Hotel Spero

405 Taylor St./O-Farrell St., 3 blks. from Union Square, (866) 934-5978, (415) 885-2500. 236 rooms; 17 stories. Fitness room. Restaurant. Valet parking. Pets ok.

Located near the theater district, this 1920s Spanish Colonial-style building is on the National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco. It has an ornate, architecturally interesting lobby with tall ceilings and original features that include white marble floors, hand-painted wood ceiling beams, and a magnificent brick fireplace. The decor throughout Hotel Spero is stylish and comfortable. Guests pick a custom room fragrance from four scents displayed in the lobby (I like white tea & fig). Guest rooms offer large opening windows that provide plenty of natural light and air, and some doors are graced with a hand-painted swan or bull. Guests are invited to leave any new or gently used unwanted items in their room to be donated through the hotel’s Giving Rack program, and a $5 donation is made to the San Francisco SPCA for every pet that stays at the hotel.

lobby of Hotel Spero in San Francisco, California

magnificent brick fireplace in lobby of Hotel Spero in San Francisco, California

swan painted on guest room door at Hotel Spero in San Francisco, California

guest room at Hotel Spero in San Francisco, California

Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen

At Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen you can watch sports on the flat-screen TVs in the front bar area, or hide away in big booths with big windows in the back. Breakfast is the meal of choice, with a brunch menu offered even at lunch. You can get a breakfast egg burger, a classic eggs Benedict (or upgrade it to smoked salmon or crab), or a healthier mushroom-spinach egg white frittata. More typical lunch items include a grilled Pacific shrimp chopped salad with cilantro-lime vinaigrette, an oven-roasted turkey sandwich, and The Impossible Burger. Handcrafted cocktails and locally brewed beers are available as well as several mocktails--how about a strawberry-basil fizz? This spot makes a quick before- or after-theatre stop.