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Hotel Touraine is a hotel building at Clay Street and 16th Street in downtown Oakland. It has approximately 108 rooms. The building was designed by Henry H. Meyers.

The name Touraine ultimately comes from a region in France. 'Touraine' was a surprisingly popular name for a hotel, with examples from Paris, France; Buffalo, NY; Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada; and of course, Oakland.

The hotel was first at 14th and Clay c.1900, with the property owned by William Dingee and William Henshaw. 1 Henshaw sold the property in 1906. 3 In 1909, plans were made to build a new store for H. C. Capwell's at the location. 4,5 A new building preserving the name was constructed in 1914 at 16th and Clay. 2

Sometime between 2009 and 2014, the once-elegant signs were rebuilt in a somewhat less elegant form.

c.1925 62014 CC SA-BY Our Oakland2009 CC SA-BY Our Oakland2009 CC SA-BY Our Oakland1932 ad

1923 ad

Links and References

1916 ad

  1. The Touraine in New Hands Oakland Tribune December 20, 1900
  2. State Realty Federation Organ Tells of Oakland Prosperity Oakland Tribune December 14, 1913
  3. Hotel Touraine at 14th and Clay Streets Transferred San Francisco Call March 11, 1906
  4. Contract Awarded For New Capwell Building San Francisco Call July 16, 1910
  5. Important Oakland Leases San Francisco Call May 30, 1909
  6. ohrphoto.oaklandhotels.012 Oakland History Center, Oakland Public Library
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