Historic Building Survey plaque: "73 St. James Hotel, 1912. Now dwarfed by the city's modern skyscrapers, the ten-story St. James was once the tallest building in San Diego. In 1914, the San Diego Union extolled it as 'first class in every respect, with excellent service.' The hotel featured 146 rooms, a barber shop, a Turkish bath, a billiard room, and an observation room that boasted the finest view in San Diego. The hotel also had the convenience of hot and cold running water in every room."