When people think of traveling to San Mateo County, they usually think about San Francisco. San Fran is a popular California vacation destination, of course. Why, then, is there a relatively new 5-star hotel in East Palo Alto, south of San Francisco and east of most of San Mateo? Based in East Palo Alto, the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley is an unlikely contender for luxury travelers to make reservations. East Palo Alto, after all, is the antithesis of a high-end destination; mostly known for a high crime rate, office parks and possibly the ugliest highway offramp in California, East Palo Alto has the looks of a city that should sport Days’ Inns, not Four Seasons.
This is the sort of question that arouses curiosity in a travel writer’s mind. A visit to Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley quickly cleared up my confusion. Granted, the Four Seasons here is almost directly across from that above-mentioned offramp, but inside is a bustling, popular spot. With the standard Four Seasons luxury amenities offered here, this hotel is the best upscale hotel for work meetings/business travel and romantic weekend getaways for locals in the entire region. Yahoo, Facebook, Electronic Arts and other high tech businesses are based in Palo Alto, and those young internet-rich tech guys have to spend their huge paychecks somewhere, after all.
What I liked best about the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley:
The ambience is the most fun of any Four Seasons I’ve stayed in. The youthful crowd are at once relaxed
and happy, and the bar scene is incredible. Seriously; this is the best hotel restaurant-bar I’ve experienced. The head bartender makes astonishingly creative drinks, and is up to the challenge of spontaneous drink invention. The Quattro Restaurant and Bar is becoming a destination spot for residents and Silicon Alley tech guys alike.
The entire hotel is set up for wireless internet, including the cabanas along the rooftop pool. Those tech guys (and gals) come here for a reason; meetings literally can be had anywhere. This hotel knows its pull is the luxury business crowd, and supports this with a 24-hour business center and tech-savvy staff as well.
The Spa at Four Seasons Silicon Valley is luxurious and pampering. Four Seasons really knows how to hit all the right notes in spa design and treatments; this is no exception. An appointment here is a vacation in and of itself.
What I liked least about the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley:
Like I said, the hotel is right off the highway. East Palo Alto is not a tourist destination by any stretch; there is truly nothing to walk to from the hotel. People who live nearby may want to spend a long weekend ensconced here, using the spa and enjoying the fabulous food and drinks. Other than that, it has got to remain purely a business travel hotel, albeit an extremely high-end one.
The crowd here is so hip, young ,and exuberant, that it might be a little intimidating for an older couple.
The Four Seasons Silicon Valley really is the best luxury hotel in Palo Alto, California. I recommend it, but only for high-end business meetings and work travel, as well as a weekend getaway for romantic couples who live nearby.
