May 9, 2012 - San Francisco’s Visitor Information Center, located at Powell and Market streets on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza, will be moving to a temporary location in the Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St., beginning June 4, 2012.
The move will accommodate an extensive remodeling of the city’s official “front desk,” where some 400,000 visitors, 70 percent of whom are from outside the United States, are assisted annually. The Hallidie Plaza location is expected to reopen mid-July.
“The staff and volunteers at the Visitor Information Center are curators of the San Francisco experience, providing one-on-one interaction with visitors from around the world while providing impeccable service in 14 different languages,” noted Chris Clark, vice president, integrated marketing services for San Francisco Travel, which runs the center. “The new center will allow us to better serve our visitors, and also allow them to get the information they want in whatever way they want to get it.”
Hours at the temporary Westfield San Francisco Centre location will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Maps, guides and reference materials will be available at the temporary location and staff will still assist visitors with hotel, car and attraction reservations.
There will be significant technological improvements in the new Hallidie Plaza center, including multiple interactive touch screens and free wi-fi. The highly trained, multi-lingual staff of the center will also maintain the “high touch” experience for which it is known. Visitors will be “served” information about San Francisco’s robust visitor offerings from Benihana-style tables at two locations in the 5,000-square-foot location. San Francisco-based Gensler is the architect of record for the remodeling and all construction is being handled by San Francisco’s Webcor. The center has been located at Hallidie Plaza since Aug. 6, 1976.
Later this summer, the Visitor Information Center will implement a retail merchandise program featuring products from a variety of companies that are part of SFMade, a non-profit organization that works to build and support a vibrant manufacturing sector in San Francisco that sustains companies producing locally-made products. These high quality gift items will help visitors to remember and share their San Francisco experiences once they return home. The San Francisco Travel Association is the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For information on reservations, packages, activities and more, visit www.sanfrancisco.travel or call 415-391-2000.
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