When I requested a refund, I was met with cold references to "policy" delivered with visible contempt. No willingness to help. No attempt to resolve the issue. Just a rigid refusal. In the end, they charged me for three full nights. The front desk service was unbelievably terrible. If you come here hoping to resolve a problem, be prepared for a masterclass in obstruction and condescension. The staff repeatedly changed their position over and over again. First, I was told I could not switch rooms at the original rate and would have to pay extra. The explanation kept shifting, depending on the moment. The process felt less like customer service and more like being dragged in circles for someone else's entertainment. Clear answers were impossible to get. Consistency did not exist. After being worn down by the constant back-and-forth, I finally gave up and booked another hotel. Only then was I suddenly told that switching rooms at the original rate was possible after all. Amazing how policies become flexible once a guest is exhausted enough to walk away. I will never return to this hotel again. And I strongly advise others to think twice before booking here. Be prepared to experience what it feels like to be treated with arrogance and condescension, as if the staff believe they are doing you a favor simply by acknowledging you. You will pay good money only to have your time wasted and your patience tested. As a guest, you expect respect and professionalism -- not humiliation and needless frustration. There are plenty of hotels that understand what hospitality actually means. This is not one of them. read more

The Zen Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California

My partner and I arrived in the Bay Area a few days before my sister's wedding. Although there were many options, I chose this place because it was only an hour from our destination--and honestly, it was a random pick. They offer breakfast, have a gym, and had good reviews. Luckily, we checked in early thanks to availability. The weather in Palo Alto was cool, so we didn't use much AC, though it was a bit loud at times, it wasn't an issue. The gym had enough machines for a solid workout, and breakfast was great; eggs, sausage, hash browns, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, coffee, tea, juice, and a filtered water fountain. The bathroom felt a bit old-school, but small touches like cotton balls, Q-tips, a Keurig in each room, shampoo, conditioner, and cute mugs made it cozy. The area felt safe and quiet, with restaurants within walking distance. Overall, a great spot for a night or two! read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised with relatively low expectations. Every hotel in the area with a few exceptions was north of $400 per night. Even a simple Hampton Inn was $400. This hotel is surprisingly well maintained. My room was clean and had moderate amenities. The bed was very comfortable. Overall I was genuinely impressed. The breakfast they serve is also very good. A nice variety from sausage, egg and various breads and pastries oatmeal a waffle iron and other stuff. It was pretty good. I'd say for the money, it's as good as any Hampton or Fairfield Inn. read more

Honest, kind employees, a clean, comfortable and a reasonably priced place to stay. Very good parking 5 STARS read more

The Zen Hotel - A field of lavender. - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The room that I stayed in is EXTREMELY dated. It was one of the one story units. The room seemed clean but had very little natural light. The TV was the only element that was born in recent years. The hotel now charges $10.00 to park. Clearly, the trade off is price for quality. read more

Reposting my good comment here - this service was so bad that I made my very first Yelp account. I don't normally leave reviews, but this is insane. Would leave negative stars if I could. We had a recent encounter with bed bugs, so to be fair, I was extra cautious. No mattress protector was on the bed and multiple spots (one showed) deemed as a "food stain". Weirdly a dirty towel bunched up under the seat? We didn't even bring our luggage inside so we could thoroughly check. The front desk person was nice when we asked her to come look and she took photos but wasn't sure what she could do because they were fully booked and they had no options to give me other than leaving my name and number for a manager (who by the way never actually called back). I continued to be told they were at a different property and then received this email saying that because they deemed it "okay" and I wasn't in and out in 10 minutes (it was more like 30, not an hour). I reached out to Booking to see what they could do to help since I didn't stay at their location, and they said they attempted emailed and the hotel was not responding so they most the could give me was a credit (out of their own pocket) for 1/6 of the amount. Whoever runs this hotel is not customer forward, but worse, is nowhere to even be found. read more

The Zen Hotel - Email stating I let them know after their 10 minute policy (it was not one hour) - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

