Fannie Chaffee Grant’s father, one of Colorados first senators, purchased the hotel for his daughter as a gift.

[4] San Diego voters helped finance $700,000 for the $1.5 million needed to construct the hotel after Grant lacked the funds to do so.

It became a power-lunch spot for downtown businessmen, lawyers and politicians, so much so that "ladies" were not permitted in the restaurant before 3 PM.

In 1969 a group of prominent local women staged a sit-in which resulted in the restaurant abandoning its men-only policy.

[9] The hotel was refurbished in the 1980s, but fell upon hard times in the subsequent decade due to a financial slump.

Famous guests have included Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh,[12] Woodrow Wilson, five former First ladies and 12 United States Presidents.