Hotel Sainte Claire, a Historic Hotels of America member in the National Trust for Historic Preservation program, is a beautiful, 1926 hotel located directly across the street from the San Jose convention center and three miles from the airport.

In the heart of downtown it is surrounded by entertainment, arts and shopping, commuter rail transportation stations and includes a fabulous Italian restaurant, Il Fornaio, on premise. The Hotel Sainte Claire was once the premiere hotel, providing the most elegant accommodations between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was financed by developer T. S. Montgomery, who reportedly invested close to $1 million dollars in construction. He also donated the parcel of land across from the hotel for the civic auditorium.

Among the city's most recognized architectural landmarks, the Sainte Claire was designed by San Francisco architectural firm Weeks and Day, which also designed several of the great hotels in San Francisco, including the Mark Hopkins and St. Francis. Interior similarities between San Jose's Sainte Claire and the Mark Hopkins in San Francisco are the coffered lobby ceilings. Wood details in the guest rooms and the ornate hand-carved wood doors leading to the retail areas are intact. Many of the rooms have original bathroom fixtures.

Through its long history and phases of glory, hosting Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Hope and John F. Kennedy, to name a few well known guests, to its decline, refurbishment and new shine, Hotel Sainte Claire has remained a landmark in the downtown region.. Reported to contain the spirits of several former guests or staff, no solid documentation can confirm the rumors beyond anecdotal third party references. From personal intuition, however, the hotel clearly has a spirit of its own that's tied to decades of change and thousands who've enjoyed its luxurious accommodations. The photos at top display the unique lighting that the hotel enjoys, including a spectacular rainbow of color cast on a bust as sunlight shines through glass to create the special prism display.

With the growth of convention business, Hotel Sainte Claire prices remain strong, often matching those of surrounding newer properties. It captivates a special audience that prefers the boutique hotel experience or historical hotel stays.

Best of all, this Silicon Valley property has high speed Internet!

The Sainte Claire, a Larkspur Hotel Reservations & Information