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Check-in details
A while ago, I went to Palo Alto, often called the "center of the universe," and took advantage of a company-paid stay at Hilton Garden Inn Palo Alto.
The rate was really painful at the time—$315 per night, and after taxes it came to about $360. It was booked through a travel agent designated by the company, so I’m not sure if they made some extra margin off it (I checked and normal rates now seem to be in the $100-plus range). It was also possible that there was a major conference going on nearby at the time.
If I were to book using Hilton points, it would be around 20,000+, which is still pretty decent.
Stay experience
Hotel lobby
I forgot to take a photo of the lobby, so I used the hotel’s official photo just to fill in. Personally, it feels simple and bright. The lobby also had a piano on display, but no one ever sat down to play it.
Room
This stay was in a standard king room, and overall it felt pretty nice.
Breakfast
According to the front desk, the room rate included a continental breakfast, which means the cold style. It usually includes fruit, bread, etc. But because I was a Hilton Gold member (a benefit from the Hilton Surpass credit card), I could choose an additional hot breakfast. Hilton Gold members can also opt for 750 points, but that still doesn’t beat a hot, freshly prepared breakfast.
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Made-to-order breakfast[/caption>
The server was very proactive and even made a point to say the breakfast was free, but that tips were still welcome. It felt a bit awkward.
Around the hotel
Palo Alto feels like a very calm, peaceful small town.
Conclusion
Overall, the hotel felt very good. The only frustrating thing was that on Monday night, most restaurants around it were closed, so after walking around, I ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant. A nearby place called Su Hong claimed to be a Chinese restaurant, but it still tasted distinctly American.
The biggest pleasant surprise was that when I gave my membership number at check-in, the front desk added it right away without a second thought. After two nights, I earned over 17,000 Hilton points. So in the future, no matter how you book a hotel, it’s still best to provide your membership number—you might be able to receive some member perks and points.