el PRADO

Lovely room, homey but spacious. The small desk was helpful. Pillows are comfy. Staff are very friendly and attentive. NY Times and WSJ await you with coffee on your floor, so you can pad out to the hallway, grab a morning coffee and paper in the morning, and sit on your porch to enjoy.

I stayed at El Prado for an academic meeting at Stanford last October. The hotel infrastructure is clearly well-invested. The rooms are clean, comfortable, and have the feel of a high-end establishment. Breakfast and other meals are served in-room only (although there’s a restaurant nearby), and the food and drinks is of high quality—delivered quickly and efficiently. That being said, the overall vibe of the hotel feels extremely impersonal. I don't think there was a single request or question I addressed to the staff that was met with a positive or helpful response. Everyone was polite, but no one smiled, followed up, or made any effort to assist with the information or support I needed. Everything at the hotel comes with an additional (expensive) charge. There’s supposedly a coffee and tea station in the hallway, but it’s packed up under strict operating hours—I never managed to use it even once. Perhaps the typical clientele are high-income travelers in Silicon Valley who don’t mind this kind of service, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I simply wasn’t welcome. The location is also not the best for access to Stanford, but on the other hand it is right in the center of Palo Alto. Overall, I’d say this is a well-run hotel with solid infrastructure, with nice design, but is overpriced. They really need to rethink the guest experience and invest more in customer service—it’s not enough to look high-end; guests should also feel genuinely welcomed.

Two night visit Two night visit to see friends and family in Palo Alto area and a few doctor’s appointments at Stanford Byers.

Convenient for my purpose