Memories of your travel4seniors.com editor: The first time I visited The Palace (2 New Montgomery St.) was 70 years ago in November 1945. World War II had ended several months earlier, and I was on my way home from Navy duty in the Philippines.

I had 24 hours before boarding a troop train heading for the East Coast, so I decided to spend a night at the Palace. After living in a tent with a bucket for bathing in the middle of war-devastated Manila for a year, I wanted the luxury of a tub bath, clean sheets and food other than Spam and K-Rations. With my meager Navy pay of $100 a month, it was expensive for that time: I paid $10 for the room, another $5 for room-service breakfast and $10 for dinner in the expensive hotel restaurant.

The original luxury Palace, built in 1875, was almost totally destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. A guest then was renowned tenor Enrico Caruso. Fortunately, he was unhurt and continued his great career. The restored building opened in 1909, and has since been a favorite destination for business tycoons, politicians, royalty and entertainment stars. The Palace is now a Starwood property.

Through the decades, I've been to the Palace for trade shows, business meetings and pleasure trips. Staying at the luxurious hotel is always a pleasure because of its downtown location, beautiful decor, immaculate service, great dining and comfortable rooms.

Current hotel room rate is about $200 a night, and a typical dinner is $100. However, considering my great memories, it'll be well worth the pleasure of returning again to the beautiful San Francisco Palace.