S.F. gets a new luxury hotel with waterfront views and a massive restaurant

The Ferry Building is getting a luxe neighbor on Wednesday: an eco-friendly waterfront hotel with a splashy farm-to-table restaurant.

The new hotel, 1 Hotel San Francisco, is the first in the Bay Area from international luxury hotel chain SH Hotels & Resorts. It takes over the former Hotel Vitale on the Embarcadero, preserving much of the historic space while adding a focus on sustainability.

There are 186 rooms, 14 suites and a rooftop spa, plus a rooftop garden with herbs, produce and beehives. The 221-seat restaurant, Terrene, also opens Wednesday with an outdoor patio and goal of sourcing most ingredients from within 50 miles of the Bay Area. Hotel guests can attend yoga and meditation sessions on the terrace and borrow e-bikes to get around the city.

1 Hotel arrives at a prime time: San Francisco’s tourism industry is finally recovering as travelers return to the city. Hotel demand was up 118% during the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, according to the city’s tourism bureau.

An interior view of a room photographed at 1 Hotel in San Francisco.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

The hotel chain is known for its environmental tilt. In the design, that extends beyond earth tones, native plants and terracotta accents: The lobby floor is made from reclaimed lumber salvaged from barns and industrial buildings, while corridors are decked out in reclaimed redwood salvaged from the original San Francisco Bay Bridge, according to the hotel. Rugs and carpets in the rooms are made with natural plant fibers and recyclable wool.

“We’re bringing nature indoors to reconnect with it,” said Raul Leal, chief executive officer of SH Hotels & Resorts, which also runs Treehouse Hotels and Baccarat Hotels. “Sustainability should come naturally to us and guide our journey.”

Terrene plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with Latin American and Mediterranean influences to go with its mezcal and Tequila-heavy liquor list.

The bar area at Terrene restaurant inside 1 Hotel, which opens Wednesday in San Francisco.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

“There’s a lot of historical influence of Mexico on the Bay Area,” said Matt Erickson, SH Hotels & Resorts’ president of food and beverage. “The chef’s menu is inspired by nature, rooted in purpose and designed to share.”

One shared plate focuses on carrots from Marin’s Star Route Farms with tahini mousse whipped up from leftover chickpea cooking liquid. It’s topped with spiced local honey, chervil and dill plucked from the rooftop garden. Another dish features mushrooms from Far West Fungi, rooftop garden herbs and coriander berries from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Prices range from $11 to $38.

Roasted mushrooms hail from Far West Fungi at Terrene restaurant at 1 Hotel in San Francisco.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

At happy hours and boozy brunches, expect drinks with names like the Z.W. (zero waste) cocktail, featuring Tequila, rhubarb-infused aperol, grapefruit liqueur, lime and leftover roasted lemon husks blitzed into an “ash.”

“What we strive to create is joy, and we take it very seriously,” Leal said.