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Albion
House Inn, 135 Gough: Originally built entirely of Redwoods, Albion House Inn was constructed in Edwardian Style in 1906 and was a family home/farmhouse with no garage, a farm with animals to sustain it, in a sunny district of San Francisco, right in the heart of the city.
By 1990 the family moved out, and the building was bought by a gentleman who converted it into a bed and breakfast with 9 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. He had elegant taste, and ran the inn himself, with his partner, and a maid who did the housecleaning and the breakfasts. They had the Sir Francis Suite for their own apartment, with its own entrance. They also operated a restaurant and jazz bistro downstairs where the present "Sauce" Restaurant is located.
They sold the building to Regina Pechtike and her husband Aziz Bougagou, who opened the Suite to the public and the inn flourished in the 1980’s. By 1998 Aziz and Regina had split up, and he bought the Pension Hotel on Market Street and Regina kept the Albion House Inn; she went to Russia, her native country, for a year’s sabbatical, and the inn deteriorated. In 1991 Carol & Alexander Sachal saw this magnificent building and decided to refurnish it, and transform it to its original grandeur. Every door in the house is made of solid Redwood, as are the beams in the rooms with 20’ ceilings. There are two original stained glass motifs from 1906 that add elegance. Sacha added every chandelier, a mammoth undertaking that adds wonderful charm. His Russian swearing over each mechanism being different could be heard by the entire neighborhood while he was working!
Carol operated Albion House Inn for 7 years, generating loyal customers who appreciate the European style of hospitality. The Albion House Inn recieved many clients from even local businesses like the Zen Center, Bank of America, the San Francisco Conservatory, ESSI Systems, and many others located in Hayes Valley. The Sachal's sold Albion House Inn in 2007 to the current owners, who are continuing the tradition of warm, gracious, generous hospitality.
Recently we received a note from a previous employee of Albion House Inn: In a message dated 10/5/04, Phillip Beach wrote:
Just one thing about your "history" of Albion House. I
worked there in 1990-91 and it was owned by a gay
couple, Jan and Richard. They also ran the Inn on
Castro. I must say though that from the photos on your Web
Site that the Inn looks even more beautiful now than
when I worked there. — Phillip J.Beach , Motel Capri
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