Scene Cuisine

Four Seasons Silicon Valley reboots with [esc].

The great thing about Silicon Valley culture is that it embraces change. You try and hope you succeed, or fail fast and take a different tack. That’s what the recent remodel of the Four Seasons Silicon Valley’s lobby is all about. When the hotel opened in 2006, its sleekly wood-paneled lobby — spare except for a check-in desk — was the height of fashion. But today, guests want experiences, so the blank space has been repurposed. Unveiled in early April, its name — [esc] — is one that techies will appreciate, playing off the escape key on a computer keyboard. The lounge, created by EDG Interior Architecture + Design, draws its inspiration from the shared work spaces popular at today’s startups. Boundaries are blurred: a coffee and

wine bar, a residential living room area and a formal meeting space with table converge at the entrance of the hotel. A digital art wall and a customized music playlist (ranging from downbeat electronica to ’80s hits) add visual and auditory flair. On Fridays, the Escape lounge is the scene of Shuck: Oysters & Caviar Night, an afterwork winddown event from 6 to 8 p.m. It’s quickly catching on, and if recent crowds are any indication, it could give the bustling scene at the Rosewood Sandhill some competition. “I go to happy hour all the time in downtown Palo Alto,” said Sherry Shaker, a faculty assistant at Stanford, sipping wine on a recent Friday with friends. “This is more of a chill environment for a more mature crowd.”

Living room: A oncequiet lobby has been transformed into a nook for kicking back, with custom armchairs, couches and low-slung tables arranged in groupings for privacy.

DJ stand: Bellosound, a music company, provides playlists with sounds from Bay Area artists for the lobby and sends a DJ on Friday nights to “spin,” lending a party vibe. Ka’nete Mlaudzi performed in the lobby in April.

Photos by Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle Coffee and wine bar: Guests can order lattes and breakfast items in the morning at a new coffee bar, created by blowing out a wall where offices once stood. At night, wines and small plates are offered, including 2-, 4- and 6-ounce pours of high-end...

Digital art wall: A wall behind the new check-in desk features moving artworks by Bay Area artists, lending color and character to the space. Receptionist Lamont Chappell is silhouetted against the new art display in the lobby of the Four Season Hotel.