Smart Sites: July 2008
July 2008
Departments
It’s no easy task to take on the restoration of a historic building, but, if done right, the rewards can be immense. The Citizen Hotel, slated to open this fall, will be the result of careful preservation of the 82-year-old former Cal Western Life building in downtown Sacramento, adjacent to the State Capitol.
As a Joie de Vivre Hospitality property, the city’s latest hotel will reflect a careful blend of the historic and the modern. The lobby will feature original marble walls and floors, while the 197 guest rooms are getting upgrades to the latest technology and furnishings, such as flat-panel HDTVs, iPod sound systems and Italian down duvets.
The five top-floor penthouse suites will get the sweetest part of the deal, with private balconies overlooking the city and access to a unique concierge lounge. Down below, a 120-seat restaurant and bar will open out onto the sidewalk, for warm summer nights, while a 40-seat private dining area perches up on a second-floor balcony over the main restaurant. Up to 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space is available, the best of which is a 3,000-square-foot outdoor terrace overlooking the grounds of the State Capitol. jdvhotels.com
Luxury 2.0
If you’re looking for a “smart” hotel for your next meeting, you can’t get closer than at the womb of Silicon Valley. The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto lies just outside the boundaries of the iconic Stanford University, long a top-tier institution, but lately one of significantly higher repute thanks to its record of churning out 24-year-old graduates who regularly invent a technology company, declare themselves CEO and become millionaires within a few years.
With companies like Google, IBM, Apple, YouTube and Yahoo! just around the corner, not to mention the hundreds of startup companies that could very well be the next big thing, Silicon Valley is one of the most exciting places to be, especially for those in the business world.
The Four Seasons mirrors its high-tech surroundings. For one, it advertises “up-to-the-minute” technology, which might be completely different by the time you read this. The 200 guest rooms themselves, which include 27 suites, reflect a seamless blend of modern minimalism and relaxed California luxury; rooms that appeal equally well to a 28-year-old CEO in jeans and tee-shirt as well as the more traditional suit-wearing types. And everyone will enjoy the spa’s seven treatment rooms, rooftop pool and signature Quattro restaurant. So get your group together, get your head together and go discover what this whole Internet thing is all about. fourseasons.com/siliconvalley