I have stayed at The Zen literally dozens of times over the last ten years when my oldest child was a freshman at Stanford. As my younger child also goes to Stanford, the Zen was our "Go to" hotel until recently. I have in the past given The Zen 5 star reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp, which is why I feel it's necessary to provide an update ... so that my earlier reviews aren't misleading. My last three visits at The Zen were mediocre, but the past two were the worst. On my visit before last, I was traveling by myself. As a woman staying solo in a hotel, safety is a priority. During that stay, I saw a man walk into the hotel with a backpack. He looked perhaps like a transient person. Later at night when I was returning from dinner, he was just standing in the parking lot by the doorway of his room. Just standing there looking around. I hurried to my room and called the front desk because I felt uncomfortable. When I told the front desk person, he said that he knew who the person was and he would tell him not to do that. I asked if the hotel was housing homeless people with vouchers because I know some do, but he did not acknowledge my question. My most recent visit (and this will be my last because I will never stay there again) was the worst. My husband was with me, so safety was not an issue and The Zen had a great weekend rate on Hotels.com. When we got to the room, we found water damage to one of the rear walls. The baseboard and wall had obvious water damage. The area was brittle and pulled away from the wall. Inside the bathroom, the towel bar was pulled out of the wall on one side. This is in addition to the fact that the towel rack is sticking out into the doorway area as soon as you enter the bathroom, and my husband almost got his eye jabbed out by the metal corner when he was walking in. I had booked two nights and we arrived at 10:30 pm, so I wrote Hotels.com and The Zen and told them I wanted to check out after the first night because the room wasn't in working condition. There was also no lamp anymore on the dresser. The only light came from two reading lights attached near the beds and there was ceiling lighting in the back of the room near the dressing area. The room was like a dungeon, and I could not even tell what my make up looked like when I was getting ready to leave the next morning. I want to add that water damage can lead to mold in the walls , potentially causing or exacerbating health issues. Because my concerns about the room were valid, both Hotels.com and The Zen agreed to allow me to check out early and refund the money for the second night that I'd prepaid. It was a Sunday, and the front desk told me they had to wait 24 hours to process my refund. When Monday came around and there was still no refund, I called the office. A woman named Pavi (or something like that) answered the phone. I explained the situation to her, and she put me on hold ... which coincidentally disconnected me. I called back again, and she said OK ... she would process the refund. I asked her to send me an email confirmation, and she said she would. She sent me a confirmation of my original full payment. So I called back again and asked for a confirmation of the refund, and she finally sent it to me. However, I was keeping an eye on my credit card charges online. I saw the refund, but it was "Pending." I monitored over the next few days, and The Zen never finalized my refund so it didn't go through. Not really a problem because I have screenshots of my communications with the Zen and Hotels.com. It's just a pain because I have to file a dispute with the credit card company now. The point I want to convey to you all is that The Zen is renting out rooms that are not safe. The rooms should be repaired before guests are allowed to stay there. In addition, they are lying and being unethical. They faked refunding my money. I would not recommend this motel anymore. It's in very sad condition now. Stanford parents, please stay at the Stanford Guest House. It is always clean and safe. It's been My New Go To hotel for a while now. I just thought I'd give The Zen another chance, but it was a huge mistake. Really ... stay away. And this is from the same person who gave The Zen 5 stars a few years ago and raved about it. Also, there was an abundance of rust on the shower curtain rod. I am attaching photos of everything for readers to see. That said, the shower pressure and water temperature were great, and they had real eggs at breakfast. But the room condition was unacceptable. Please note that the hotel used to be family owned, but it sold to a corporation sometime during Covid. read more

See all

Two thumbs up for the Zen Hotel. Good location, quiet, and clean. The young lady (I think she was Indian) at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. Good hot breakfast included. As long as you aren't expecting the Ritz Carlton, this place is excellent. If we ever have a need to stay in Palo Alto again, we'll be booking a room at The Zen Hotel. read more

Shout out to the front desk guy who was up late at night to let us check in. The price is really good. The placed is beautifully kept and everything exceeded our expectations from the sheets, bathroom, tv, curtains, chair, etc. There's breakfast in the morning from 6am-9am. I highly recommend booking this if you live far out and need a place to rest at night. read more

