Claremont Hotel & Spa

• 1. Founding And Construction History

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  The site began as a large wooden home called a castle, built by William Butler Thornburgh around 1870. This early settler from Jefferson County, West Virginia, established the property before his death in 1878. John Ballard purchased the land after Thornburgh died, but a wildfire on the 14th of July 1901, burned the house to the ground. Investors led by Louis Titus acquired the scorched earth for approximately $37,500 on the 10th of November 1905. The Claremont Hotel Company included Francis Borax Smith and Frank C. Havens, who were already involved with the Key System transit company. Construction started shortly after the purchase but halted due to supply issues caused by the 1906 earthquake. Work resumed briefly in 1910 before financial difficulties stopped it again. Erik Lindblom invested substantial funds to finish the project in 1914. The hotel opened its doors in 1915 to welcome travelers heading to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It stood comparable in scale to other grand resort hotels completed between 1876 and 1914.

• 2. Architectural Significance And Design

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  The building is constructed entirely of wood, making it one of the world's tallest wooden structures. Its central tower reaches an elevation of 160 feet or 49 meters. This height record distinguishes the property among similar wooden buildings globally. The design follows the Tudor Revival style with exposed half-timber decorative finishes visible throughout the exterior. Originally there were few surrounding buildings when the structure was first completed. The site sits at a high elevation providing scenic views of San Francisco Bay. The majority of the property lies within Oakland city limits despite using a Berkeley mailing address. Two small portions near the intersection of Claremont Avenue and Russell Street fall inside Berkeley boundaries. The hotel features 279 guest rooms alongside a spa and landscaped gardens covering several acres. Ten tennis courts occupy part of the grounds that once belonged to the Berkeley Tennis Club from 1917 to 1945.

• 3. Ownership Transitions And Financial Struggles

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  Erik Lindblom acquired the hotel in 1918 after completing its construction. He held ownership until selling it to Claude C. Gillum and his wife in 1937. Under the Gillums, the hotel building was painted white while unused properties began selling off in the 1920s. Murray Lehr leased the property from Harsh Investment Corporation starting in 1954. He added the first tennis courts and swimming pool to the site before Harsh took active control in 1971. The corporation enclosed verandas started under previous owners and replaced gardens with parking areas. Firefighters stopped flames short of the hotel during the devastating 1991 Oakland firestorm. KSL Claremont Resort Inc. acquired the property in 1998 following the disaster. Morgan Stanley purchased the resort in 2007 only for it to file bankruptcy on the 1st of February 2011. Lenders including Paulson & Co. foreclosed on the property due to recession losses. The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation bought three other properties alongside the hotel in 2013. Fairmont Hotel chain and financier Richard Blum purchased the Claremont in March 2014 for $86 million. Ohana Real Estate Investors acquired the hotel again in May 2023 for $163 million.

• 4. Prohibition Era Legal Battles

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  A state law enacted in 1873 prohibited alcohol sales within one mile of the University of California perimeter. This statute was amended in 1876 reducing the distance to half a mile from the university boundary. Hotel investors sponsored AB 1620 known as the Ferguson bill in 1913 to exclude the Claremont from dry zones. Women's clubs and temperance groups in Berkeley influenced the defeat of this bill by a single vote. Nationwide prohibition began on the 17th of January 1920 when the Volstead Act took effect under the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment was repealed on the 5th of December 1933 through enactment of the 21st Amendment. Despite national repeal, the state law prohibiting liquor sales near the university remained in force. A student discovered in 1936 that the route measured over a mile and received free drinks for life. The law changed in 1937 to measure distance following street routes rather than straight lines. This amendment allowed the hotel to serve liquor legally after decades of restriction. Public discussion about the measurement point had occurred since 1913 according to Oakland Tribune reports.

• 5. Transportation Infrastructure And The Key System

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  A transbay railway line designated the E line ran directly to the doors of the Claremont Hotel. Passengers could walk from the lobby steps onto trains traveling over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The tracks terminated between tennis courts now part of the Berkeley Tennis Club. Key System tracks were removed in 1958 along with the rest of the transit network. Another large hotel called the Key Route Inn existed near downtown Oakland with its own train service. The property sat along the principal route over the Berkeley Hills via Claremont Canyon. An Inter County Tunnel excavated above Temescal Canyon opened in 1903 accessible by Tunnel Road. This road initially ran from Russell Street before being re-routed to connect with Ashby Avenue. A newer larger tunnel known as the Broadway Low Level Tunnel opened in 1937 later renamed Caldecott Tunnel. The street address remains 41 Tunnel Road which is a designated part of State Highway 13. The border between neighboring cities runs down the former right of way serving as a pathway today.

• 6. Modern Ownership And Rebranding Efforts

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  The resort was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2007 before filing bankruptcy in early 2011. Lenders including Winthrop Realty Trust and Capital Trust foreclosed on the property following financial losses. Owners reached a deal to sell the Claremont and three other properties to Singapore's investment group in 2013. Fairmont Hotel chain purchased the property in March 2014 for $86 million and rebranded it as a Fairmont Hotel. Richard Blum served as financier alongside the hotel chain during this acquisition period. Ohana Real Estate Investors bought the hotel again in May 2023 for $163 million according to SF Gate reporting. On the 3rd of March 2025, the hotel left the Fairmont group entirely. It was rebranded as the Claremont Resort & Club after departing from the management company. The property has been a member of Historic Hotels of America since 2016 under the National Trust program. It received nomination for the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 but remained unlisted due to owner objection. The site holds designation as an Oakland City Historical Landmark.