Hilton Hotel

1. November 21, 1968

   The site of the old Hall of Justice was being redeveloped as the Chinese Cultural and Trade Center: a 26-story hotel of 562 rooms over a 460-car, five-level basement garage, with a cultural center and auditorium on the third floor. The City Planning Commission found in conformity with the Master Plan, in principle and with conditions, a pedestrian bridge about 28 feet wide from the third floor of the Chinese Cultural and Trade Center across Kearny Street into Portsmouth Square, requiring compensating play space in the square.

   San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
2. October 9, 1969

   The City Planning Commission voted 4-1 to report that final plans for the pedestrian bridge over Kearny Street from the Chinese Cultural and Trade Center to Portsmouth Square, without the light openings of the original design, conform to the Master Plan.

   San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
3. 1970

   Built.

4. 1970

   Holiday Inn and Chinese Cultural Center, designed by Clement Chen.

   Architecture, Planning & Preservation Professionals: A Collection of Biographies, adopted 2021
5. 1970

   A Brutalist hotel of 1970, linked to Portsmouth Square by a pedestrian bridge.

   Modern Architecture and Landscape Design Context Statement, adopted 2011
6. Aug 1982

   Permit 8207180 $$$ $10,000

   Additions alterations or repairs.

7. Sep 1984

   Permit 8410151 $$$ $600,000

   Remove existing vertical glazing on 1st floor.

8. Nov 1995

   Permit 9519139 $$$ $420,464

   Remodel 18 guest bathrms for handicap accessibility/provide.

9. Nov 1995

   Permit 9519140 $$$ $212,110

   Provide retrofit sprinkler system.

10. Nov 2002

    Permit 200211060931 $$$ $211,004

    Convertexistingconference rooms to hotel health spa-mep under separate permit sprinkler under sep permit.

11. Feb 2005

    Permit 200502044896 $$$ $3,500,000

    Remove/replace bathroom door on each room.minor sheetrock work.relocate existingelectrical outlets.

12. Apr 2005

    Withdrawn Permit 200504210628 $$$ $8,000,000

    Remodel of interior lobbby, restaurant, bar, mtg rooms, ballrooms and associated with the hotel. work.

13. May 2005

    Permit 200505091953 $$$ $350,000

    Enclose 27 floors, balcony, provide accessibility ramp and accessibility door, reduce the front door.

14. May 2005

    Permit 200505091949 $$$ $180,000

    Remove non structual interior finish per plan. interior soft demolition on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, mezz, 5th fl.

15. Jun 2005

    Permit 200506134963 $$$ $1,850,000

    Provide tenant improvement per plan for 1st, 2nd and basement floor including partition walls.

16. Jun 2005

    Permit 200506155180 $$$ $350,000

    Upgrade existing kitchen equipment per plan.

17. Jun 2005

    Permit 200506246055 $$$ $200,000

    Provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing per plan for floors 1-5 & basement.

18. Jun 2005

    Permit 200506276159 $$$ $700,000

    Provide t.i per plan for 3rd fl and mezzanine. and to correct nov#200342811. including new partition.

19. Dec 2005

    Permit 200512200685 $$$ $500,000

    Revision to permit application 2005/02/04/4896. reconfiguration rooms on 5th floor to 27th floor per plan. m & e under separate permit.

20. Jul 2011

    Permit 201107210769 $$$ $300,000

    Demolish 1 guest room on floor 26 and combine with conceige lounge close off one hour door & modify other doors on hallway. construct new walls cabinets and counter tops, install built in banquette seating & cabinets, electrical, plumbing and sprinklers under seperate permit.

21. Dec 2013

    Issued Permit 201312164313 $$$ $290,000

    Ground floor - demolish existing spa area on ground floor. install new walls, ceilings, lighting and cabinetry. electrical, plumbing and sprinkler modifications will be performed under separate permits. ** maher: compliance with ordinance no# 155-13 not required **.

22. May 2016

    Withdrawn Permit 201605248218 $$$ $291,500

    Install new aluminum tracks on the north, west and south elevation exteriors to provide stability anchors for window washing equiptment.

23. Dec 2017

    Issued Permit 201712217118 $$$ $145,000

    5/f: minor non-structural demolition, drywall, doors, frames and hardware, plmg fixtures reinstalled into previous locations. n/a for maher.

24. May 2018

    Permit 201805290327 $$$ $200,000

    Install track system on facade of building and davit systems/equipments at roof to secure window washing equipment and light exterior maintenance.

25. Feb 2019

    Issued Permit 201902263829 $$$ $165,000

    Non structural interior demolition, drywell, doors, frames & hardware, plumbing fixtures reinstaled into previous location, finishes, create 2 model rooms on 23rd fl & 25th fl.(2 units only).

26. Mar 2026

    Issued Permit 202603318621 $$$ $950,000

    Removal of kearny street pedestrian bridge that connects sq ft rec and park property to hilton hotel.

27. May 8, 2026

    Latest Designs Revealed for Hilton’s Porte Cochere at 750 Kearny Street in San Francisco — San Francisco YIMBY

DBI holds 133 permits for this parcel, most of them tenant improvements on individual floors. The timeline shows the 24 largest by stated cost, plus the earliest on file; the DBI query in the sources below returns all 133. 11 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 4 expired or cancelled permits are not shown. The city's Modern & Postmodern styles context statement dates this building 1971; the assessor's roll records it as built 1970.