Over many years of visiting the Presidio, I’d never actually thought to spend the night there. And now that I have, with my family of four, it’s impossible to overestimate how much we loved our stay at the Lodge at the Presidio.
It was a fantastic overnight getaway and made us feel like we were really on vacation, even though our stay was brief. The hotel itself is beautiful and unusual, created out of an old Army barracks. And the views of grassy lawns (the parade grounds for the soldiers back in the day) with the Golden Gate Bridge in the near distance are about as good as you’re going get, shy of heading down to the beach.
We were able to walk to dinner and to lunch and played Frisbee in the Tunnel Tops, a park with beautiful plantings and a playground. Although some visitors may arrive when the area is blanketed by fog, we had perfect weather for our March visit and blissed out on the dogs romping across the former parade grounds, the food trucks and the families enjoying the long stretch of greenery. And this is no minor win: Throughout our stay, we had no problem scoring parking right in front.
The lodge is set in a historic Colonial Revival brick building which once served as housing for U.S. soldiers stationed here. The Presidio played a role in a whole plethora of military conflicts: the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Indians Wars and World War II, for which it was the Western Defense Command headquarters—and bears the responsibility for enacting the unjust internment of Japanese Americans. The barracks were built starting in 1894, and the one that houses the Lodge at the Presidio was completed in 1897.
Those Army origins explain some of the architectural oddities you might notice, like that fact that there are two sets of staircases that lead into the building (and once you’re inside, two sets that lead to the second floor). It turns out the building is actually a duplex; in renovating it into a hotel, the walls between the two sides were removed. Here, the breakfast room—where an array of fruit, yogurts, pastries and breakfast meats and cheeses starts your day off well—is where the mess hall used to be.
The second floor was once day rooms, reading rooms and spaces for barbers and tailors, while the third floor held dormitory-style housing for the soldiers. In 1915, Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment—an African American regiment—stayed here. For a time in the 1980s, FEMA regional offices were here.
But the Presidio’s military use dwindled in the late 20th century, and in 1994 it passed into the hands of the National Park Service. The Lodge at the Presidio then opened in June 2018 as the closest San Francisco hotel to the Golden Gate Bridge (the similarly-named Inn at the Presidio opened in 2012, housed in 1903 bachelor officers’ quarters).
The lodge offers 42 rooms, and we stayed in the two queen suite on the third floor. It was spacious at 830 square feet, with a large vintage-esque bathroom. There were two queen beds and a queen-sized pull out sofa in a separate seating area, divided by unusual bracing painted a beautiful white gloss.
Decor in the room emphasized two things: the soldiers who once stayed here and the wooded nature of the Presidio. Wallpaper of a sepia-toned forest photograph covered one side of the room, while other pieces of artwork featured trees—and there were several historic images of soldiers, too. The Army green dresser resembled an old filing cabinet, and there were warm Army blankets on the bed. The elongated window gave a nice view of the parade grounds with the city lights in the background and brought a bright sunrise into the room in the morning. The lodge is dog-friendly, and our dog had a blast riding the elevator and trotting down the long halls.
After we checked into the hotel, we walked just 200 feet away for a meal at Dalida. There, we indulged in “Modern Eastern” cuisine from husband-and-wife chef team Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz. It’s also in a former Army barracks, and like the lodge, has created a beautiful environment out of what was once utilitarian. You can’t leave without at least ordering the Breaking Bread dish with hummus, muhammara, smoked yogurt, pickles and marinated olives, served with chubby pita made every five minutes fresh from the kitchen.
In between the lodge and the restaurant is the Walt Disney Family Museum—a NARM museum, for you folks with memberships to other institutions. Though it wasn’t open yet for our visit, look out for the Mary Blair exhibit that debuts there on May 22. Blair is the artist responsible for the vibrant colors and mid-century look of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
Later, close to midnight, we got into our car and went to the Overlook, which provides a contemplative spot to look out over the national cemetery. Under the waxing gibbous moon, we saw where 30,000 soldiers and family members are buried. The walls along the walkway are etched with poetry about soldiers and their sacrifices.
We returned to the hotel and walked around outside for a while, enjoying the views of the city skyline and the darkened bridge. The next morning, several of us set our alarms to get up early and play tennis in a woodland glade. Honestly: It’s the prettiest place I’ve ever played! Through the Presidio’s YMCA, you can book a court for $20, and while some are right near the parade grounds, we loved the secluded one on Infantry Terrace.
Back as a group of four, we walked to the Tunnel Tops. There were enough people here that it felt like a happy, vibrant space but not crowded. People of all ages were there with their dogs and enjoying picnics, painting watercolors alfresco, biking and basking in the sun. The gardens are lush with native plantings and worthy of a ramble—and besides the bridge and boats in the bay, you can see the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts. The Tunnel Tops are built over Highway 101, almost like a wildlife ramp, but for humans. This photo shows the edge of the park and where cars go whizzing by beneath.
We checked out of the lodge and walked to Colibri Mexican Bistro for a lunch on the dog-friendly patio (make sure to head to the back passageway to see Andy Goldsworthy’s art installation Earth Wall). The restaurant is housed in what used to be the Presidio Officers’ Club and we were charmed by the incredible food and decor (nettles in tiny glass vases on each wooden table, and both heat lamps and umbrellas to cover every possible mood of the weather, while on the inside wax candles in various sized sconces team with a wall of baskets and glass vessels).
We walked back to our car parked in front of the lodge and took one last look at the long stretch of lawns, the neat rows of tidy brick barracks and the bay with the stalwart rise of the Golden Gate Bridge. My husband said what we were all thinking: “I don’t want to leave.”