The Westin St. Francis Union Square Car Service

Premium Black SUV chauffeur transfers + multi-day private retainer for The Westin St. Francis San Francisco at 335 Powell Street — the iconic 1904 Union Square landmark and the headquarters hotel for the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. 1,195 rooms across the original Landmark Building (1904, west wing) + the 32-story Tower (1972, east wing). The Compass restaurant, Magic Castle Cabaret private supper club, Caruso's Lobby Lounge, Imperial Floor. SFO 25-35 min, OAK 25-40 min via Bay Bridge. CPUC TCP# 9225. Since 1986.

Opened 1904 · survived the 1906 earthquake
1,195 rooms · Landmark (1904) + Tower (1972)
SFO 25-35 min · OAK 25-40 min via Bay Bridge
JPMorgan Healthcare Conference HQ · biotech investor base
Request Westin St. Francis Quote +1-650-876-1777

The Westin St. Francis Story — Union Square Anchor Since 1904

The Westin St. Francis is the largest classic-luxury hotel in San Francisco and the literal anchor of Union Square. Built 1904 by the Crocker family (railroad fortune) + Mark Hopkins family, the original Landmark Building survived the 1906 earthquake — the steel-frame structure stood but the interior was damaged in the subsequent fire. Charles T. Crocker financed the rapid post-quake reconstruction. The 32-story Tower (east wing) was added 1972, doubling the property's room inventory to 1,195. Over 120 years, the St. Francis has hosted nine U.S. Presidents, every major head of state visiting SF, the SF business establishment, and Hollywood — including the infamous 1921 Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle scandal in a 12th floor room. Today the property serves as the headquarters hotel for the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference (the 9,000-attendee biotech investor conference held annually 2nd week of January), making St. Francis-week one of the most consequential weeks in U.S. healthcare investment.

1,195 rooms across two wings

West Wing (Original Landmark Building, 1904): 12-story historic structure, period detail, traditional-luxury rooms, the Compass restaurant, Imperial Floor lounge. East Wing (Tower, 1972): 32-story high-rise with city + bay views, larger contemporary rooms.

JPM Healthcare Conference HQ

Badge-issuance + main presentation tracks for 9,000+ attendee biotech investor conference (2nd week of January). Grand Ballroom + Tower meeting rooms + Caruso's Lobby + Imperial Floor all in conference use. AC's most-trafficked SF luxury hotel during JPM week.

Magic Castle Cabaret Club

SF iteration of the legendary LA Magic Castle private members club. Magicians + classic cabaret + cocktails. Member-by-introduction private supper-club setting. Major after-conference + after-theater event venue for the SF establishment.

The Compass restaurant + Caruso's Lobby

The Compass: main dining room with Pacific-coastal American cuisine, Union Square + cable car views. Caruso's Lobby Lounge: grand-fireplace lobby bar named for Enrico Caruso (the tenor who was performing at the SF Opera the night before the 1906 earthquake, staying at the St. Francis).

Imperial Floor club lounge

The exclusive Imperial Floor (28th floor of the Tower) has separate elevator access, club lounge with continental breakfast + cocktails + canapés, and Imperial-only suite categories. Frequent senior-executive choice during JPM week.

Grand Ballroom + heritage event spaces

The 2,400 sq ft Grand Ballroom (1904 original) hosts 350-guest weddings, JPM Healthcare presentation tracks, charity galas. Italian Room + California Room + Colonial Room provide breakout space. The Compass private rooms host JPM dealmaking dinners.

How We Drive It — Westin St. Francis from SFO/OAK/SJC

SFO → Westin St. Francis (25-35 min)

Route: SFO → US-101 north → I-80 east briefly → 7th Street exit → north to Powell Street → 335 Powell at Union Square. About 14 miles.

Drop-off: Powell Street porte-cochère between Geary + Post Streets. Bellhops handle luggage transfer. Union Square traffic peaks 8-10 AM weekdays + 11-1 PM shopping + 5-7 PM commute/theater.

OAK → Westin St. Francis (25-40 min)

Route: OAK → I-880 north → SF Bay Bridge (I-80) → 4th/5th Street exit → north to Powell. About 18 miles. Bay Bridge traffic 4-7 PM weekdays adds 20-40 min.

SJC → Westin St. Francis (50-70 min)

Silicon Valley executive route: SJC → US-101 north → same routing as SFO from there. Frequent for tech-executive flights arriving SJC + downtown SF dinners/meetings.

