Signia by Hilton San Jose
| Company type | Hotel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Predecessor | Fairmont San Jose |
| Founded | October 5, 1987 (as Fairmont San Jose) |
| Headquarters | San Jose , United States |
| Products | Hotel rooms, event space, fitness center, rooftop pool |
| Website | www |
The Signia by Hilton San Jose is a contemporary high-rise hotel located at 170 South Market Street in San Jose, California, positioned on the Plaza de César Chávez in the heart of downtown. Originally established in 1987 under the name Fairmont San Jose, it underwent redevelopment and relaunched as a Hilton property in 2022. The former south tower has since been repurposed as Spartan Village on the Paseo, serving as student accommodation for San Jose State University.
Description
The 22-story building was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum with structural engineering provided by Nishkian Menninger. It comprises 500 guest rooms along with 42 suites. The hotel features roughly 65,000 square feet of event space, including a sizable ballroom tailored for conferences and corporate gatherings. Among its amenities are a fitness center and a rooftop pool equipped with a custom windscreen that creates a controlled environment ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
History
Situated on the former location of San Jose’s original Chinese community, the Market Street Chinatown, which existed from 1866 until it was destroyed by arson in 1887, the site bears a plaque commemorating this racially motivated attack. The hotel was conceived during the 1980s as part of an urban revitalization initiative funded by the Redevelopment Agency of San Jose, alongside projects such as the Silicon Valley Financial Center and Circle of Palms Plaza. Developed by The Swig Company, construction involved archaeological excavations to recover artifacts from the old Chinatown.
The property opened its doors on October 5, 1987, as the Fairmont San Jose under the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts brand. In 1996, Light Tower Associates, led by developer Lewis Wolff, acquired the hotel. A new 13-story annex containing 264 rooms was added in 2002, designed by Gensler and Moore Ruble Yudell Architects. This additional tower was erected on the site of the historic Hotel Montgomery, which was relocated and restored; it currently operates as the Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown. In January 2018, SJ SC Holdings, an investment group headed by Eagle Canyon Capital, purchased the Fairmont San Jose.
On March 5, 2021, FMT SJ LLC, then owner of the hotel, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, temporarily closing operations while seeking new management and negotiating extensions on mortgage obligations. The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted occupancy rates, dropping below 7%, resulting in losses exceeding $18 million for 2020 and anticipated losses surpassing $20 million in 2021.
The hotel resumed operations in April 2022 under the Signia by Hilton San Jose brand, now offering a total of 805 rooms. Subsequently, ownership reduced capacity by vacating and selling the south tower annex in 2023 to developer Throckmorton Partners. This building was transformed into student housing for San Jose State University, named Spartan Village on the Paseo, which opened in August 2024. The university is leasing this facility for an initial term of 25 months prior to acquiring it.
On October 31, 2024, employees at Signia approved new labor agreements following a three-day strike that took place over Labor Day weekend in September.