3255 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California, United States | (251) 219-4428
Conveniently located near Stanford University and hospitals
Affordable rates in a notoriously expensive area
Tidy rooms with microwaves, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers
Free continental breakfast with fruit, cereal, juice, and pastries
Free on-site parking and Wi-Fi
Reception desk staffed 24/7
Older, motel-style property with exterior corridors and no elevator
Amenities are lacking, and the free breakfast is sparse
Parking is limited and not guaranteed
Rooms are small and rather basic
No guest laundry room, fitness center, or business center
The two-pearl Travelodge Palo Alto Silicon Valley’s top selling points are price and location. It’s set on a busy road that runs straight into Stanford University in less than two miles. Restaurants are within walking distance, and tech giants like Google and Apple are short drives away. But, it’s a no-frills, motel-style property with exterior corridors and no elevator service to second-floor rooms. Freebies are limited to a sparse continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, and tight parking that’s not guaranteed. Rooms are clean and well-equipped, but small and basic. Rates are attractive in a notoriously expensive area. Travelers might want to compare rates with Hotel Parmani, another no-frills, budget property that’s across the street.
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Scene
A no-frills, motel-style property that hosts many students and other budget-conscious travelers
This Travelodge in Palo Alto is a functional option for budget travelers, but it's not without a few welcoming details. The older motel-style property makes a pleasant enough impression from the outside, with a cheerful sky-blue facade topped with handsome terra-cotta tiles. A set of comfortable wicker furniture on a small, second-floor terrace provides a good area to relax and watch traffic and people go by on the busy road. Some nice landscaping and trees including towering palms add more appeal, but the overgrown vacant lot next door dims this a bit. The modest lobby doubles as the breakfast room, with a few tables and several chairs. It’s a sunny spot with lots of windows, but quite small. Budget-conscious students and others doing business at Stanford University frequently stay here, as do patients and families visiting the university’s medical centers and tech workers. It’s a generally peaceful place where guests stick to themselves for the most part.
Location
On a busy street in Palo Alto, a short drive from Stanford University
The Travelodge is located on busy El Camino that runs north to the Stanford University Campus in less than two miles. It’s a safe and mostly commercial area in Palo Alto with some other hotels and a few restaurants in the immediate area, including a McDonald’s across the street and a bakery/cafe a short walk away.- Six-minute walk to shopping at Palo Alto Square
Rooms
Tidy but basic, with mini-fridges, microwaves, safes, and coffeemakers
Guest rooms at this Travelodge are generally clean and continue the cheery sky-blue color from the hotel's facade, pairing it with shiny copper bed throws and bolster pillows. Their striped carpet and drapes add a bit more design, and tasteful nature-themed art is a nice touch. But the rooms' relatively diminutive size, smallish windows, and low lighting can make them feel a little glum. Budget-quality wood furniture in a dark espresso finish doesn’t help either. Some of the furniture we saw also was showing obvious signs of wear, and there were even patched walls and ceilings in some of the bathrooms. Bathrooms are also on the small side, but they feature some up-to-date fixtures like granite vanities, walk-in showers with marbled tiles, and windows that open, which are a welcome addition. Room categories span Kings, Double Queens, and even Triples. Amenities are solid throughout, with microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, safes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi as standard. Rooms in the L-shaped property that are closest to the busy road tend to hear more ambient noise, but it’s not oppressive. Views throughout are unremarkable.
Features
Free continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, and parking
There's few extras on offer at this no-frills property. The most notable could be its free continental breakfast that includes cereal, pastries, fruit, juice, and coffee. It also has vending machines that sell soft drinks. Reception is staffed 24/7, and Wi-Fi is free. On-site parking also is free but it’s limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Street parking is available if the lot is full.)
