Graduate Hotels' 33rd campus-adjacent property, the Graduate Palo Alto (Calif.), is a conversion of the former Hotel President—a recreation that Kevin Osterhaus, president of Graduate Hotels, described as “a major seismic retrofit.”
The original hotel, which opened in 1929, was named to honor then-President Herbert Hoover, who was one of the first students to enroll at nearby Stanford University. Designed in the Spanish Colonial architectural style, the original building had a rooftop garden, a spiral staircase and high beamed ceilings. By the 1950s, the hotel had been converted into apartments, but Graduate’s parent company AJ Capital Partners acquired the building in 2018, setting it up for a return to its original purpose. Redevelopment began in April 2021 and officially wrapped in January.
The city had been in the brand’s sights for a while, Osterhaus said. “With Stanford University and Silicon Valley both nearby, the hotel is well-positioned to accommodate our traditional university demographic as well as capitalize on a very strong audience of midweek business travelers,” he said.
Everything Old is New Again
“Properties like this give us so much to work with,” Osterhaus said of the historic building.
The design narrative for the rebranded hotel was inspired by a 1958 original photo of Hotel President’s interior, Osterhaus said, noting that the conversion of the nearly century-old building restored and recreated many key design details, including the rooftop space. The company’s in-house design team focused on the building’s original details, preserving several original elements, including the exterior façade, the windows, the entry marquee, the elevator and the central stairwell. Original decorative ceiling beams from the Hotel President’s main entry area and the lobby lounge—now turned into the Lou & Herbert’s restaurant—had to be temporarily removed to comply with current building codes. With the renovation complete, they could be recreated throughout both the lobby and the new restaurant. “In Lou & Herbert’s, the process involved taking the existing beams down to finish the ceiling, then applying a fresh coat of paint and reinstalling them,” Osterhaus said.
The restoration of the building’s central staircase, which was previously enclosed, was a priority from both a historic restoration and a safety perspective, Osterhaus said. “Following demolition, only a couple flights remained, and from there, we worked with a millworker to replicate the historic details of the stair treads and railings while simultaneously upgrading its structural integrity,” he said. The existing railing and beams supporting the stair were then painted to match the beams.
Like much of the design throughout the hotel, the floral guestroom wallpaper takes inspiration from California’s natural landscapes. Paired with drapery of the same pattern, the large-scale pattern plays up the hotel’s overall maximalist design aesthetic, and creates an almost fantastical envelope within the rooms.
By utilizing an in-house design team, Osterhaus said Graduate has “created a synergy” across the brand’s hotels. “Overall, Graduate Palo Alto’s design package is one of our most sophisticated yet,” he said. “Fans of the brand will notice [the hotel] reflects a more refined, matured version of the brand but still offers the fundamental elements of texture, layering and maximalism.”
While storytelling remains a key factor in the design, Osterhaus feels the nods are “more subtle” and aim to complement the building’s “history and architectural character.” Guestrooms at the hotel, for example, have floral wallpaper and drapery inspired by California’s landscapes. “The large-scale pattern really plays up the hotel’s overall maximalist design aesthetic,” he said, noting that the design team works with local artists and vendors in each community to help the property blend in with the neighborhood.
Graduate Palo Alto
LOCATION
The Graduate Palo Alto is right on Palo Alto’s University Avenue, an eight-minute drive away from the landmark Oval at Stanford University. The Stanford Mall is also a brief drive away, as is Arboretum Grove and the school’s stadium. The hotel is also within walking distance of a number of restaurants, coffee shops and bars.
OPENING
January 2023
NUMBER OF ROOMS
100
WEBSITE
www.graduatehotels.com/palo-alto
OWNER
Graduate Hotels
MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Graduate Hotels
OPENING OBSTACLE
Soon after Graduate Palo Alto opened, the Northern California region experienced a bout of extreme weather that heavily impacted the opening of the hotel’s rooftop venue, President’s Terrace. “We chose to delay the launch so we could open safely with a fully trained staff,” Osterhaus said, noting that hotel teams are “constantly on their toes and troubleshooting to provide timely and effective guest solutions.” As summer approaches, he said, he is excited to “build momentum” at the hotel’s outdoor spaces.