[3] Originally the home of the Hayes family, the mansion is regarded as one of the best examples of late 19th-century Mission Revival architecture in the Santa Clara Valley.

Early on, the property was self-sufficient, with its own power plant, a post office, railroad station, carriage stop, lodgings for 40 ranch hands, and a chapel.

[5] The building now contains 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) of meeting space and 214 guest rooms and is surrounded by the 20-acre (8.1 ha) Edenvale Gardens Regional Park.

[6] The 41,000-square-foot (3,800 m2) Mediterranean villa features exotic woods, imported marble and ornate stained glass windows.

Constructed in the shape of a Maltese Cross, its long center section contains an 18-foot (5.45 m) wide solarium connecting the north and south wings.