The worth of one man's life

The Palace Hotel's web site describes the building's inauspicious debut as such: "Inspired by visionary, William Ralston, the Palace Hotel was the result of one man's dream of turning the city from boom town into a booming metropolis, simply by erecting a hotel of timeless elegance and unprecedented luxury... To finance his dream and its $5 million price tag, he exhausted his banking empire. Just weeks before the Palace's grand opening, he was told the Bank of California would close. The next day, Ralston's body was found floating in the San Francisco Bay."

Numerous earthquakes, fires and restorations later, The Palace Hotel stands today as one of the most elegant hotels in one of the most elegant cities in the world.

2007 will be the 6th straight year we've held RE Connect at The Palace, and we couldn't think of a better place to have it. Thank you, Mr. Ralston.