HOMAGE TO SAN FRANCISCO – THE JAY, AN AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION HOTEL, OPENS ITS DOORS

The only hotel to open in San Francisco in 2023 unveils a spectacular renovation

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated new Embarcadero neighborhood hotel, The Jay, an Autograph Collection Hotel, is now open. Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the 360 room iconic hotel boasts incredible views, a new outdoor rooftop terrace and a stunning dining outlet, The Third Floor, from The Omakase Restaurant Group. The hotel, which was designed as an homage to the spirit and people of San Francisco, reflects unique moments in the city’s history while offering a luxury respite for both business and leisure travelers. The Jay joins the Autograph Collection, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 brands, and includes a diverse and dynamic collection of over 290 hotels around the world that are independent, one-of-a-kind, and champion values of vision design and craft.

“We’re so pleased to unveil The Jay at this exciting time in San Francisco history,” said The Jay’s General Manager Michael Musarra. “The city offers such dynamic experiences, beautiful sights and amazing cuisine. We are thrilled to incorporate all those elements into this new, stunning hotel in the vibrant Embarcadero neighborhood.”

With interiors by the local San Francisco studio of award-winning global design firm AvroKO, the renovation design embraces The Jay’s brutalist exterior from noted architect John Portman and introduces the concept of warm brutalism. In honoring the building’s architectural history, the concept of warm brutalism blurs the lines between design modalities while providing subtle nods to the local artists and creators who served as inspiration.

While the concrete exterior of the building remains, everything from the porte cochere to the penthouse was reimagined to create a modern and welcoming environment. Guestrooms offer angled floor-to-ceiling windows, drawing in natural light and giving guests views of the Bay, Coit Tower and the downtown skyline. Featuring warm wall coverings, soft furnishings and clean lines, guestrooms offer space for rest, relaxation and work. The design blends brutalist shapes with a tone-on-tone palette reflecting calm in both color and shape. Warm oak wood screens with bronze mirror detailing; custom closet doors inspired by the building’s facade; a stone and walnut console that combines the desk, dresser and mini fridge; custom lighting; and soft custom carpets bring refined and comfortable feel to the rooms. As guests explore San Francisco, they will recognize touches woven throughout the hotel’s design that were inspired by the sights, sounds and people of the city.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this exciting new lifestyle hotel right in our backyard,” says Greg Bradshaw, co-founder and principal of AvroKO. “We’ve envisioned The Jay to feel like a ‘friend in the know’ – someplace friendly and warm, but also sophisticated and well crafted. By bringing a layer of warm woods, textured stones, and plasters we were able to honor the building’s original Brutalist structure while giving it a new life and energy that we believe San Francisco’s next chapter can be. We really think this is one of the best hotels in all of SF.“ 

Small and large touches throughout the hotel connect back to San Francisco, from wall coverings inspired by Ruth Asawa’s iconic notebook to artist Peggy Caserta’s unique blend of patterns and textures. A three-story circular staircase, featuring bronze castwork by artist Arnaldo Pomodoro and sculptural wood screens, leads to the hotel’s lobby, The Third Floor Restaurant & Lounge, and the rooftop terrace bar.  The staircase was inspired by one designed by John Portman for his own home.

The Third Floor Restaurant & Lounge is a modern update to the timeless experience of the hotel lobby restaurant and bar. This upscale, light-filled environment offers a comfortable lounge serving three meals a day, cocktails and a modern spin on traditional afternoon tea. Featuring seasonal menus that reflect the bounty of California, Executive Chef Michael Magallenes is creating a new downtown dining destination.

“It is fitting that our first hotel partnership is with a property that is a love letter to San Francisco,” said Omakase Restaurant Group CEO and co-founder Kash Feng. “This city has brought me so much opportunity to share the foods and flavors that inspire me and we are so excited to now share with even more guests at The Jay.”

The Third Floor features progressive San Francisco cuisine – a California slant on Asian flavors such as duck wonton soup, a selection of yakitori, Korean fried cauliflower and locally-sourced seafood towers. The Third Floor also introduces a fresh take on traditional afternoon tea service, offering local Red Blossom Teas with sweet and savory selections that include raw oysters served with apple mignonette and champagne espuma and persimmon cream puffs.

The Jay has 13,000 square feet of meeting space across 16 distinct meeting areas on two floors. Each meeting room’s unique modern design tells a story that aligns with the San Francisco legend for which the rooms are named. The Jay’s meeting facilities offer the highest quality meeting amenities and world-class banquet capabilities, with customizable menus featuring local ingredients and to feed the body and soul.

About The Jay Hotel
The Jay Hotel is a newly renovated luxury hotel located in the heart of San Francisco’s vibrant and historic Embarcadero neighborhood. Formerly Le Méridien, The Jay boasts 360 guest rooms and suites and 16 meeting areas, making it the ultimate destination for visitors and locals alike. Designed by the award-winning, global design firm AvroKO, The Jay is infused with the history of San Francisco which can be seen in each component of the design, creating a narrative that weaves through San Francisco history. The Jay is also home to The Third Floor, the hotel’s only restaurant operated in partnership with the award-winning Omakase Restaurant Group, which serves as a three meal dining outlet built around the buzzy, social hotel lobby.

About AvroKO
Founded in NYC by four partners, Kristina O’Neal, Adam Farmerie, William Harris, and Greg Bradshaw, AvroKO has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative design firms, due in large part to its integrated design process and focus on creating emotionally-connected experiences through Hospitable Thinking^®. The firm’s critically hailed portfolio includes restaurants, bars, hotels, retail, residential and mixed-use projects from New York to Hong Kong, all characterized by a unique convergence between the ideals of the past and an off-beat, forward-looking sensibility. Over the past 20+ years, the firm has grown globally to five offices (New York City, Bangkok, San Francisco, London, and Miami) working on projects across 22 countries in 32 cities.

About Omakase Restaurant Group
The Omakase Restaurant Group is the brainchild of co-founder and CEO Kash Feng, a Xi’an born entrepreneur with an inclination for hospitality. Multi-concept in nature, the Omakase Restaurant Group serves the Bay Area and prides itself on offering the highest caliber Asian and American cuisine that remains quintessentially Californian. The restaurants under Feng’s conscientious direction include Omakase, a Michelin one star edomae sushi bar; Okane, a Michelin Bib Gourmand which offers refined Japanese comfort food; Niku Steakhouse, a Michelin one star American steakhouse with Japanese influence; The Butcher Shop, a certified purveyor of Kobe and Wagyu beef; Dumpling Time, a fast-casual restaurant offering imaginative handmade dumplings; Live Sushi, a family-friendly, neighborhood sushi bar; and Rosemary & Pine, a seasonally evolving Californian cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Dustin Falcon.

SOURCE The Jay