History buffs hit pay dirt at this idyllic 22-room hotel installed in a brick-walled Georgian Revival building, once the officer’s quarters in Presidio, a former army base and nowadays a national park. Despite the inviting, contemporary interior design of the guestrooms (think low-slung leather couches and designer lamps), guests are consistently reminded the house’s provenance with a ubiquitous collection of military antiques like bugles or fusty books. Its winding grand central staircase and white-gated terrace topped with oversized wooden rocking chairs further add to the historic mise en scène.

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