Sarah's Bat Mitzvah: Local Hotel Options

For those guests who are coming from out of town, here is a listing of local hotels and motels and their stated room rates. They are listed in an approximate order of niceness and relative proximity.

1. Stanford Park Hotel 100 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 650-322-1234 or toll-free 866-241-2431, $457 average nightly rate

Less than 2 miles away, nestled between Menlo Park and Palo Alto, and near to the Stanford Shopping Center, though not walking distance to any surrounding areas. This rather elegant, larger hotel has gotten rave reviews from those we know who have stayed there. They have a special through August where you get your third night free, if you stay three nights. Very close location only about 2miles away but you would need to arrange rides or rent a car to stay here.

2. Garden Court Hotel 520 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA (650-322-9000 or 866-824-9028)
This lovely and elegant hotel is located right in the heart of downtown Palo Alto. A little further away (about 3 miles), it provides easy access to shopping, restaurants, boutiques, movies and galleries in Palo Alto. We also love this hotel (stayed here on our wedding night) and it is comparable to the Stanford Park but about a 15-20 minute drive to our home.

Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto

3. Four Seasons Hotel 2050 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, 650) 470-2889. A lovely hotel and contemporary setting that caters primarily to the high tech jet set but with a full 4-star range of amenities. Located about 15-20 minutes from us and about 5 minutes from downtown Palo Alto. Average prices estimated at $245.

4. Atherton Inn 1201 West Selby Lane, Atherton, CA 94027 (800) 474-2777
This is a local bed & breakfast that sits right on the border of Atherton and Redwood City. It is situated in a residential area and about 2 miles away and features spacious suites in a more intimate setting. Breakfast service is available in the morning (but not included in the price, from what I can see).

5. Red Cottage Inn 1704 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) 326-9010
Very close at .5 miles away, with rooms that are of a generous size, and a complimentary deluxe breakfast bar but this is definitely a smaller, local place and not a rated hotel. Reviews looked favorable but not definitive as to whether the setting has problems with train or car noise issues. Nevertheless, this motel may have the best features and be situated the closest to us for the price.

Knowing that there are those with other preferences, the following contains a listing of other better-known named budget hotels within a short distance. We are located in Atherton, in between Menlo Park and Redwood City.