The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

What the classifiers highlight

Built in 1909 as the Metropolitan Life Insurance headquarters, the neoclassical building near Nob Hill and Chinatown became a Ritz-Carlton in 1991, its facade preserved outside a modern interior. Forbes rates it Four Stars, notes 400-thread-count Frette linens, marble bathrooms with rainforest showers, and a Lounge serving cocktails named for the city's neighborhoods alongside a coastal California menu.