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February 2024 by Rebecca
SHANE PALMER WAS THE
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January 2024 by Laura Dominguez
Joanna at the front desk was extremely cordial and helpful! I hope anyone who stays at the Cardinal gets a chance to interact with her.Hotel is a good value for the location, but the walls are thin so this might be difficult for light sleepers.
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December 2023 by Kelley Marshall
One of my favorite places to stay. During a recent stay I encountered an issue. Medhi, at the front desk, resolved the issue as well as diffused the situation. Thank you Medhi! He turned a bad experience into a good one!! And created a loyal customer!Walkability: Excellent downtown location.
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October 2023 by Michal Crowder
This was a charming hotel in downtown Palo Alto. The room was clean, although be warned that the hotel is older, which means that the elevator is old fashioned and there wasn't air conditioning. The lack of air-conditioning wasn't a big deal, the room had a fan and even though it was 80, the high ceilings meant that it stayed at a comfortable temperature.
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October 2023 by Michael
Almost 350 Dollars for a extremely noisy room without any comfort. I could not sleep well during the whole stay since it was so loud also at night.
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August 2023 by Leta McDaniel
Such a historical throwback to go here!! Felt very old fashioned in a good way. Staff was super nice and everything in the room was great! Only thing I would comment on is the lack of air conditioning, which sucks for the price that you pay.
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June 2023 by Jay Stanley
This is a nice hotel, but it lacks AC, and it is not quiet at night. One wing of the hotel lies along an alleyway where people throw glass at night. I was woken up both nights I stayed (a Wednesday and Thursday night) multiple times between 1-3am by loud crashing and bang sounds.
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May 2023 by Ben
Unfortunately it's a very rundown and old place. Not air-conditioning in the rooms, just windows. Smells badly. And so expensive for what it is.
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April 2023 by Michael V.
We stayed here over the weekend as we were in town for a friends' wedding. We loved our stay! Room was very clean, and the hotel was charming. As other reviewers noted, there is no AC in the building; however, we had a fan in our closet that we put on the dresser and it chilled the room perfectly (and we had the window open all day). The bed was very comfortable, and we especially enjoyed having breakfast at the cafe on the first floor. Would absolutely recommend the Cardinal if you're in the area!
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April 2023 by Emilie Cunning
A lovely stay at the hotel for a conference at Stanford. Really great location. The staff are lovely and went above & beyond to make the stay pleasurable, and helped with shipping an item left in the room.
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March 2023 by C W.
I always enjoy staying here! It's a nice alternative to staying at an expensive hotel in San Francisco, and the historical hotel and its incredibly warm and helpful staff always make for a great trip.
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February 2023 by JDF
Very nice, comfortable hotel. Great location for someone that needs to be close to the Stanford campus. Most places we could walk to. Kept in very good condition, even though this hotel was built along time ago. The rooms are kept immaculately clean. They even provided a personal bath robe, and hermetically sealed slippers. We plan to visit again soon.
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February 2023 by A L
Overall a great place to stay, especially because of the staff, location, and vintage vibe.
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January 2023 by Nina N.
Great location, no frills rooms that are spotless and comfortable, with a truly great lobby that recalls a bygone era.The rooms are small, but they are nicely updated and not dusty old antiquey looking and they manage to pack in a slim work station and closet for small luggage. No coffee maker or microwave or fridge in the room - just good to know.I spent a few nights here in 2022 - once when I was moving and my apt wasn't ready, and another time stayed her while traveling for work. I managed to hold a few Zoom meetings in the room and it worked really well. I know some complain about the noise from Ramona street, but most places close down pretty early - around 10:30pm - and then it's pretty chill. And it is so convenient to step out and go to dinner or get coffee - close to all the University Ave action.Because the rooms are pretty tight - just big enough for sleeping, showering and getting ready, I enjoyed having my coffee in the oldey timey lobby, with the vintage furniture, gorgeous fireplace and real 1940's phone booth. The lobby has a "no cell phone" zone which is awesome! You can quietly sit and read or chat (or even scroll but no talking on your phone) to get and give others PEACE and calm. You can also sip your wine in the lobby. On a chilly night, it's cozy to go to the terrific Italian restaurant, L'Osteria, just off the lobby.For a light breakfast, they have an agreement with Bistro Maxine right next door for a free continental breakfast and that was very delicious and generous, although not easy to understand the app and how to order and how to get the breakfast deal. Frustrated with that the first morning caused us to give up and go to Peninsula Creamery for breakfast instead.Both times, I got a room with a private bathroom in the room, so I can't comment on how the other rooms with shared bath work, but the common bathrooms and showers look immaculate and seem available enough (and you save money getting a room with a shared bathroom).Saving the best for last: the staff are great!! Very helpful on the phone and friendly and nice. Also the housekeeping staff do the best job of any hotel because the rooms and bathrooms are observably clean and shiny and they smell clean. MAKE SURE TO TIP THEM!My only quibble is the complimentary coffee in the lobby- they offer it until 10am or so, but a few times when I went to get some at 8 am it was empty. When I asked, they said when it's gone it's gone. At 8am? As most people are just getting up and out? Just make another carafe will ya? That struck an off note as it's pretty sad to want to have a quick cup and it's gone by 8am and you have to rush out and avoid getting a caffeine-withdrawal headache.I will definitely be back!
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October 2022 by Matthew Grow
Update - the amenities list is now correctly showing no air conditioning. Thanks!Original review - Google says it is air conditioned. IT IS NOT!!! The owner needs to see that corrected ASAP.Palo Alto may have had historically wonderful weather, but climate change is real, and if the 90+ temperatures at the end of this September is a portent, the Cardinal needs to consider AC for the future.That said, it is a well-restored historic hotel in a prime location, with friendly staff.
