Claremont Hotel & Spa facts for kids

Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
In 2006
Hotel facts and statistics
Location	Oakland, California, United States
Coordinates	37°51′32″N 122°14′30″W / 37.8588°N 122.2418°W / 37.8588; -122.2418
Address
Opening date	1915
Architect	Charles William Dickey Walter D. Reed
Owner	Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
No. of restaurants	Limewood Bayview Café
No. of rooms	279
of which suites	Studio Suites Petite Queen Suites
No. of floors	10

The Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel is a famous historic hotel. It sits at the bottom of Claremont Canyon. This area is part of the Berkeley Hills in California. The hotel is located in the Claremont district. This district is split between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland.

From its high spot (400 feet up), the hotel offers amazing views. You can see the whole San Francisco Bay. Most of the hotel building, its spa, gardens, and parking are in Oakland. However, a small part of the property is in Berkeley. The hotel even has a Berkeley mailing address.

The Berkeley Tennis Club has been next to the hotel for a long time. From 1917 to 1945, the club rented land from the hotel. In 1945, they bought that land. The club is still there today. The border between Oakland and Berkeley runs right through their property.

The Claremont has 279 rooms for guests. It also has a large spa, 10 tennis courts, and 22 acres of beautiful gardens. Some fun stories say the hotel was once won in a checkers game! The hotel is considered a special Oakland City Historical Landmark.

Hotel History

The land where the Claremont Hotel stands was once outside any city. An early settler named William B. Thornburgh built a large home there. He called it a "castle." After he passed away, John Ballard bought the property.

Building the Hotel

On July 14, 1901, a wildfire burned Thornburgh's house down. A few years later, in 1905, a group of investors bought the land. This group included important people like Louis Titus and Francis "Borax" Smith. Smith and Frank C. Havens were also involved with the "Key System." This company built trains and developed land in the East Bay.

Construction of the hotel began soon after 1905. But it stopped because of problems from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Building started again in 1910 but faced more delays. In 1909, the area where the hotel was being built became part of Oakland. The hotel was finally finished and opened in 1915. It was first called the Claremont Hotel.

Getting Around

The Key System railway line used to run very close to the hotel. It ended between the tennis courts that are now part of the Berkeley Tennis Club. This meant hotel guests could easily travel directly to San Francisco. The train tracks were removed in 1958. This happened when the Key System stopped running. But the path where the tracks used to be still separates the tennis courts.

The Claremont Hotel was also easy to reach by car. It was located along the main road over the Berkeley Hills. This road went through Claremont Canyon. In 1903, a small tunnel was dug nearby. A new road called Tunnel Road led to it. This same route later led to a bigger tunnel. That tunnel opened in 1937 and is now called the Caldecott Tunnel. The Claremont's address is still 41 Tunnel Road.

Hotel Changes Over Time

The hotel once had a very unusual fire escape. It was a multi-story spiral slide! Guests could slide down it to escape in an emergency. Many people, including teenagers, would sneak in to try the slide. Eventually, the slide was closed off and removed. On its last day, people could use it if they donated to charity.

In 1991, a huge firestorm threatened the Claremont. Firefighters worked hard to stop the flames. Luckily, the wind also died down. This saved the hotel from being destroyed.

In 2007, a company called Morgan Stanley bought the Claremont. In 2011, the hotel faced financial difficulties. It filed for bankruptcy. Later, in 2013, a deal was made to sell the Claremont. It was bought by the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. In March 2014, the Fairmont Hotel chain and investor Richard Blum bought the hotel.

Reported Haunting

Some people say the Claremont Hotel is haunted. Room 422 is especially mentioned. Guests have reported hearing the sound of a baby crying. There is a story about a six-year-old girl who died in that room. However, this story has not been proven true.

Images for kids

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  The Claremont Club & Spa in 2006.

See also

In Spanish: Claremont Hotel & Spa para niños