Hotel Durant

Hotel Durant
General information
Location Berkeley, California, United States
Address 2600 Durant Avenue
Opening 1928
Owner Gemstone Hotels & Resorts
Management Gemstone Hotels & Resorts
Technical details
Floor count 6
Design and construction
Architect W. H. Weeks
Other information
Number of rooms 144
Number of restaurants 1
Parking Onsite
Website
Official website
[1][2][3]

Hotel Durant (also called Durant Hotel) is a historic boutique hotel located in Berkeley, California in the United States. It is located in downtown Berkeley, just off campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The hotel is listed on the Berkeley register of historic places. The property was called "iconic" by the The Daily Californian.[4]

History

The hotel was built, in Spanish Colonial style, in 1928.[1] It was designed by W. H. Weeks.[5] It had 140 rooms and was both fire and earthquake resistant.[1] It also had one of the first basement garages in the area.[3]

It was named for Henry Durant.[6] The bar, Henry's Publick House, is also a tribute to him. When the hotel opened it was described as a "modern luxury hotel". Harry Truman stayed at the hotel once.[1]

In 1990, 33 hostages were held at gun point at Henry's for seven hours by schizophrenic University of California, Berkeley student, Mehrdad Dashti. The hotel bar was raided by police during the hold up. Dashti killed one hostage and an additional seven people were wounded.[7]

As of 2006, the hotel was owned and managed by Creative Hospitality. In 2007, the property was purchased by Joie de Vivre Hospitality for $14 million.[8] Joie de Vivre invested $9 million in renovating the property.[6] The hotel was defaulted on as of 2011. The Royal Bank of Scotland took over as owner. Joie de Vivre continued to manage the property.[2] In September 2012 it was put up for sale.[6] The property was marketed by HVS Capital Corporation. In early 2013, they sold the hotel for approximately $27.3 million to Gemstone Hotels & Resorts.[2] Upon the purchase, 98% of the staff remained from the previous ownership.[4] The hotel is frequented by visitors to the University.[3]

Facilities

The hotel's theme is based on the University of California, Berkeley. Lonely Planet describes it as "cheekily" in style. A mobile made of books hangs from the lobby ceiling. The walls of the lobby are decorated in yearbook photos from the university. Hotel rooms feature "dictionary-covered shower curtains and bongs repurposed as bedside lamps."[9]

The gastropub inside the hotel is Henry's Publick House.[2] In 2009, Henry's "Everything but the Kitchen Sink Bloody Mary" Bloody Mary was voted the best in the East Bay by East Bay Express. The bloody mary features tomato juice made in-house and is topped off with a splash of Guinness.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Hotel Durant". Berkeley Historical Plaque Project. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Torres, Bianca. "Berkeley's Hotel Durant sells for $27.3M". San Francisco Business Times. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Carol Fowler (1 November 2002). Insiders' Guide to Berkeley and the East Bay. Globe Pequot Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7627-2373-7.
  4. 1 2 Trejo, Matt. "Berkeley’s historic Hotel Durant sold for $27 million". The Daily Californian. The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Simmons, Christopher. "Historic Hotel Durant to Be Sold: Named for Cal’s First President, William Weeks Designed Boutique Opened in 1928". California Newswire. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Dineen, J.K.; Torres, Bianca. "Cannae Partners pays $9.5M for Eastern Outfitting building". San Francisco Business Times. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Gross, Jane. "Berkeley Gunman Kills Student Taken Hostage". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Tate, Ryan. "Hotel firm Joie de Vivre makes first East Bay foray". San Francisco Business Times. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hotel Durant". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Best Bloody Mary". East Bay Express. Retrieved 14 August 2014.

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