Private aviation arrivals

Signature SFO + Atlantic Aviation SFO handle larger private aircraft for downtown SF luxury hotels. Plane-side pickup, tail-number tracking. About 25-35 min ground time to the Westin St. Francis depending on traffic.

JPMorgan Healthcare Conference Week — AC's Signature SF Week

The JPMorgan Healthcare Conference is the single biggest week in U.S. biotech and healthcare investment — held annually 2nd week of January at the Westin St. Francis Union Square HQ. 9,000+ attendees, 600+ companies presenting, every major biotech investor and biopharma C-suite in the world descending on SF for 4 days. AC has been the JPM-week premium chauffeur for over a decade. The Westin St. Francis is the literal hub of the conference; we route delegates from St. Francis to portfolio-company HQs (Genentech 20 min south, Stanford 45 min south, UCSF Mission Bay 15 min, Sand Hill VC 40 min) all week long.

Multi-day biotech investor retainer

Dedicated chauffeur for biotech CEO + investor + portfolio executive delegates. NDA-discreet protocol (we don't volunteer client identity to other guests). On-call all week + between-meeting flexibility + late-night safe transit.

Mission Bay biotech routing

Mission Bay (UCSF, Genentech satellite, Atlas Venture, Mission Bay biotech offices) 15-20 min from St. Francis. Multi-stop morning routing pattern. Common to do 3 Mission Bay companies in a single morning.

Genentech + Stanford + Sand Hill day-trips

South Bay routing pattern. Genentech (South SF, our hometown 5 min from AC HQ, 25 min from Westin) + Stanford Med + Sand Hill Road VC corridor (40-50 min). Day-trip pattern common for JPM week.

Hotel-cluster shuttle (Hilton, Fairmont, Park Hyatt)

St. Francis is the JPM HQ, but conference delegates spread across Union Square + Nob Hill + Embarcadero. Multi-hotel shuttle pattern for delegates running between Westin presentations + Hilton Biotech Showcase + Fairmont Nob Hill + Park Hyatt FiDi.

Evening dinner-and-event routing

JPM-week evenings cluster at Atelier Crenn, Saison, Quince, Cotogna, Mister Jiu's. Multi-stop pre-dinner cocktails + dinner + after-hours Magic Castle shuttle pattern.

SFO/OAK departure-day surge

JPM ends Thursday; Friday-Saturday departure surge from St. Francis to SFO/OAK. Wave-coordinated multi-vehicle departure to clear 200+ executives back to airports without bottleneck.

See our full JPM Healthcare Conference page →

Walking + Cable Car + Quick-Drive from the Westin St. Francis

Powell Cable Car Turnaround

Across the street. Powell-Mason + Powell-Hyde cable car lines originate here. Powell-Mason to Fisherman's Wharf; Powell-Hyde via Lombard Street + Russian Hill.

Union Square plaza + flagship shopping

Half block. Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, the SF Apple Store flagship. Holiday tree lighting + ice skating rink in December.

Theater District (5 min walk)

Curran Theatre, ACT (American Conservatory Theater), Geary Theatre. Pre-theater dinner pattern at The Compass before crossing to Curran or ACT.

Chinatown Dragon Gate

5 min walk to the Grant + Bush Dragon Gate. Oldest Chinatown in America. Grant Ave walking, Portsmouth Square, Mister Jiu's Michelin-1-star modern Chinese.

Fairmont SF + Nob Hill (15 min walk up)

Steep California Street climb to Fairmont Nob Hill + Mark Hopkins InterContinental + Grace Cathedral. Cable Car California line easier than walking.

Financial District (10-15 min walk)

Embarcadero Center, Salesforce Tower, the Pyramid (formerly Transamerica), Ferry Building Marketplace, Sam's Grill, Tadich Grill.

The Westin St. Francis — Frequently Asked

How far is the Westin St. Francis from SFO?

25-35 min from SFO depending on traffic. Route: SFO → US-101 north → I-80 east briefly → 7th Street exit → north to Powell Street → 335 Powell at Union Square. About 14 miles. Drop-off on Powell Street at the porte-cochère (between Geary + Post Streets). Union Square traffic peak windows: 8-10 AM weekdays (commute), 11-1 PM (shopping), 5-7 PM (commute + theater) — we plan accordingly.

What is the Westin St. Francis's history?

The St. Francis opened in 1904 as the second iconic SF luxury hotel after the Palace Hotel. It survived the 1906 earthquake structurally — the building stood but the interior was damaged. Charles T. Crocker (railroad family heir) financed the reconstruction with the Mark Hopkins family. The original Landmark Building (now the West Wing) is the 1904 structure; the modern 32-story Tower (now the East Wing) was added 1972. The hotel hosted nine U.S. Presidents from McKinley to Ford. The 1921 Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle scandal happened in a 12th floor St. Francis room. Marriott-owned (Westin brand), 1,195 rooms across both wings. The Union Square location was chosen precisely because Union Square was the post-quake commercial center of SF.

