Presidio of San Francisco, CA, March ­16th 2012 - The Presidio Trust has completed the renovation of the first overnight accommodations in the Presidio of San Francisco - Inn at The Presidio - the only hotel to open in San Francisco in 2012. Inn at The Presidio, a member of Historic Hotels of America, occupies Pershing Hall, which was built in 1903 as bachelor officers’ quarters. The Inn, which is vying for LEED Gold, will be the Trust’s seventeenth project designed to LEED standards. The Trust engaged ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP, INC and BraytonHughes Design Studios for the project. Through their combined efforts (along with Waterford Hotels and Inns Inc. hospitality management company), the property was painstakingly restored to preserve the historical integrity of the space, while updating it with all of the modern comforts and amenities befitting a world class inn.

The Presidio is the largest historic preservation effort underway in the country and the Trust’s LEED-certified historic preservation projects are some of the first in San Francisco. Landscaping for the Inn at The Presidio includes a storm water collection pond and treatment bay to assist in restoring the Presidio’s Tennessee Hollow Watershed.

“The Inn is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Trust’s commitment to both historic preservation and green building design,” said Josh Bagley, The Presidio Trust project manager. “After all, the ‘greenest’ building is one that already exists and is given another 50 years of life.”

Environmentally-friendly materials and repurposed elements have been used throughout the Inn to the extent possible, including low V.O.C. paint, Greenlabel LEED nylon carpets, 100% U.S.A.-made wool area rugs in the public areas, and insulation made from recycled cotton denim.

“Our Inn follows the American Hotel & Lodging Association Green Housekeeping standards, as well as abides San Francisco's stringent Green Chemical list.  As Waterford Hotels & Inns is a industry-leader in sustainable hospitality with 2 LEED Gold properties, ethical and sustainable operations and green management will come naturally to the Inn at the Presidio,” says Terry Haney, the Inn’s General Manager.

Stately Pershing Hall was among the first Georgian Revival buildings in the Presidio. The red-brick building with stone trim is distinguished by a classically-detailed, two-story porch with wooden Tuscan columns. The building’s cruciform plan – with two wings, a slightly projecting central pavilion facing Moraga Avenue, and a central wing to the rear – has been preserved.

All of the historic two-room suites were retained, for a total of 17 suites and 5 guestrooms.  The original mess hall and officer’s lounge, both of which had been subdivided during later remodels, have been returned to their original configurations and uses.  The interior design pays homage to the Presidio’s history and showcases the many experiences available throughout the park. A special historical collection of images and artwork from the Presidio archives is available for all Presidio visitors to enjoy in the Inn’s common areas.

The spacious accommodations feature comfortable, contemporary furnishings in ceruse oak with dark metal accents – all crafted in the United States. Gas fireplace inserts have been installed in the original coal fireboxes. Guestrooms have expansive bathrooms with new ceramic and porcelain tiles. An elevator has been added and additional minor changes include two new front-porch rooms on the third level with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay.

Inn at The Presidio
Inn at the Presidio is the first hotel to open in the Presidio of San Francisco, a National Historic Landmark and a national park site at the Golden Gate, one of America’s most beautiful and renowned locations. The INN offers guests an authentic historic experience and exceptional recreational and leisure opportunities. The Presidio is just minutes from neighborhood shopping districts and only a short distance from downtown San Francisco, North Beach, Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Ferry Building, and Golden Gate Park. Marin County and the Wine Country are across the Golden Gate Bridge to the north. Inn at the Presidio is the only new hotel to open in San Francisco in 2012. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. Location: Main Post, Presidio of San Francisco, 42 Moraga Ave. SF, CA 94129 www.INNatthepresidio.com, Contact: General Manager Terry Haney (415) 689- 4287 [email protected]

The Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust is preserving the Presidio of San Francisco  and creating new ways for the public to enjoy it. Experiences include an extensive system of trails and scenic overlooks; views of the San Francisco Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and the San Francisco skyline; rehabilitated historic buildings that span nearly 200 years; and programs about the Presidio’s history and natural resources.  The Presidio was established in 1776 by Spain and is the birthplace of San Francisco. In 1846, it became United States Army post. Always a place where people lived and worked, the Presidio is the only national park that has its own community – more than 8,000 people live and work in the park.  Located at the southern anchor of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is a stunning visitor, residential, and commercial destination. Contact: Dana Polk [email protected] T: (415) 561-5418

BRAYTONHUGHES DESIGN STUDIOS
BraytonHughes is an internationally acclaimed design firm. Established in 1989, the firm has developed the design of Hospitality, Residential, Corporate, Institutional, and Private Clubs into a comprehensive practice recognized for design excellence. The firm’s philosophy of “total design” encompasses space, interior architecture, furniture, art, and decorative objects designed or chosen with an artistic sensibility. Underlying the individual character of all projects is a common foundation of exacting detail and carefully crafted richness of materials, which is derived from the architectural background of the firm’s key personnel. Projects reflect the designer’s concern with creating a unique sense of place in response to the project context and the client’s requirements. This process gives each project a narrative rooted in the realm of design and revealed in memorable environments. BraytonHughes Design Studios has offices in San Francisco and London and projects spanning five continents. For more information, please visit http://www.bhdstudios.com.

Architectural Resources Group, Inc.
Founded in 1980, Architectural Resources Group, Inc. (ARG) is a 50-person, full service architectural practice with offices in San Francisco, Pasadena, and Portland. ARG provides a wide range of specialized architectural, material conservation, and planning services for rehabilitation, adaptive re-use, and new design of culturally or environmentally sensitive properties for both public and private clients.  Our experience includes award-winning innovative solutions for the adaptive re-use and seismic strengthening of existing structures, stabilization schemes, materials conservation, documentation, and restoration of historic properties, universal access design, and design of new structures. We are recognized leaders in sustainable preservation.  Our approach to a successful sustainable preservation project is to find the appropriate balance point where both preservation and sustainability goals are met.  The firm has received over 100 awards for excellence in architecture, historic preservation, and planning from national organizations including the American Institute of Architects, California Preservation Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2006, the AIA California Council awarded ARG as Firm of the Year, the highest honor AIACC can bestow on an architecture firm. The award recognizes firms who consistently produced distinguished architecture for a period of at least 10 years and produced work that has transcended a singular area of expertise.

Waterford Hotels and INNs
Waterford Hotels and Inns was founded in 1985 on a specific management philosophy to provide ethical, professional management and consulting services from the hotel owner's perspective. Our company’s growth over twenty-six years has been based purely on referrals.  Our mission is to develop and operate hotels that are more than a simple “room night”, but rather serve the needs of the guest while also focusing on the relationship between the property, the community, and the local environment. Waterford’s core activities include hotel management, consulting, development, and ownership of a diverse group of properties. We are committed to staying at the forefront of industry trends as they relate to financial, operations, marketing, and development. Waterford has over twenty years of experience in the renovation and retrofit of historic hotels and is an industry leader in building and operating LEED Certified Hotels. In addition to management services, Waterford provides asset management, receivership duties, litigation support, and a full range of consulting services. Our size and flexibility allow us to be personally involved in projects that cover the full spectrum of the hospitality business.