The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel Continues Its Speaker Series: Making History Fun Again

The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, a San Francisco landmark since 1915, continues its monthly speaker series, Making History Fun Again, designed to celebrate the city’s legendary past through lively storytelling, fascinating personalities, and unforgettable local history.

Just in time for summer, Ben Fong-Torres will take guests through a personal journey back to the Sixties and Seventies in San Francisco. From the eve of the Summer of Love in 1967 through his times as an editor and writer at Rolling Stone, he has plentiful memories, stories, photos, and interview soundbites with the likes of Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, George Harrison, Tina Turner and more. Ben also was a DJ on weekends on the free-form pioneer, KSAN, and produced a nationally syndicated and award-winning special about that fabled summer. He will share.

About the Speaker
Ben Fong-Torres is an acclaimed American journalist, author, and broadcaster best known for his influential work at Rolling Stone during the magazine’s formative years. Joining the publication in the late 1960s, he became one of its most prominent writers and editors, helping shape modern music journalism through in-depth profiles and interviews with legendary artists including Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Marvin Gaye, Linda Ronstadt, and the Rolling Stones. His groundbreaking reporting earned him a reputation for combining rigorous journalism with an insider’s understanding of popular culture.

After leaving Rolling Stone in 1981, Fong-Torres built a distinguished multimedia career as a newspaper columnist, radio host, television personality, and author of numerous books on music and culture. A longtime Bay Area media figure, he has won multiple Emmy Awards and was portrayed in the Academy Award–winning film Almost Famous, which drew inspiration from his mentorship of young journalist and future filmmaker Cameron Crowe. In 2022, his life and contributions to journalism were celebrated in the documentary Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres.

Event Details

What: Making History Fun Again — Speaker Series - History of San Francisco: Like a Rolling Stone 
Featured Speaker: Ben Fong-Torres

When: Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. Cocktail Hour | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Program

Where: The Redwood Room, The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel

Admission: Complimentary with RSVP

Upcoming Speaker Series Lineup

Thursday, August 20 - Rob Thomson - History of the Presidio / 250th Anniversary
Thursday, September 17 - Kevin Kopjak Panel - History of the Performing Arts
Thursday, October 15 - Rae Alexander - KQED and Author of Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area
Thursday, November 19 - Heather Knight (NYTimes) - leading a panel that includes Will Hearst (ALTA, formerly SF Examiner), Wendy Tokuda (formerly KPIX), Joe FItzgerald Rodriguez (SF Standard), John Rothmann (formerly KGO) - History of Media

Signature Speaker Series Cocktails

Guests attending the speaker series events may enjoy themed cocktails honoring San Francisco’s storied past, including:
Pisco Punch — A Gold Rush original from 1853
Martini — Born along the trail between San Francisco and Martinez
Night Moves (Buena Vista Tribute Espresso Martini) — A wink to the city’s famed Irish Coffee
Maiden Lane — A nod to one of San Francisco’s most notorious streets

About The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel

Located at 495 Geary Street, The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel blends contemporary design with timeless character. Home to the legendary Redwood Room, the hotel has been a cultural fixture of San Francisco since 1915. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, The Clift offers 372 stylish guest rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art event space, and an enduring commitment to hospitality that is — and always has been — legendary. Learn more at Sonesta Press Room / The Clift or by calling (415) 775-4700.