I needed a place to stay extremely last minute, & The Zen Hotel was near where I needed to be the next day so decided to give it a try. I called to see if they had availability and the gentleman told me he only had one kind room left and had people on hold but I said I was driving so couldn't get my card out to book, I just wanted to see what was available. All things considering, I thought it was strange what he said so still went there to talk to the front desk. The woman was so warm and kind, and sure enough they had availability for what I needed. Not only that, because I booked in person they gave me a 12% discount! The room was nice, very comfortable bed and pillows! My only complaint was the coffee mug was not clean. There was a storm so we lost power, but before that I was able to relax watching some television and I was surprised how many channels it got because the last place I stayed in the area had very few. read more

See all

SERVICE & TRANSITIONS -- The front desk is unattended for long periods of time; not a great initial experience. Early checkin is hit or miss irrespective of that. FWIW it's an impeccably clean lot & landscape. ROOM -- https://youtube.com/shorts/4Yju2TiOneU Cozy & quaint setup with attractive lighting. Dimensions were ideal for 1, or a very intimate couple, on a short stay. It's a feature-rich unit wrt amenities & the seating was strong on comfort & support. I observed ants around the room on multiple occasions which made me uncomfortable about ordering/storing food here. BED -- You'll like this one if you prefer soft mattresses, but the support is all but gone. This was an excruciating sleep & the mattresses are overdue for a refresh. BATH -- Meh. The split-bath design was a win for its vanity & sink, while its other half was underwhelming. Weak water pressure made the shower experience unreliable. The soap dispensers were partially filled so I ran out of shampoo while washing my long luxurious hair... There were a number of alive bugs in the light fixture which was very off putting. TV & ENTERTAINMENT -- Large HD LG TV with premium channels via DirectTV. Picture quality was great & no issues with cable service. The wall mount makes it difficult to use streaming/gaming HDMI devices. WI-FI & CELL RECEPTION -- Cell service is abysmal in the room (Verizon). WiFi is inadequate for work & multitasking... a real bummer. It's consistently congested during prime time & coverage across the property is insufficient. --Performance-- Video streaming - poor Online gaming - poor Video chatting - poor --Nerd Stats-- 7-40 Mbps download 14-16 Mbps upload 0.8 % packet loss 26 ms latency 39 ms jitter FOOD & DRINK -- DoorDash friendly. There is a light breakfast offering provided in the reception area. Small mini fridge, coffee, & microwave provided in-room. FYI the nearby pokeworks is NOT good. NOISE -- Walls are UNCOMFORTABLY THIN; you hear everything at normal speaking volume. LOCATION -- The location felt safe throughout the day. Walgreens is across the street along with a Tesla charging station. Great walkability to a number of staple storefronts. RATING & RECOMMENDATION It presents well, but the quality of this property is just not there: so-so customer service, too many pests, terribad wireless infrastructure, & painful beds. The only redeeming quality would be its location. I would not return nor recommend this hotel. 2/5 @mrstaycation read more

I've been hotel hopping for my stays when getting treatment at Stanford. This is my hotel of choice. It was clean, quiet and I can't express how relaxing it was to have an outdoor space that was shaded in this current heat wave. The in room toiletries had more than franchise hotels provide. Check in and out was easy and complimentary breakfast was a nice surprise. read more

Update to review from stay on Sunday 9/25. One of the beds was very comfortable as it was super soft and felt like you were sleeping on clouds. The other 2 beds were not as comfortable. The bedroom that had the queen room was the worst as all you could hear was the traffic all night long due to the location being next to a very busy road. (I'm sure it was not like this when it was originally built). The shower was nice and had decent water pressure. In the morning the breakfast was subpar in my opinion. Yes they raved it was a hot breakfast which was nice but the hot breakfast consisted of sausages, grits, oatmeal, tater tots and mini waffles you could make from their waffle machine. They pretty much had run out of syrup by 0800, but there was enough for my waffles. They also had yogurt, bagles, toast, cereal, coffee and juice. Although the breakfast wasn't super amazing it definitely was better than packaged pastries you get at other hotels. I would say that I definitely would consider staying here again if I was ever in Palo Alto as it is in walking distance to some food places. read more

