The hotel is a 22-story tower designed in postmodern style by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum with Nishkian Menninger as structural engineers,[3] with 500 rooms and 42 suites.

[6] The hotel was planned in the 1980s as part of an urban renewal project funded by the Redevelopment Agency of San Jose, which also included the Silicon Valley Financial Center and Circle of Palms Plaza; it was developed by The Swig Company.

[14] In January 2018, the Fairmont San Jose was sold to SJ SC Holdings, an investment group led by Eagle Canyon Capital.

[10] On March 5, 2021, FMT SJ LLC, the then owner, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization, closing the hotel while it sought a new management partner and extended the existing mortgage debt.

That tower was converted the following year into a residence for San Jose State University students, Spartan Village on the Paseo,[19] which opened in August 2024.