- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Cardinal Hotel
Rating Details »
235 Hamilton Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 323-5101
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 323-5101
Thanksgiving Special rates -40% off
Standard rooms $99.00 + tax. Shared bath style rooms…
Announced 1 week agoMore »
- Price Range:
-
$$
9 reviews for Cardinal Hotel
Old world elegance in centre of Palo Alto. During our fly by the seat of our pants tour of San Fran, we stayed at the Cardinal. We had no accommodation booked and just happened upon this hotel by strolling around. If you're looking for a place with personality and charm, forget the Holiday Inn, you've found your bed for the night.
The hotel is European style, both in decor and price, this means you can book a room with shared bathroom facilities in the hall for about 30 bucks cheaper than having an ensuite. The only downside that Americans might find is that the bed is queen sized, just that bit smaller than a double and much smaller than regular U.S. style hotel beds. But don't forget, this is Palo Alto and you are getting a bargain for your buck with the Cardinal.
The hotel is beautifully decorated with an antique feel, chintz couches and chairs, an old-fashioned elevator and the rooms echo this feeling in soft-furnishings.
There was a funny little old woman behind the help desk and at times it felt a bit like we were the youngest patrons by about 50 years. But all in all, you'll leave the Cardinal charmed, bemused and the better for having stayed there. Certainly if you're Dave Gorman whistle-stopping across the U.S. without giving a penny to The Man, the Cardinal is the place to bed down for the night.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Spent an extended stay here in September and it met all of my needs for basic affordable accommodations in a convenient location. I stayed in both a street facing double with private bath and an interior single with shared bath, both on the same floor. The shared bath worked out just fine as it was just a few steps down the hall and was always available when i needed it. There were two shared shower rooms and two shared toilet rooms on my side of the floor. Both were kept clean and it was great to see that the staff kept right on top of that plus gave my room a thorough tidying up even for extended stays. The staff insisted on moving all of my belongings for me when i changed rooms which was way more than i expected them to do for me (thanks!) . I found it a very quiet place to stay for the most part, with just one or two instances of friends staying in adjacent rooms who probably didn't realize how loud their hallway conversations were as they were coming and going. The staff was friendly and helpful and the 24-7 free coffee and tea in the lobby was a very much appreciated touch, as well as the two PCs with free internet access and printer which were also available 24-7 on the 2nd floor. Nice neighborhood with plenty of dining, indie theater, international people watching and coffeehouse options (the spicy mexican hot cocoa at the Coppa Cafe next to the hotel was fab). The free Marguerite shuttle system is a few blocks walk from the hotel at the caltrain station and I used it a LOT during the week to get around campus. Get a map/timetable to take full advantage of its reach. Be forewarned that weekend shuttle service is greatly reduced but it was only a 15 minute walk across the El Camino Real to campus, Stanford mall, etc. There is a public bus transit station right next to the caltrain station so that is also quite convenient for getting around outside of the Palo Alto area. Caltrain can get you to SF in a little over an hour, the end of the line is about a block from the Giants baseball stadium.
Definitely would recommend this hotel to others and would even consider it as a base hotel for a future SF visit!
My boyfriend and I stayed here the night of my birthday. My friends and I went out to Gordon Biersch, Miyake's and to Blue Chalk in downtown Palo Alto and instead of driving home, we just walked a block or two over and stayed at the Cardinal with the shared bath option for $88 total per room. (This is for a double occupancy, double or queen sized bed, with the shared bath). We were in the room right across from where the bathroom was which was so convenient. To have a private bath and shower is almost twice as much.
The hotel is so quaint. It's nicely decorated for the Christmas season with lots of pointsettas in the entrance. It definitely has an old world, European charm to it. My only gripe is that the view outside our room was an alley full of dumpsters. However, it wasn't noisey and didn't smell and since I didn't look out the window other than the first time, it didn't bother me at all. I do have one note of safety for people bringing children: we opened our window to let in some air, and there was no screen. The little shutter-like window coverings were easily opened and a child could easily fall out the window. Really scary.
I think this hotel would be perfect for people going out downtown and who don't want to drive home in the same evening. We had to ring the doorbell to get into the hotel after 11 p.m., and even though my boyfriend and I didn't have a problem getting in, one of my other friends did have a problem getting up to her room.
We checked in around 4:30 p.m. (check-in is at 2 p.m.) and since we parked in the Coral Lot (I think that's what it's called) and they have a max of 3 hour parking from 8 a.m - 5 p.m., we checked out and left by 11 a.m.
Great location, great price...I would definitely stay here again.
Lovely elegant hotel right in downtown Palo Alto. Beautiful decor, friendly service. It's a bit more than your usual Holiday Inn, but if dyou've got the money, go for it. If you have their basic room with shared bath, it's 80; standard (i.e. private bath) is 135 a night. Well worth a visit when you want your out-of-town guests to have a swelligent time. Web site is at http://cardinalhotel.com/
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Cool (1)
Built in the 20's, very charming, clean, decent sized rooms, right smack downtown. Nice staff.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Have not stayed here - couldn't get past the incredibly rude man who answered the phone when I called to make a reservation. I have called or stopped by a couple times in the last few years and was turned off every time by the way I was treated. Time for an attitude adjustment Mr. Receptionist / Front Desk Man. I hope you are not the manager or owner because that would be just plain sad.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
Not the fanciest hotel around, but great location, and a fun place to stay for Big Game weekend.
I stay at the Cardinal every month when I visit Palo Alto on business. It's a great hotel with real personality: The comfy lobby, the antique elevator, the big huge safe behind the front desk. I keep going back because the place is always clean and the staff is helpful and sincerely friendly. They always have coffee available in the lobby...and it's pretty good...saves me from dropping 5$ at the coffee shop every morning. The location can't be beat--right in downtown PA right off University Ave. The rooms are really cheap for the area, too. The downsides, depending on what you're looking for: the shared bathroom rooms are the cheapest (I was a little worried about sharing a bathroom at first, but I haven't had to wait for the bathroom once yet, in 11 months). Also, since the place is so close to, like, 3 bars, some of the second floor rooms can be noisy sometimes. Just ask for an inside room on the 3rd floor and you're set if you need quiet. Internet is $5 a night...free would be better.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
I stayed there on a business trip a couple of years ago. I don't recommend it if you are looking for a quiet place to recover from a hard day's work. This hotel is quite old the place is very noisy. You can hear the sound of water flushing down pipes, and worst of all music from the Irish pub next door well into the night.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
