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Havens and the “Claremont Hotel Company” began building in 1905, but the infamous earthquake of 1906 and subsequent Panic of 1907 interrupted construction. The additional land the Claremont Resort & Spa now rests on was purchased in 1908 and after much turmoil, The Claremont Hotel opened for business in 1915 as the sprawling Mediterranean hostelry seen today. From the charming rural surrounding and expansive veranda and lobby, larger than any other hotel on the Pacific Coast, to the on-site private school and radio station, The Claremont Hotel was one of the nation’s grand transient and resident hotels. In 1937 Claude Gillum, who had been with The Claremont since 1926, purchased the property for $250,000 and virtually rebuilt it from the foundation up, completely refurbishing the interior.A state law, which radically changed the design of The Claremont, prohibited the sale of alcohol within a one-mile radius of the University of California. Since the hotel is constructed on the borderline between Berkeley and Oakland, it was assumed to be within the one-mile radius. Thus, it was not allowed to serve liquor. In 1936, The Claremont was one of very few hotels without a bar. This situation changed when a female student at the University began to investigate to see if the building was indeed within the one-mile radius. She and her friends measured the shortest route from the U.C. campus to the front steps and found The Claremont was a few feet over the one-mile radius, meaning a bar could be opened. (It is now called the Paragon Bar & Café). The woman responsible for these findings was awarded free drinks at The Claremont for the rest of her life. |
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