The Palace Hotel’s Garden Court is my favorite afternoon escape. Marble floors and grand arches lead you to a spectacular, stained-glass atrium that once served as a carriage entrance for the traveling elite. The soaring glass ceiling, flanked by two rows of stately Italian marble columns and glittering Austrian crystal chandeliers, filter the sunlight by day and give the Parisian-inspired space an amber glow by night. Next, wander off the lobby and down the corridors to see historic artifacts, such as the oldest and most complete collections of gold rim china and stemware in the world. Throughout the years, the Garden Court has hosted many milestone events, including royal dinners and banquets in support of the Versailles Treaty and the opening session of the United Nations. Today, it remains a treasured landmark. One that is as elegant and rich as its past.
Master the merengue during Let’s Go Salsa or listen to lunchtime limericks on Poetic Tuesdays. The 18th annual Yerba Buena Gardens Festival kicked off earlier this month and will continue to fill the garden with hundreds of admission-free artistic, community, and cultural programs through October.
