Hotel Sequoia is located at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway in downtown Redwood City. The proposed features and amenities include 82 luxe guest rooms, private meeting and event spaces, a rooftop bar, and restaurant and retail space. First constructed as a luxury hotel in 1912, Hotel Sequoia was designated as a Redwood City Historic Landmark in 1981. The current proprietors have a vision to rehabilitate this treasured historic landmark to create one of the area’s most sophisticated and contemporary destinations for visitors and locals alike – while still preserving its rich history for future generations.

The hotel is owned by Sequoia Main Street LLC, a group of six investors. Alyn Beals and Dani Gasparini, life-long residents of Redwood City who are deeply rooted in the community, are the largest single owners and the managing members. Learn more about Alyn and Dani and their vision for the new Hotel Sequoia.

Alyn admired the Hotel Sequoia building since he was a young child. At the age of 7, while riding in Redwood City’s Fourth of July parade, Alyn told the grown-ups in the car that someday he’d like to own the place. During her time as mayor of Redwood City, Dani saw Hotel Sequoia as an anchor for downtown Redwood City. For both Dani and Alyn, the historic rehabilitation of Hotel Sequoia is a passion project.

The Sequoia Main Street LLC team is dedicated to the historical rehabilitation of the hotel’s grand exterior. The original Hotel Sequoia was built in brick masonry in 1912. Historic photographs show the building was unpainted in 1923 while photos taken circa 1970 show a painted facade. To return the building to its original splendor, the ownership’s rehabilitation team has conducted a painstakingly methodical process of testing a variety of paint removal products, all by hand. Their dedication will result in the revival and return of the charm and authenticity of this historic landmark to the community of Redwood City.

Once built, every detail that a guest experiences will convey a sense of Hotel Sequoia’s history and the local community, through design, textures, food, and beverage.

Century-old buildings create unique challenges and opportunities. Our historic façade is beautiful and the centerpiece of our project; however, it also has many structural and practical issues. To complete the renovation, and create a financially viable modern hotel, additional rooms and other amenities are necessary. The additional stories will allow for 29 additional guest rooms, modern ground floor retail, restaurant and bar space, and a rooftop terrace.

The sidewalks, trees and other public improvements in front of our hotel on Main Street and Broadway are decades old and do not meet current city standards. The project would include new sidewalks, trees, bicycle racks, and other modern improvements. These will be built to current city standards and will create a better pedestrian and shopper experience for all downtown visitors.

Project is in permit approval phase. Construction to begin in the fall of 2024 with a projected opening date in 2027.

The project will require architectural, use and sign permits; a Downtown Precise Plan Amendment; and a California Environmental Quality Act study. The city’s Architectural and Historic Resource advisory committees will also review the proposal before it is sent to the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council. The Sequoia Main Street LLC team anticipates that the planning/approval process will take approximately 18-24 months.

The project proposes to add four floors to the existing three-story building. Although a height exception process is required due to the building’s historic status and proposed upper story stepback, the building is below the Main Street and Broadway height limit. The following chart compares Hotel Sequoia to several recently constructed developments in the area:

• Height limit: 92′
• Proposed Hotel Sequoia: 83′
• 601 Marshall
  Dostart Building: 105′
• 2075 Broadway
  CZI HQ: 70′
• 900 Middlefield
  Box Building: 136′

Hotel Sequoia is still in the early planning stages, so vendors have not yet been identified. Interested parties should contact info@hotelsequoiarwc.com for more information about vendor opportunities as the planning/approval process moves forward.

Hotel Sequoia’s existing residential tenants have been successfully relocated. 

Retail tenants were made aware of the plans to renovate the hotel prior to signing a lease. They will receive six months’ notice before they have to move out of their current retail spaces.

The local community can enjoy some of the hotel’s benefits and amenities, including a public art program featuring local artists, and new retail and restaurant spaces in a rehabilitated historic building. In addition, the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax collected by Redwood City will help fund projects that benefit the city, such as public parks, infrastructure improvements, and historical and environmental preservation.

From murals to sculptures and three-dimensional brick art, the display of public art will be integrated into the design of the hotel, creating backdrops designed specifically to showcase works from local artists.

Yes. Several of the area’s largest employers, including Box and Oracle, have embraced the Sequoia Main Street LLC team’s vision for a luxury boutique hotel in downtown Redwood City, citing a lack of good options for business travelers that are within walking distance of their offices.

TBD

Sustainability will be addressed at every stage of the project – design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The project will be designed in accordance with the latest California Building Codes including CalGreen Building Standards and Title 24 Standards and with advanced energy and water conservation measures. During construction we will recycle our construction materials waste, and a third-party engineer will be responsible for commissioning the mechanical and electrical systems and controls to ensure they are operating efficiently. Finally, hotel operations will be centered around eco-friendly best practices in all aspects of daily operation.

Sustainability will be addressed at every stage of the project – design, construction, commissioning, and operation.

Yes, all of the guest rooms will have occupancy sensors built into the thermostat controls that will turn off the AC/heat in the room if it is not occupied.

Yes, the Sequoia Main Street LLC team will incorporate water conservation measures including the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures (1.28 GPF toilets and 1.8 GPM shower heads). In the public restrooms, there will be hands-free, low-flow plumbing fixtures as well. 

Based on the current design, Hotel Sequoia will most likely be an all-electric building. There have been a number of advancements in commercial kitchen equipment design (electric combi-ovens and induction ranges) that will allow for an all-electric kitchen for the restaurant and still enable the chefs to produce top-quality menu offerings. The team is also exploring the option of incorporating rooftop solar hot water generation to supplement an electric domestic hot water system.

The exterior envelope will be well insulated and will use the latest low-E insulated glass units in the hotel windows, especially on the all-glass 6th floor. Based on the current design, a high percentage of glass on this rooftop level will face north and east which have the lowest solar heat-gain of the four orientations. Similar to the guestrooms, the large storefront glazing we will be using at this upper level will incorporate high-performance low-E insulated glass units for the best energy performance while providing energy-saving natural daylighting of the bar/event spaces.

Hotel Sequoia will feature Gen2 energy efficient elevators, high-efficiency pumps and fans, and a myriad of other pieces of mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment that will save energy and extend the energy efficiency and operating life of the project.