The Zen Hotel - Living room in 2 bedroom queen suite - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Rude manager, rough rooms not clean stay away!!!! Stay there 3 times 3rd time suite was not clean fridges were still full of last person stuff bugs on the bed. When we complain we got called liar and bad customer. We are in shock we left to a proper hotel. Were bed are changed not just put back together asap read more

See all

Third stay at the hotel will be our last. Booked what we thought was the same suite from 6 months earlier. Was told at check in that there was not enough beds for the 4 people on the reservation. Front desk clerk was unhelpful in providing solutions (extra cot, etc.) My teen/tween boys made due cramming into the tiny sofa bed, but when we awoke the next day, we found the room was infested with bugs and the mini fridge was filled with old food from a prior guest. When my husband and I asked for the room to be properly cleaned, the manager became aggressive and rude, accusing us of making up the information. We immediately checked out and moved to a nicer hotel. Couldn't believe how we were treated as a repeat customer. The manager seems unhinged. read more

See all

I called the day I needed a room and asked the best price they could do for me. They quoted me $115 but I said it would be great if they could do $78 since that was the going rate online. They agreed to match the $78. I showed up past 8:30pm. The check in process was easy. I was told there would not be breakfast service in the AM due to COVID. The room itself was fine. I didn't think it was worth $78, let alone $115, but I needed a room for a night and didn't need much fanfare. They had teeny bottles of shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash; chapstick, and even a small wooden comb. There were also complimentary snacks and water. There was air conditioning/heater inside the room. The bed was comfortable and the pillows were actually quite nice; however, If I were to need to stay in PA for another night in the future, I probably wouldn't go for this hotel. It was a little expensive. read more

It was very clean and nice but the walls are very thin and I can hear people's conversation next door. Also I wish that it was more secure.

This is the Best little Hideaway! The quiet rooms, Amenities are all there. Parking is great- private gardens "Zen" are the perfect hang out too! I especially loved breakfast- everything you could want for breakfast and fresh! I especially liked having cinnamon for my coffee and other condiments. The use of space is optimal and decor is serene and upscale. We love this place when we get to come to town. I just don't want to over promote so it's booked when we come back!! Shelly Jones read more

For an affordable hotel in Palo Alto, look no further! I stayed here for a quick trip to Stanford and found the hotel cute, comfortable, friendly, and in a good location with coffee and food within blocks. Theres a pretty residential neighborhood on the other side. The Korean restaurant across the street looked amazing and I wish I had eaten there. Zen offers a breakfast in a homey space with hot and cold self-serve items. The whole place feels freshly refurbished in a cheery way and is well maintained. I would stay here again. read more

While in the Bay visiting my boyfriend for his birthday, I needed a place to stay. I found The Zen Hotel through Hotels.com and the price was reasonable (although everything in the area is way too expensive in my opinion). I booked a room for one night and everything was all set. Parking can be a little tight as their lot is tiny but I managed to squeeze into a spot right in front of my room. The room itself was clean, modern, and relaxing. The bed was comfortable and the bedding soft. They have plenty of lights/lighting in the room and blackout curtains to keep any unwanted light out while you're trying to sleep. There is a standard TV with a variety of channels, a coffee maker with coffee pods, and a mini fridge. They also offered a variety of tea, complimentary bottles of water, chips, chocolate, nuts, and snacks. Score! There were bathrobes and slippers to use as well as amazing toiletry products (L'Occitane!!!). The shower was wonderful with plenty of warm water and high water pressure. The towels were soft and clean. This room really had everything you could want / think of. It was a tiny home-away-from-home. They offered a complimentary hot breakfast in the morning from 7 AM - 10 AM in the lobby (I believe I have those hours correct), but I slept in. Check-out is at 11 AM. I would definitely stay at The Zen Hotel again the next time I'm in the Bay Area. read more

