Changes are coming to the Claremont Resort & Club. The century-old luxury hotel announced this week that it had closed its luxury spa, which had been in operation for 25 years. The 25,000-square-foot spa included a eucalyptus steam room and dipping pools and offered manicures, pedicures, hot stone massages, facials, and other services.
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The Claremont’s general manager Edward Roe told KTVU that the closure was part of “making adjustments” to better serve the hotel’s patrons. It is unclear as to how many workers will be laid off as a result of the closure. As of last year, the hotel employed about 300 full-time and 200 part-time employees.
That workforce has historically included over 200 union members. According to Sonya Karabel, a representative for Unite Here Local 2, the hotel and restaurant workers’ union that represents the Claremont’s employees, the union is currently in severance negotiations with the hotel management on behalf of the impacted workers. Karabel did not specify how many workers were affected by the closure of the spa.
In an email statement to The Oaklandside, Roe said that “while the spa most recently operated in its current location for approximately 25 years, wellness has never been confined to a single space at the Claremont.”
According to Roe, club members and hotel guests will still have access to eight tennis courts, four pickleball courts, three saltwater swimming pools, indoor and outdoor fitness facilities, three dedicated fitness studios, and locker rooms featuring steam, sauna, and indoor and outdoor whirlpools.
“We are thoughtfully evaluating opportunities to reimagine the space in a way that builds on the Claremont’s longstanding commitment to wellness and ensures the Resort remains a relevant, welcoming, and engaging destination for guests and members, regardless of the reason for their visit to Berkeley and the East Bay,” Roe said.
The luxury hotel, which opened its doors in 1915, has gone through several ownership and name changes in recent years. Last year, its management transferred from Fairmont to HEI Hotels + Resorts and its name was changed from “Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel,” to the simpler Claremont Resort & Club.
The Claremont, which has 276 rooms and a private club with 1,500 members, and three onsite eateries, has also served as a film location and has welcomed Hollywood A-listers.
The 1993 classic film “Mrs. Doubtfire” starring the late Robin Williams and Sally Fields was partly filmed at the hotel’s Olympic-sized pool. In 2010, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent time at the hotel with their children while Pitt was in town filming “Moneyball.”
The Claremont has a storied history in Oakland and Berkeley. Although it uses a Berkeley address, Oakland public information officer Jean Walsh said the property lies within Oakland’s city limit, and the hotel pays taxes to the city of Oakland, including the transient occupancy tax, also known as the hotel tax.
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