Every significant U.S. city seems to have at least one grand downtown hotel. In San Jose, that would be The Sainte Claire Hotel. The hotel lobby received quite the facelift since my stay there, many years ago. It’s brighter and more modern, yet still classic in its elegance and proportion. During our rainy photowalk, we ducked in for short respite from the wetness, but we also knew the lobby was worthy as a photography stop.

Wikipedia indicates that this 1926 hotel was recently renovated in 2015 and rebranded the The Westin San Jose. I like the renovation but the new name lacks a certain gravitas. Heck, The Westin San Jose sounds like some run of the mill modern hotel. Nothing that would impart a sense of grandeur and old-world significance.

So I opt to call it The Sainte Claire Hotel. The wide-angle Cinematic with my Canon G7X Mark II gives a sweeping view of the lobby. I was surprised how sparse it was for a Thursday night.