New Hotel Opens In Berkeley

A new hotel opened in Berkeley in May. The Graduate Berkeley, owned by AJ Capital Partners, launched the 143-room hotel, which was formerly the iconic Hotel Durant. Graduate Hotels, a brand started by AJ Capital Partners in 2014, also renovated Henry’s, the hotel bar and restaurant.

The hotel near UC Berkeley reflects Berkeley’s Bohemian roots. Its lobby has printed velvet walls with Persian motifs, a feature wall of thousands of National Geographic magazines and colorful murals by local artist Chris Lux. In the public spaces and guest rooms, furniture and art are curated to feel residential and offer the feel of different eras and geographic regions. Renovations also pay homage to UC Berkeley founder Henry Durant.

Restaurateurs Bill Chait, an alumnus of UC Berkeley, and Wolfgang Puck managing partner Carl Schuster will reimage Henry’s. The bar and restaurant will open in June during a soft opening but officially open early fall. The menu will feature traditional pub fare.

Graduate Berkeley also will feature a boardroom and event space to accommodate groups of all sizes and events such as social gatherings and business meetings.

Graduate Hotels plans to open hotels in Lincoln, Nebraska; Minneapolis; and Richmond, Virginia, in 2017. The hotelier acquired two hotels in Bloomington, Indiana, and Seattle in April and plans to open hotels in 2018. Hotels also are in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Athens, Georgia; Charlottesville, Virginia; Madison, Wisconsin; and Tempe, Arizona.