A four story addition designed by Alfred Henry Jacobs was completed in 1929.

[4] The building was initially an upscale apartment hotel[5] and was owned by former builder M. A.

Her husband was a stockman and after his death oil was discovered from his property allowing her to fund the Glide Foundation and carry out mission work including the Glide Memorial Methodist Church (two blocks from the Hotel Californian), a dormitory for Christian girls on the UC Berkeley campus, and a home for young Christian working women.

[8] The exterior includes pressed metal panels, balconies, and elaborate cornice decoration.

It included a coffee shop and soda fountain counter area,[5] which is now a restaurant.