See all

Housekeeping knocked on our room 3 times, when we had a late check out at 11:30. The third time they said if you're not out by 11:30, we will automatically charge you. Staff were unnecessarily rude & threatened with "you have less than 7 minutes". read more

Not a whole lot to stay here except I've had an enjoyable experience every time I've stayed here. Clean room, nice front desk staff, reasonably priced for Palo Alto, comfortable beds, plenty of parking, but you can get a cheap share ride (if that's your preference) because it's centrally located. I like to go there when I've I need to decompress and get a good night's sleep or for a planned a date night or spa day at a local restaurant. It's a quiet little gem of a place. I have nothing negative to say about this hotel. read more

Do not take a chance on them. We had a flood in our bathroom in the middle of the night from the upstairs room. We had to get up in the middle of the night pack up and move to a lesser quality hotel down the street. I asked for a refund due to the very bad experience and they refused although they did credit us for the difference in price from the lesser quality hotel but that was minimal and not satisfying. They hide behind the corporate veil and the local staff have no authority. I have used them for many years but never again. Go somewhere else that will care properly for you if something bad happens. read more

Pros: Nice quiet room. Couch in the room. Plenty of hot water...quickly. Great hot breakfast (fresh waffles, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausages, rolls, bagels, cereal, fruit, juices). Breakfast room. Purified water dispenser in office. Coffee available in the Breakfast Room all day. Free Wi-Fi. Friendly staff. Across the street from a Walgreens. Reasonable price. Cons: Noisy toilet (sounds like a rocket launch when handle is depressed. Coffee in the room was not refilled. read more

Wouldn't stay here again. For $300 a night I'd expect something a little better. It's got the feel of a Days Inn. The only breakfast option is their complimentary breakfast which is definitely Days Inn level. The oatmeal was so watery it had 3" of water at the surface and you had to strain the ladle to get anything that resembled oats. The eggs, tater tots and sausage patties (especially the patties) seemed a day old. The room is ok. Mostly clean but worn around the edges. The shower/bathtub had a very slow drain so you had to stand in dirty water though out the shower. The TV had some pixel issues so there were large blue pixels inundating the screen which rendered it unwatchable. Bed was ok. The hotel (more like a motel) is situated adjacent to the main road, Camino Real, and you can hear passing traffic as well as anyone or vehicle outside in the parking which could awaken you at anytime. First and last visit. Jpll read more

See all

The Zen Hotel is totally a hidden gem! Trust the reviews, y'all. As I write this review, there is not one thing I can think of to complain about. From the outside it totally looks like a motel, so much so that we missed it at first. But once you get inside it's really nice! The room itself was super clean and it had many amenities. The snacks are free and so healthy (as healthy as snacks can be anyways). They have l'occitane toiletries and even free chapstick. Their onsite fitness center and recreation room are awesome as well. Breakfast was a huge plus and much better than the free breakfasts you'd find at other hotels. They've got the usual - pancakes, eggs, fruits, sausages. But they also have great fruit smoothies! Not to mention the free coffee available 24/7 in the lobby is Philz and Peet's! Free Philz, yall. So glad I stumbled upon this hotel! Definitely recommend. read more

See all

Needed a hotel in Palo Alto for a couple of nights. There's not much selection in Palo Alto and the limited number of hotels are overpriced. I am thrilled to have found The Zen Hotel. Its an old school motor inn/motel that has been updated. Pros: Friendly front desk clerks Water & Snacks in room included in price Nicer lotion/soap options in bathroom Very reasonable price! Walking distance to Starbucks/some restaurants Healthy breakfast options included in price (smoothies/granola & yogurt) Coffee & Tea in room (and in lobby in the morning) Able to park in front of room They have a gym (but I wasn't able to try it out) Free Wi-Fi and it didn't lag Cons: Limited number of rooms Rooms/bathroom on the small side Air Conditioning Unit in wall (so its a bit loud) Walls are thin (I could hear neighbor's alarm when it went off) Overall, I was VERY pleased with my visit and would recommend to others. A Great option, if in town for business. read more

The Zen Hotel - L'Occitane toiletries, chapstick, loofah, etc - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California

This hotel surpassed our expectations for the price. We were in Palo Alto for a party from SF and decided to spend the night. The room was clean, the bed very comfortable, the toiletries and bath robe as well as the free goodies like water, coffee, snacks etc in the room was what you would expect for a room twice the price. As an added bonus, I lost a diamond earring that was a valentines gift, and they found and returned it to me. You don't get that in most places! read more

The staff are super friendly and the hotel is clean. They give you bottled water and a snack when you check in. You can't beat the price!

