Palo Alto, CaliforniaDowntown Palo Alto
Graduate Palo Alto
Spanish Colonial collegiate outpost
Downtown Palo Alto Palo Alto, California
Renovated
2023
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Heritage SocialOutside the door
The house
GraduateSpanish Colonial collegiate outpost
A two-story Spanish Colonial lobby welcomes guests with exposed timber beams, rich leather seating, and a working vintage elevator.
What it’s good at
Notable
Maximalist collegiate interiors with custom redwood headboards, pastoral tapestries, and Spanish Colonial architectural details.
Notable
Birge Clark's 1929 Hotel President restored to its Spanish Colonial Revival character on University Avenue.
Listed
Downtown rooftop cocktails at President's Terrace alongside all-day espresso and drinks at Lou and Herbert's.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
The 1929 building retains its original lobby details, while guest rooms go full maximalist.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Set directly on University Avenue, independent cafes and bookshops line the sidewalk leading one mile west to the Stanford campus.
The rooms
Maximalist rooms feature hand-painted redwood wallpaper, custom redwood headboards, embroidered collegiate bolsters, and red-checkered bathroom tile.
Dogs stay too.
At the table
Lou and Herbert's serves Saint Frank espresso downstairs, and President's Terrace pours cocktails around a rooftop fire pit.
How it began
Opened in 1929 as the Hotel President, the Spanish Colonial Revival building served as apartments for decades before its hotel restoration.
Good to know
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Palo Alto
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.