"The two Mission Inn buildings of the hotel itself and the employees' quarters, occupy one entire city block and part of another, more than three acres. Mission Inn proper is built around three principal courts or patios on the ground level, and with other courts, patios, terraces, roof gardens and sun porches on different floors above the street elevation.
The principal courts are the outer or entrance patio, or Court of the Birds, the Spanish Patio, or Court of the Fountain, used for open air dining, and the Inter- national Rotunda Court. The outer patio gives entrance to the Lobby of the Inn. Directly through the Lobby from the entrance is the Spanish Dining Patio, sur- rounded by the Mission, Cloister and Spanish Wings.
The double doors on the north, under the arcade, are of the Spanish Art-Gallery. The international Rotunda, the third Court, occupying the northwest corner of the block, is chiefly surrounded by business and professional offices, and can be considered a separate unit. It has entrances from Main Street, Sixth Street, and the Court of the Birds, and at upper levels from various other parts of the Inn.
On the first floor above the ground floor are three of the other twelve or more upper courts: the Garden of the Bells, the Atria with its St. Joseph Arcade, and the Pilots' Roost above, a room most interesting to the airminded, and the Court of the Orient, reached through the Hall of the Gods and up the ramp of Lealea. On the third floor is the Paseo de Las Palmas, an open porch around the upper story of the Mission Wings, and the Paseo de los Moros above the Spanish Art Gallery. Still higher is the Alhambra Court, Authors' Terrace, Sunset Roof Garden with flowered covered walk of old world design leading to the Carillon Tower, and Star Court. On other intermediate levels are Musicians' Balcony, Spanish Terrace, and various additional open corridors. On account of disturbing the resident guests of the Inn, sightseers are not permitted to go above the level of the Atrio and Court of the Orient with their surrounding rooms.
The building varies in height also from the four-story Mission Wings and seven-story Rotunda to the four commanding towers, Carillon, Carmel, Amistad and Agua, with many courts, levels and elevation." (
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