San Francisco Shopping Center

Located only three blocks away from Union Square, the nine-story building has a 164ft/50m-high atrium and six spiral escalators (a Japanese innovation installed here for the very first time). The architects, the San Francisco firm of Whisler-Petri, have made extensive use of Italian marble, green granite and glass. The Center, which cost $140m to build, contains about 100 shops.

Home to Nordstrom and the West Coast flagship Bloomingdale's, more than 170 exclusive boutiques and specialty stores. The Restaurant Collection Under the Dome features Straits, LarkCreekSteak, Zazil Mexican Cuisine and Cocola Bakery. Also nine-screen Century Theatres, Food Emporium featuring Bristol Farms and Out the Door, valet and lounge on Mission Street