Home goods retailer turned hotel operator adds new location

West Elm has announced the newest location for its fledgling West Elm Hotels portfolio.



The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, is teaming up with Signature Development Group and Jordan Real Estate Investments to develop a hotel in Oakland, Calif. Expected to open in 2020, the hotel will be located in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood, and will celebrate the rich diversity and history of the location.



Oakland is the sixth market West Elm has identified for its Hotels venture, which is being done in partnership with DDK. The format will debut in 2018, in Detroit. Other previously announced locations include Charlotte, as the newest location for its fledgling West Elm Hotels portfolio Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Savannah.



“We feel right at home in Oakland, a city undergoing tremendous change and growth,” said Peter Fowler, VP of West Elm Hospitality. “Its influences are felt in technology companies, a wonderfully diverse maker culture and art scene, and of course, its pioneering food movement. We look forward to working with Signature to create a destination that celebrates the innovations and vibrancy of the city.”



“The property will be located in the heart of the Uptown district of Oakland. The mixed-use building will blend a historic facade preserved from a 1910s Beaux Arts structure originally designed by celebrated Bay Area architect Frederick H. Meyer. With Chevrolet’s first West Coast assembly plant nearby, the building was originally an auto retail showroom, at the heart of an area that was later known as “Auto Row.” The rich history and influence of the car culture will be celebrated in the aesthetic of the new six-floor building housing the hotel, as well as in the design and decor elements of the hotel rooms and common areas.



The building will be adjacent to the Hive, which combines residential and commercial space, including 105 residential apartments, and 100,000 square feet of offices, a beer garden, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, and several upscale restaurants.