The De Anza Hotel was funded by the local business community, united in an organization called the San Jose Community Hotel Corporation. The hotel took three years of planning by this group and stock subscriptions were obtained from more than 200 local citizens. Architect W. H. Weeks was the building's designer and Carl Swenson was the contractor. Local business leaders emphasized that the hotel would benefit San Jose and that the modern accommodations would help attract conventions to the area. Groundbreaking occurred on February 27, 1931, and was presided over by the corporation president, Alexander Hart, and many of San Jose's most prominent citizens and businessmen. It was originally planned to be called "The San Jose Hotel", but instead it was changed to be named after explorer Juan Bautista de Anza.
