Top of the Mark

In 1939, hotelier and owner, George D. Smith, transformed the 19th floor penthouse suite of the Mark Hopkins Hotel into a glass-walled cocktail lounge. It was an instant success, and word spread throughout the country and around the world of the sensational lounge in the sky with 360 degree views of San Francisco.

During WWII, servicemen would buy and leave a bottle in the care of the bartender so that the next soldier from their squadron could enjoy a free drink; the only requirement being whoever had the last sip would buy the next bottle. The soldiers gathered before shipping out for one last toast to the Golden Gate Bridge, believing that the bridge was good luck and would bring them home. As they sailed off under the Golden Gate, wives and sweethearts would draw together in the lounge’s northwest corner, where they would tearfully gaze out the windows to watch them go. This corner became known as the “Weepers’ Corner”. The Top Of The Mark has become a “must-see” destination for visitors from all over the world who come for the breathtaking views of San Francisco City and Bay, the famed 100 Martinis menu, and perhaps even for a rendezvous with nostalgia.