The Handlery Hotel, an iconic San Francisco landmark, recently underwent a stunning exterior restoration that has revitalized its historic charm. Nestled in the heart of Union Square, this beloved hotel has been a staple of the city’s hospitality scene for decades. The restoration was carefully designed to enhance the hotel’s distinctive character while ensuring it continues to blend seamlessly with its vibrant urban surroundings with its world-class mix of fashion, dining, hotels, and entertainment, the hotel is a true American Dream spanning four generations.
This historic restoration project of the Handlery Hotel showcased all aspects of a successful project from pre-construction to completion.
Building Restoration Partners
Rainbow enjoyed incredible team collaboration working with Plant Construction, the SGH (Design Team), and the Handlery Hotel Group.
“We feel a sense of accomplishment collaborating with this team to complete a restoration project long overdue. We juggled schedules around sold-out conferences and occupied rooms throughout the year-long project.
I believe we established a growing trust between Plant Construction, SGH (the design team), and the Handlery Hotel Group as the project progressed.
We faced some cost challenges with actual repair quantities and together, we worked out some design alternatives that kept the project on track.”
The challenge to access ALL hotel rooms and perform disruptive work on the exterior required clear communication and tracking with the hotel management; a true testament to the teamwork involved. While blocks of rooms were unoccupied sequentially as the project progressed, the hotel continued operational throughout the project.
Hotel Restoration of Historic Handlery
The project included the cleaning and refinishing of the building’s façade, as well as repairs to the iconic buildings detailing that had weathered over time. The color selection compliments the original, while modern techniques were employed to preserve the hotel’s architectural integrity. The precision detail of the building restoration included addressing the unique elements of the metal, stone, brick, and plaster facades integrated with the historic fabric of the windows.
This project was awarded in January 2024 with the north street façade restoration. Our work included:
- Concrete and masonry restoration
- Metal restoration
- Metal and wood window restoration – including both interior and exterior
- High-performance metal coatings
- Elastomeric coating systems
- Joint sealants
The project began on the North elevation included phase one. Once completed Rainbow moved into phase two that included the remaining east, south, and west elevations. Primarily, the same work scope continued for all facades. The project wrapped up in early December 2024 completing the historic restoration project.
The Value of Teamwork
Be A Good Teammate
Our motto and we incorporate this in everything we do!
Quality – Teamwork – Integrity remain our mission.
Rainbow Welcomes Commercial and Historical Restoration Projects
This thoughtful restoration allows the Handlery Hotel to maintain its classic appeal while ensuring it remains a welcoming destination for future generations of visitors. Historical restoration initiatives like the Handlery Hotel ensure the beautification and provides value to our community and historic commercial building districts. This project is a prime example of why Rainbow continues to lead in the industry.
Handlery Union Square Hotel is in a prime location and is rated as a leading hotel with multiple luxurious amenities, including an outdoor pool, a sauna, and a fitness center, as well as concierge services.
Their signature statement is:
“To have every guest not question why they stayed here, but to question why they didn’t stay here before…”
The founder of Handlery Hotels, Inc., Harry Handlery, shared these sentiments when he established his company in the 1900s. He upheld this vision upon acquiring the Handlery Union Square Hotel.
Since that time, four generations of the Handlery family have graciously hosted guests at this charming establishment, located near the most renowned landmarks of downtown San Francisco.
We have loved working with Handlery, our partners, area businesses, and landmark properties throughout Northern California. It’s a true example of how preserving the past can enhance the future, contributing to San Francisco’s rich architectural landscape.
How can we help you?
Rainbow delivers expertise and success for your Bay Area commercial and historical buildings and restoration projects. Contact the Rainbow team today!
