cker ▁family ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁the ▁Cro cker ▁family ▁sold ▁it ▁to ▁hotel ▁magn ate ▁Ben ▁Sw ig , ▁who ▁then ▁sold ▁it ▁to ▁Ed win ▁B . ▁De G olia . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁the ▁hotel ▁became ▁the ▁twenty - third ▁property ▁in ▁the ▁Seattle - based ▁Western ▁Hot els ▁chain , ▁which ▁eventually ▁became ▁Western ▁International . ▁ ▁With ▁its ▁ac quisition ▁by ▁Western ▁Hot els , ▁the ▁hotel ▁was ▁changed ▁from ▁a ▁home ▁of ▁elder ly ▁San ▁Francisco ▁social ites , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁lived ▁in ▁large ▁su ites , ▁to ▁a ▁modern ▁hotel ▁foc using ▁on ▁tour ism ▁and ▁especially ▁convent ions . ▁The ▁old ▁M ural ▁Room , ▁decor ated ▁by ▁Albert ▁Her ter ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁with ▁seven ▁mur als ▁compr ising ▁The ▁Page ant ▁of ▁Nations , ▁a ▁ban quet ▁and ▁ball room ▁which ▁had ▁hosted ▁many ▁of ▁America ' s ▁famous ▁big ▁bands , ▁was ▁replaced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁by ▁a ▁six ▁hundred ▁room ▁tower , ▁designed ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁comp ete ▁with ▁The ▁Fair mont , ▁its ▁rival ▁on ▁nearby ▁Nob ▁Hill . ▁Arch itect ▁William ▁Pere ira ▁designed ▁the ▁new ▁building , ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁The ▁mur als ▁were ▁rolled ▁up ▁and ▁removed ▁to ▁storage . ▁ ▁The ▁St . ▁Francis ▁became ▁the ▁hotel ▁where ▁Republican ▁pres idents ▁stayed ▁when ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁while ▁Democratic ▁pres