Iconic Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco Rock Haven, Closing January 2026

The Phoenix Hotel — long considered one of San Francisco’s most storied rock-and-roll hideaways — is preparing to close its doors for good. The beloved Tenderloin landmark, which has hosted artists ranging from Neil Young and David Bowie to Kurt Cobain, will officially shut down on Jan. 1, 2026.

A Rock Institution Faces Its Final Days

The property, a two-story motor lodge, was purchased in 2023 by the San Francisco Baking Institute. At the time, the culinary group, led by acclaimed pastry chef Michel Suas, indicated that it intended to continue working with the Phoenix. But reports soon surfaced that the hotel’s lease would not be renewed, sealing its fate after nearly four decades as one of the city’s most distinctive cultural fixtures.

The building originally operated as the Caravan Motor Lodge, a rundown pay-by-the-hour motel in one of San Francisco’s grittier neighborhoods. It was purchased in 1987 and reinvented with musicians in mind, particularly those passing through nearby clubs and theaters. The makeover paid off: the Phoenix quickly became known as the city’s premier rock hub. Over the years, an impressive roster of artists stayed there, including Bowie, Young, Johnny Rotten, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Sinéad O’Connor, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis once described the Phoenix as “the most sexually, intellectually, and culturally stimulating hotel in San Francisco.”

Legends, Lore, and Decades of Stories

The hotel’s history is filled with colorful tales. Debbie Harry and John F. Kennedy Jr. were once mistakenly assigned the same room. Linda Ronstadt rented the entire property for two weeks while dating filmmaker George Lucas. And in 1993, actor Keanu Reeves reportedly irritated a nearby table of IRS employees after splashing them as he cannonballed into the pool.

Yet one of the most enduring stories involves Kurt Cobain. Following the Nirvana frontman’s death in 1994, police found a note in his wallet written on Phoenix Hotel stationery. The message appeared to parody wedding vows, aimed at his wife, Courtney Love. “Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife,” the note read in part, “even when she’s a bitch with zits and siphoning all [your] money for doping and whoring.” The discovery reignited a wave of conspiracy theories surrounding Cobain’s death, though Love later claimed she was the author. Regardless, the note only deepened the hotel’s place in rock history.

An Era Comes to an End

As 2026 approaches, the closure marks the end of a rare kind of space — a hotel that functioned not only as lodging but as a cultural crossroads for musicians, misfits, and artists passing through San Francisco. For decades, the Phoenix stood as a reminder that the city’s rock scene thrived not just in its venues, but in the places where artists gathered, collaborated, recovered, and, occasionally, caused chaos.

With its final days now in sight, the Phoenix Hotel leaves behind a legacy as vibrant, unruly, and unforgettable as the artists who walked through its doors.