San Francisco's Phoenix Hotel, a favorite of touring musicians, to shutter at year's end
The Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin. (Courtesy Lifestyle Marketing & Public Relations)
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Tenderloin is home to a rock-and-roll landmark, but at the end of the year, the legendary Phoenix Hotel will check out for good.
Haven for creative spirits
What we know:
In a news release on Tuesday, a public relations firm, on behalf of the hotel, announced that the Phoenix will close its doors on January 1, 2026, following the expiration of their long-term land lease.
They said the hotel, which has hosted the likes of Kurt Cobain, David Bowie, Pearl Jam, Neil Young and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, over the last seven decades, has been a haven and sanctuary for those with a creative spirit.
The hotel was originally built in 1956 as the Caravan Lodge. It was redesigned in 1987 by Chip Conley when it became "a symbol of San Francisco's counterculture and rebellious soul," according to the news release. Conley is the founder and co-owner of the Phoenix Hotel, alongside Isabel Manchester and Jamie Flanagan.
Custom built
Visitors have enjoyed the Phoenix's tropical landscaping, custom-built furniture, red & white striped cabanas, vintage concert posters, neon art installations, and a lobby that was designed with a vintage recording studio in mind.
Conley reflected on the Phoenix's nearly 40-year run in its current iteration as an escape for artists, musicians, travelers from around the world and locals alike.
"It was concert promoter Bill Graham who persuaded me to create San Francisco’s rock ‘n roll hotel when I was in my mid-20s and didn’t have a clue about the hospitality industry and it wasn't even clear that I was buying a pay-by-the-hour motel when I bought the Caravan Lodge," Conley said.
The Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin. (Courtesy Lifestyle Marketing & Public Relations)
A gem in the Tenderloin
The 44-room hotel at Larkin and Eddy streets boasts an infamous courtyard pool with mid-century architecture. In fact, the pool is one of two landmark status pools in the country.
The news release mentions how the Phoenix didn't just exist in the Tenderloin, but that it has "shown up for it."
"Since COVID, The Phoenix and its neighborhood have struggled mightily, so as we near the end of our long-term land lease, it seems fitting that this gateway to the Tenderloin should go out with a flurry of parties during the balance of 2025," Conley said.
"I feel deeply grateful that this no-tell motel is where I started my hotel career that led to Joie de Vivre creating and managing 52 boutique hotels over my 24 years running the company (I sold the management company and JdV brand in 2010). And, I plan to throw a rockin’ 65th birthday party at 601 Eddy Street on Halloween later this year!" Conley continued.
Legend has it Courtney Love scrawled a note to Kurt Cobain on a Phoenix-logoed notepad that was found on the grunge icon upon his death in the nineties.
It's lore like this that explains why the hotel's retail shop sells items inspired by the ‘80-’90s punk and grunge scene.
You can still book your room in the final months of the Phoenix's existence. More information can be found on their website.
Future plans for the site have not been revealed. It remains to be seen if something will arise from the ashes.
The Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin. (Courtesy Lifestyle Marketing & Public Relations)