I have everything I could want for comfort here. One of the few places we have stayed at with a top of the line fitness room and limited but tasty warm breakfast. Beds are very comfy. Water pressure and temp if great. Even an iron and ironing board if needed. A safe for your valuables. We were staying here for 3 nights but just added a night because we are very comfortable here. Lots of good channels on the 37" screen tv. Thank you Zen staff read more

I cannot say enough good things about the amazing people who run this hotel. I had medical appointments in Palo Alto on consecutive days and needed a room that could accommodate my desire for certain covid mitigation/precautions (room entry from outdoors, and individual AC units.) I spoke with Roger, who not only confirmed Zen Hotel's protocols and features, but he also told me they host many people who are in town for medical issues (Stanford Hospital, and other large medical facilities, are nearby) so the staff there is very careful. A few days prior to our visit, I emailed to asked for additional measures, and Jorge, the front desk agent, acknowledged my request. We arrived, checked in, noted that my request had been honored, and had a quiet, comfortable visit. When I arrived home the following night there were two messages from Jorge, and one from Roger, who had called early the previous day to ask for my credit card info which had somehow not been logged into their system. They were sold out and needed confirmation of payment from me, but -- long story short(er)--I didn't receive the messages until after I returned home. They had every right to cancel the appointment but did not. They gave me the benefit of their trust, and their commitment to serving those with medical needs. I keep getting teary-eyed, writing this. Such decency and kindness! When I called to thank them, Jorge told me, had they had to cancel the reservation, they would have found accommodations for me in one of their affiliated hotels. I've never experienced this level of customer service and care from any other hotel. So thank you again, Roger and Jorge and Zen Hotel Palo Alto. I will most certainly stay at Zen again (and make sure you have all the info you need in advance!) read more

I stayed here for two nights with my mom so we could go to the Vans Warped Tour at Shoreline amphitheatre and it was a wonderful experience. It's located close to the amphitheatre so transportation was super easy. The room and bathroom were very clean, and featured a mini fridge, TV, chair, safe, and hair dryer. The room and bathroom also featured complimentary L'Occitane toiletries and healthy snacks. The staff was friendly, especially the front desk and breakfast people. The free continental breakfast was from 7:00 am - 10:00 am and had plenty of options to choose from. Every morning it is different but there are breads, yogurts, hot foods, pancakes, fruit, coffee, and juice. They even make their own healthy juice blends which are an amazing start to the day. The parking is very close and easy to get in and out of. Loved my stay! read more

See all

Super clean, very quiet, and very comfortable beds and pillows!!! Great front desk and cleaning people, feels very safe and tucked in. Free, grab-n-go stuffed breakfast bag (stayed 2/21), parking in private parking/courtyard outside rooms. Close to everything! read more

A much needed respite from the hustle and bustle and smog centers of Silicon Valley. This room was above and beyond what would be normal for it's price range. Silicon Valley has a lot of very nice or very cheap lodging, this was perfectly in between. Our room was super super clean, and all of the staff were very covid conscious. I forgot several items and was able to get them for free from the front desk. Breakfast is normal continental: yogurt, danishes, sausage, egg, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. read more

Highly recommend this family owned place. They really take care of you, are very appreciative of your business, and have positive attitudes! Amazing humans! Thank you for making our stay respectful and safe with your warm welcomes. Please consider the Zen Hotel over a chain like the Marriott :) support them if you can!! Merry Christmas!! read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this quaint and unassuming accommodations. I reserved directly through their website and their check-in was easy and quick. We only stayed one night but I would definitely return for another or even an extended visit. The breakfast served in the lobby was more than adequate and there was something for everyone. Hot items such as eggs, bacon & hash browns as well as, bagels, breads, muffins, yogurts, cereals and even fruit smoothies. read more

