Hotel Sainte Claire, hotel in San Jose, United States
Hotel Sainte Claire is a six-story hotel in San Jose with a distinctive corner design created by cut-back edges that makes it visible from the busy street intersection. The facade combines rough-textured stone on the ground level with warm tawny bricks above, while Renaissance Revival details appear in arches, decorative stringcourses, and paired arched windows throughout.
Hotel Sainte Claire was designed in 1926 by the San Francisco firm Weeks and Day and financed by businessman Thomas S. Montgomery, who sought to establish his dominance in San Jose's lodging market. Construction took place on the site of the Eagle Brewery, which closed in 1918 due to Prohibition, marking San Jose's shift from an industrial to a travel destination.
Hotel Sainte Claire was once the most elegant lodging between San Francisco and Los Angeles and shaped San Jose's identity as an important travel destination. The French, Spanish, and Mediterranean style elements on its facade reflect California's diverse architectural influences and convey the social aspirations of the 1920s.
The hotel is located in the heart of downtown San Jose on South Market Street, easily accessible on foot to shops and other central locations. Visitors can explore the well-maintained lobby and various room areas, with many original woodwork and fixtures from the building's early decades still visible.
The hotel was once a center for social gatherings and hosted prominent guests including Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Joe DiMaggio, making it legendary in California history. After decades of decline and even a period serving as emergency housing, it was restored in the 1990s and stands as a testament to the power of historic preservation and community support.
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