Why is the Westin St. Francis the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference HQ hotel?

JPMorgan Healthcare Conference (the 9,000-attendee biotech investor conference held annually 2nd week of January) has its badge-issuance + main presentation tracks across the St. Francis ballroom + Grand Ballroom + Tower meeting rooms. The location at Union Square is walking distance to Hilton (Biotech Showcase), Westin overflow Fairmont Nob Hill, Hyatt Embarcadero, Moscone Center side events. Throughout the week, biotech CEOs, investors, and portfolio executives base at the St. Francis for the conference + private investor meetings + the famous "JPM after-hours" deal-making in Magic Castle and the Imperial Floor lounge.

What is the Magic Castle SF private supper club?

The Magic Castle Cabaret Club (within the Westin St. Francis) is an SF iteration of the legendary LA Magic Castle private members club — a venue combining magicians + classic cabaret + cocktails. Member-by-introduction. Private supper-club setting. Major after-conference and after-theater event for the SF establishment. Reservations through the property's private channels (we coordinate with Lodge concierge for member-guests we transport).

Tell me about The Compass restaurant

The Compass is the Westin St. Francis's main dining room — Pacific-coastal American cuisine. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner. The dining room overlooks Union Square with views of the Powell Cable Car Turnaround. Reservations recommended 2-4 weeks ahead for prime dinner slots. The grand fireplace lobby Caruso's Lobby Lounge is the additional bar / light-fare option. JPM Healthcare week reservations fill 6+ months ahead given the conference draw.

What's the difference between West Wing (original) + East Wing (Tower)?

West Wing (the original 1904 Landmark Building, also called the historic Landmark): low-rise historic structure (12 stories), period detail, traditional luxury rooms, the Compass restaurant, Imperial Floor club lounge, Grand Ballroom. East Wing (1972 Tower, 32 stories): modern high-rise with city + bay views, larger contemporary rooms. Many returning guests prefer the West Wing for the historic-luxury feel; international visitors gravitate to the Tower for the views. Both wings share Caruso's Lobby + the Compass + Magic Castle + Powell Street porte-cochère.

Is the Westin St. Francis a wedding venue?

Yes — major SF Union Square wedding venue. The Grand Ballroom (2,400-square-foot historic ballroom, 350-guest capacity), the Italian Room, the California Room, plus Magic Castle for after-parties. The 32-story Tower Penthouse Suite is a frequent bridal-suite gold standard. We handle full wedding-weekend chauffeur: SFO/OAK guest convoy, ceremony staging, reception transport, late-night safe transit, departure-day convoy. Multi-vehicle Black SUV team for 200-400 guest SF weddings.

What's nearby on foot from the Westin St. Francis?

Across the street: Powell Cable Car Turnaround (Powell-Mason + Powell-Hyde lines). Half block: Union Square plaza, flagship Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus. 5 min walk: Theater District (Curran Theatre, ACT, Geary Theatre), Chinatown Dragon Gate, the SF flagship Apple Store. 10 min walk: Financial District (Embarcadero Center, Salesforce Tower), the Ferry Building Marketplace. 15 min walk: Fairmont Nob Hill + Mark Hopkins + Grace Cathedral up the steep California Street climb.

How does the Westin St. Francis compare to other SF luxury hotels?

Westin St. Francis (1,195 rooms, Union Square): the JPM Healthcare HQ + the largest classic-luxury SF property. Fairmont SF Nob Hill (606 rooms): the 1907 historic landmark on Nob Hill + UN Charter site. Four Seasons SF (231 rooms, 757 Market): the modern luxury choice in SoMa near Salesforce Tower. Palace Hotel (412 rooms, 2 New Montgomery): the 1875 SF heritage with the famous Garden Court (the Maxfield Parrish "Pied Piper" painting). Most JPM Healthcare delegates pick Westin or Fairmont for the conference logistics; corporate-luxury picks Four Seasons; heritage-luxury picks Palace.

Lock in your Westin St. Francis chauffeur

40 years of SF Union Square experience. JPM Healthcare Conference + Salesforce Dreamforce + wedding-weekend retainer + biotech investor multi-day. NDA-discreet protocol. No surge pricing.

Request Westin St. Francis Quote +1-650-876-1777

Related SF City & Bay Pages

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