Hammett news page A short biography The Continental Op Blood Money Red Harvest The Dain Curse The Maltese Falcon: The novel The movie The 75th anniversary The Glass Key The Thin Man Woman in the Dark The short story collections The novels in one volume Books about Hammett Chronology of Hammett's fiction Hammett's army days "Dashiell Hammett Place" Hammett's Post Street apartment: A photo tour (2005) Declared a landmark (2005) The Flood Building The Hammett Suite at Hotel Union Square Links to other Hammett sites Contact Mike mikehumbert.com homepage This site is dedicated to all the people like Don Herron, Bill Arney, Richard Layman, William F. Nolan, Josephine Hammett Marshall, Julie M. Rivett, Steven Marcus, Joe Gores and others who have kept 1920s San Francisco in the here and now. Special thanks to Vince Emery for his many helpful contributions to this website. Entire website copyright 2003-2009 by Mike Humbert.

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THE  DASHIELL  HAMMETT  SUITE AT  HOTEL  UNION  SQUARE

Hotel Union Square, back when it was called the Golden West.  In the foreground are the Flood Building, and the Powell Street cable car turntable.

Near the corner of Powell and Ellis Streets are three of the most important Hammett sites in downtown San Francisco.  One is the Flood Building, the massive structure where Hammett worked as a Pinkerton Detective.  Another is John’s Grill, a favorite of both the fictional Sam Spade and the real-life Hammett.  The third is Hotel Union Square. In mid-1921, Dashiell Hammett had just arrived in San Francisco.  His health had improved (somewhat) after a punishing battle with Spanish influenza that had developed into TB.  He had contacted the local branch of the Pinkertons, and was again working.  Overall, things were looking up. Then Hammett’s fate took a sudden left turn.  He learned that Josephine Dolan, the pretty nurse he had met in Washington state during his recovery, was six months pregnant.  Hammett quickly proposed marriage, and arranged for Jose to come to San Francisco. In that day and age, it wouldn’t have been proper for the bride-to-be to stay in Hammett’s rented room, so he made a reservation for Jose to stay across the street at Hotel Golden West. About 90 years later, Hotel Union Square (as it is now called) is still in business, and justifiably proud of their Hammett connection.  In December 2005, work on the Dashiell Hammett Suite began.  (To see how it looked back then, click here.) In 2008, Hotel Union Square underwent a five million dollar retrofit, including the Dashiell Hammett Suite.  Out were the beige walls and gold curtains, as well as some of the kittchier elements.  The recent photos below show the DHS as it looks today.

The Hotel Union Square, on Powell Street, near Ellis.

The entrance to room 505, also known as the Dashiell Hammett Suite.  Since the 2008 remodel, these striped lamps cast strange, noir-ish shadows in the hallways.

SPADE AND ARCHER is stenciled on the fifth-floor window, and a replica of Hammett's desk (including a functioning typewriter) rests next to the wall.

Looks like Dash forgot to take his hat and coat when he left...

As of 2008, there's new  furniture, paint  and carpets, but the same "shadow of the Thin Man" remains on the wall.

A single Olympic-sized bed has replaced the former twin beds.  A flatscreen TV has also been added.

Want to read some Hammett during your stay?  Here's a suitcase full!

It wouldn't be the Dashiell Hammett Suite without the elusive black bird.

The bathroom has been totally changed including where you enter.

A huge, glassed-in shower now occupies the place where the doorway used to be.