Broadway show at the nearby Orpheum Theater. What's more, cyberfreaks and exercise gurus will enjoy the hotel's Internet café and fitness center.
Meanwhile, guest rooms and suites come complete with large windows that afford breathtaking views of trendy Market Street and the surrounding neighborhood. Decor features crown molding, patterned wallpaper and antique- style furnishings. All rooms have well-lit work desks, dial-up Internet access, and cable TV with pay movies.
The Ramada Plaza is popular with vacationing theater buffs and business travelers who appreciate its central location and opulent, early 20th-century styling. However, the bunks in the jail cells are pretty hard.
