One of the pleasurable experiences of staying in a big city is exploring the historical hotels.

Strolling through public areas of the Plaza in New York City, the Palmer House in Chicago and the Brown Palace in Denver is great fun. Peeking in the dining rooms, checking out the fancy bathrooms and sitting a spell in the impressive lounges should be part of any big city visit.

Of all the cities in the U.S., none offers a better selection of interesting historic hotels than San Francisco. Best known for the Mark Hopkins and Fairmont, both perched on Knob Hill, the City by the Bay is home to numerous historic hotels worthy of exploration.

One of the best of the city’s historic hotels is the Palace.

Aside from elegant accommodations, the hotel enjoys a convenient location at the corner of New Montgomery and Market. Shops, restaurants and museums now flourish in what was once a blighted area of the city.

In addition, Market Street is a main thoroughfare for public transportation. Streetcars offer transportation along the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf, while buses to Golden Gate Park and most other areas of the city, stop for passengers just outside the hotel.

The initial Palace Hotel opened its doors in 1875 as the world’s largest hotel. Seven stories tall, it housed 750 guest rooms, many with a private bath. It was one of the first hotels to offer air conditioning along with modern conveniences that included “five rising rooms,” or elevators. This was in 1875.

Unfortunately, the hotel, like most of the rest of the city, was a casualty of fires that erupted throughout San Francisco following the devastating 1906 earthquake.

More than three years were required to rebuild the hotel but the new Palace Hotel opened larger and even more beautiful in December 1909.

The hotel’s signature feature is the stunning Garden Court where visitors gaze in wonder at the massive stained-glass ceiling.

The huge expanse is flanked by four pairs of Italian marble columns, while 10 huge Austrian crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. These set back the owners $7 million in 1909.

Today’s Garden Court is separated into two areas with the rear portion reserved for breakfast, lunch, Saturday tea and Sunday brunch. The front lounge area is home to an afternoon tea and, during evenings, live music and cocktails. Afternoon tea has been served in the Garden Court for more than 100 years.

The Palace offers bar patrons an unusual painting. “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” was commissioned in 1909 for the “men’s” bar. Artist Maxfield Parrish painted himself as the Pied Piper and added characters with the faces of his two sons, his wife and somewhat surprisingly, a mistress. Females today are welcome in the bar that serves lunch, dinner and cocktails.

Travelers’ expectations change over time and in 1989 Palace Hotel owners felt major upgrades were needed. The facility was closed for more than two years, reopening in 1991 following a $170 million renovation. A second more modest renovation was undertaken in 2015.

The Palace now offers 556 guest rooms including 53 suites, additional ballrooms, meeting and conference space, a health club and a glass-domed swimming pool. It has been a 4-Diamond hotel since its 1991 renovation. The Palace brings San Francisco’s historic grandeur to life in one of our favorite cities.

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot). They live in Valdosta.