Grateful Dead celebration fills hotels, lifts spirits across San Francisco

CBS News

8 hours ago

The Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary celebration is doing more than drawing tens of thousands of fans to Golden Gate Park — it's breathing new life into San Francisco's hotel industry.
The three-day concert series, headlined by Dead & Company, brought Deadheads from across the country and around the world, many of whom poured thousands of dollars into local hotels, restaurants, and shops. In fact, many San Francisco hotels were completely booked for the weekend. For city leaders and business owners, the influx of visitors represents a welcome sign of recovery for an economy still rebounding from the pandemic.
Among the fans were Jeff Estensen and Lacey Forsythe, who flew in from Fairbanks, Alaska. Outside the San Francisco Hilton, they said they'd already spent several thousand dollars on hotel stays, meals, and concert tickets.
"Flying down from Fairbanks wasn't cheap," said Estensen. "We're [spending] four nights here at the hotel, and then being at the show itself, eating out."
Forsythe added, "It's the 60th anniversary. So it's not going to happen many more times."
That kind of devotion was echoed by fans from across the country.
"If you're a Deadhead, being back here at the epicenter of where it all started, that's impactful, that's important," said Erin Shea-Bower, who traveled from Boulder, Colorado.
San Francisco hotels reaped the benefits. Both the Hilton near Union Square and the historic Fairmont were booked solid over the weekend. On Sunday morning, the lobbies were buzzing with out-of-town fans, many preparing for another night of music before heading home.
Lawrence and Keri Weinberg, from Florida, said the trip was worth every dollar.
"[We're staying at The Fairmont for] four nights. Flying out tomorrow, back to reality," said Keri.
"Definitely worth it. We have a great time. It gives you a good feeling," added Lawrence.
Michelle Heston, a spokesperson for the Fairmont San Francisco, said the hotel embraced the celebration, decking out its entrance with Grateful Dead flags and installing psychedelic lights along the lobby staircase.
"Our hotel is sold out, as are a number of hotels in the city. So bravo, bravo San Francisco," Heston said. "We kept our bars opened as well, including, of course, the fame Tonga Room, which is located in the hotel. And we've extended those hours throughout the weekend and again tonight so that we can keep the party going."
Alex Bastian, president and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, said the surge in bookings and foot traffic is exactly the kind of economic jumpstart the industry needs after five turbulent years.
"The Hilton is open, as you can see," said Bastian. "This is the biggest hotel in California. There are 3,000 rooms in this hotel, and they're pretty much all full."
Though the Hilton remains under bank receivership following a loan default by its previous owner, this weekend's success offered hope for the future.
"For every $100 spent in the hotels, $200 are spent outside of the hotels," Bastian noted. "The goose that lays the golden egg is hospitality - it's travel. It's really the way that our city is going to rebound the fastest."
The mayor's office cited last year's Dead & Company concert at Oracle Park, which generated an estimated $31 million in local economic activity. City officials are optimistic that this weekend's celebration will deliver a similarly strong boost.
Back outside the Hilton, Estensen smiled as he watched crowds of fellow Deadheads pass by.
"Just good to see the local community benefit from this," he said.
The wave of tourism isn't over yet. Next weekend, San Francisco is set to host the Outside Lands music festival — another three-day event expected to draw thousands more music lovers to the city.