See all

This is a motel. That's really our only complaint. My mom and I came and stayed here for a few days while looking for housing I could move into next month. We were greeted in the evening by the friendly staff and warm cookies in the lobby. We came to the room with the free wireless and complimentary bottled water (and green tea candies)... collapsed on the very soft queen beds in front of the giant flatscreen tv and went to sleep. In the morning we enjoyed the delicious hot breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, roasted potatoes, oatmeal, banana, apples, oranges, honeydew, raisin bran, fruit loops, yogurt, bagels, english muffins, bread, chocolate muffins, raspberry muffins, croissants, OJ, and coffee. And get this: the breakfast was different the next day. And so were the cookies, when I came back to the lobby when we got locked out and they remembered my face, along with which room number I was staying in. One thing: the fitness center has been closed all the days we've been here, despite repeated promises that it would be open in the next few hours. For this price, in this area, this is a really great situation. And if you need a knowledgeable concierge, you're Yelping wrong! read more

This is a great hotel. Everything was perfect. The room was clean. The front desk clerks were friendly. The breakfast was good. Just 2 miles down the road from Stanford. It was a perfect location. We felt safe in the neighborhood. Highly recommend this hotel! read more

Was surprised at some of the negative reviews I saw on here after staying here, but you have to keep in mind that people who have a terrible experience are going to be more likely to leave a review than people who have good or average stays. Anyways, I enjoyed my stay here. Was looking for a place to stay for work that was inexpensive but not bottom of the barrel. After researching various hotels I found the Zen Hotel and decided to book a stay here. I think it maintains a nice balance between price and quality. My room was comfortable, clean, and I paid100 dollars a night total. The room, which had a single queen bed, was a little cramped but that was not an issue for me. They provided two free water bottles and some snacks in the room, which included a fridge and a standard motel room coffee maker. There were quite a few channels to watch on the TV so I had plenty of options of things to watch in my downtime. If you can't tell by the pictures, although its called the Zen Hotel, it's a really a motel (parking lot in middle of property surrounded by rooms). I would recommend this place to others and I would stay here again. read more

Place was under remodel and from the outside kind of scared us away a little. However we remained open minded, and was very glad we did. The room was quite large. Had a full sofa with coffee table. The sofa was much to firm for me, so it worked great for the luggage. There was also a nice card table with two very comfortable chairs. 37" flatscreen tv sits atop a rather long desk with an office chair an lamp. Hiding amongst all the storage place of the counter is a microwave and refrigerator. An iHome was available for all you iPod iPhone users. Great sound and two alarms available in it. The bathroom was very nice with tile floors and an amazing Raindance shower head. Usually these shower heads turn me away cause of lack of water pressure, however this one was wonderful. The bed was super comfortable, and provided me with a wonderful night sleep. Even though our room was right off the main road, the noice was not noticeable at all. The contential breakfast was great. Bagels, muffins, ceral, starbucks coffee, sunny delight, fruit cups are all available. The lobby itself is smaller then any of the rooms and is not that impressive. But as I said before, the place is under remodel. There was a free Internet computer in the lobby. Does not offer any privacy if you wanted to check bank records or anything. Printer also available for $1 a sheet which is way expensive. WiFi also available throughout the property. The gym was very small. It had a treadmil, stair climber, and a corner workout unit that would handle most vacationers just trying to maintain while away from home. The spa is only big enough for 3 or 4 people. 2.5 feet deep and completly indoors with no windows to the outside. The whole "Rec" center is behind two locked doors the can be opened with your room card key. Kind of hard to find. It was on the lower level, on the northeast side, right at the corner of the lot. The laundry room wad quite small. Only one washer and dryer. Must use quarters. Overall, I was quite happy with the place. Like I said, a little worried from the outside apperance, but was quite happy with the inside. read more

The Zen Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Palo Alto, California