Berkeley, Ca. – AJ Capital Partners announced today that it has acquired the iconic Hotel Durant in Berkeley, California. The historic hotel is located next to the University of California at Berkeley (“Cal”) and is the closest hotel to California Memorial Stadium and the storied Greek Theater. In 2016, the Hotel Durant will become part of the Graduate Hotel collection.
Created for travelers who seek memory-making journeys, Graduate Hotels are part of a well-curated, thoughtfully crafted collection of hotels that reside in the most dynamic university towns across the country. Every property celebrates and commemorates the optimistic energy of its community, while offering an extended retreat to places that often played host to the best days of our lives. Additional locations include Oxford, MS; Charlottesville, VA; Madison, WI; Athens, GA; Tempe, AZ; Richmond, VA and Durham, NC are slated to open in 2016.
Located one block from vibrant Telegraph Avenue, the hotel is ideally situated amongst a myriad of restaurants, bars and eclectic boutiques. The property features 143 guestrooms – many of which offer commanding views of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and the Campanile. The hotel offers three meeting and event rooms and is home to the venerable Henry’s restaurant and pub – a prominent fixture in the Berkeley social community for over 87 years.
“We are incredibly proud to announce the acquisition of Berkeley’s Hotel Durant,” says Ben Weprin, CEO of AJ Capital Partners. “In furtherance of our strategy to acquire culturally relevant, supremely located real estate adjacent to the nation’s leading universities, Hotel Durant was a natural fit for the Graduate portfolio. We look forward to being stewards of this Berkeley icon.”
In the coming months, Graduate Hotels will embark on a soft goods renovation that will further enhance the hotel’s guestrooms and common areas. In addition, Henry’s will receive an updated menu, aesthetic refresh and expanded calendar of social events. Gemstone Hotels and Resorts will continue to manage the property after the acquisition.
For more information on Graduate Hotels, please visit www.graduatehotels.com.
