The Cardinal Hotel

2.5 star property
City-center hotel within easy reach of Stanford Shopping Center

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Photo gallery for The Cardinal Hotel

Experience the warmth of our grand lobby, featuring a central fireplace, ornate columns, and comfortable seating areas.
Classic hotel with balconies and arched windows, featuring a welcoming entrance and a distinctive column structure.
Experience the warmth and elegance of our lobby, featuring a grand fireplace, comfortable seating, and a stunning chandelier.
Two single beds with white linens, a flat-screen TV, and a large mirror.
Relax in this inviting living area with a comfortable seating arrangement, dining table, and bookshelf.
Nestled near Stanford University, The Cardinal Hotel offers a unique blend of art and academia. Discover the on-site art gallery, warm up by the lobby fireplace or grab a cup of coffee at the cafe. With helpful staff and free WiFi in public areas, this hotel is an ideal retreat.

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Non-smoking
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Free WiFi

Main amenities (7)

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Breakfast available
  • Coffee shop/cafe
  • 24-hour front desk
  • Lobby fireplace
  • Water dispenser
  • Luggage storage

Feel at home (6)

  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Premium TV channels
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Elevator
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Premium bedding
The current price is CNY1,042
CNY1,205 total
includes taxes & fees
Aug 9 - Aug 10

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 4 of 4 rooms

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Private Bathroom

7.2 out of 10
Good
(11 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Free cribs/infant beds
LED TV
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Egyptian cotton linens
Separate bedroom
Portable fan
Down duvet
  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, Private Bathroom, Corner

8.4 out of 10
Very good
(5 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Free cribs/infant beds
LED TV
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Egyptian cotton linens
Separate bedroom
Portable fan
Down duvet
  • 24 sq m
  • City view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds, Private Bathroom

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(4 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Free cribs/infant beds
LED TV
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Egyptian cotton linens
Separate bedroom
Portable fan
Down duvet
  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, Private Bathroom

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(10 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Free cribs/infant beds
LED TV
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Egyptian cotton linens
Separate bedroom
Portable fan
Down duvet
  • 23 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About the neighborhood

Map
235 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94301

What's nearby

  • Stanford Shopping Center - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Stanford Stadium - 18 min walk - 1.5 km
  • Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford - 2 min drive - 1.5 km
  • Stanford University - 2 min drive - 1.8 km
  • Stanford University Medical Center - 3 min drive - 1.9 km

Getting around

  • San Carlos, CA (SQL) - 20 min drive
  • Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl. Airport (SJC) - 21 min drive
  • San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO) - 26 min drive
  • Oakland Intl. Airport (OAK) - 37 min drive
  • Menlo Park Station - 4 min drive
  • California Ave Station - 5 min drive
  • Palo Alto Station - 6 min walk

Restaurants

  • ‪Verve Coffee Roasters - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Salt & Straw - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Nola - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Pho Ha Noi - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Pizza My Heart - ‬2 min walk

About this property

The Cardinal Hotel

When you stay at The Cardinal Hotel, you'll be within a 10-minute drive of Stanford University and San Francisco Bay. Also, Stanford University Medical Center and Shoreline Amphitheatre are within a short drive. Fellow travelers love the helpful staff and location.

Languages

English, French, Spanish

More about this property

VISIBILITY

At a glance

Hotel size

    • 63 rooms
    • Arranged over 3 floors

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
    • Contactless check-in available
    • Express check-in/out available
    • Check-out time is 11:00 AM
    • Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

    • An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
    • Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required

Pets

    • Pets not allowed
    • Service animals welcome

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas

Parking

    • Onsite garage
    • Offsite parking within 39 ft (USD 15 per day)

Other information

    • Smoke-free property
LOB_HOTELS

Property amenities

Food and drink

  • Full breakfast (surcharge) on weekday mornings 7:00 AM–10:00 AM
  • Coffee shop
  • Water dispenser

What to do

  • Winery tours nearby

Services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage

Facilities

  • 1 building/tower
  • Built in 1924
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Art gallery on site
  • Traditional architecture

Accessibility

  • Elevator
  • Assistive listening devices available
  • Visual fire alarm

ROOM

Room amenities

Be entertained

  • 42-inch LED TV
  • Premium satellite channels

Home comfort

  • Heating
  • Ceiling fan
  • Bathrobes and slippers
  • Iron/ironing board

Sleep well

  • Hypo-allergenic bedding
  • Down comforter
  • Premium bedding
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Free crib/infant bed

Freshen up

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Designer toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Towels
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Toilet paper

Stay connected

  • Desk
  • Free local calls
  • Electrical adapters/chargers

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water

More

  • Daily housekeeping
  • In-room safe (laptop compatible)
  • Guidebooks/recommendations
  • Local maps
  • Restaurant dining guide

MONETIZATION_ON

Fees & policies

Optional extras

  • Full breakfast is offered for an extra charge of approximately USD 22 for adults and USD 22 for children

Children & extra beds

  • Rollaway beds are available for USD 20.0 per day

Parking

  • Parking is available nearby and costs USD 15 per day (39 ft away)

Policies

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a carbon monoxide detector and a smoke detector on site.
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Cashless transactions are available.
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.

Also known as

The Cardinal Hotel Hotel
The Cardinal Hotel Palo Alto
The Cardinal Hotel Hotel Palo Alto

HELP_OUTLINE

Frequently asked questions

Does The Cardinal Hotel offer free cancellation for a full refund?

Yes, The Cardinal Hotel does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure to check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.

Are pets allowed at The Cardinal Hotel?

Sorry, pets aren't allowed, but service animals are welcome.

What are the check-in and check-out times at The Cardinal Hotel?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime. Check-out time is 11:00 AM. Express check-in and check-out and contactless check-in and check-out are available.

What is there to do at The Cardinal Hotel and nearby?

Recommended spots to visit include Stanford Shopping Center (10-min walk) and Stanford University Medical Center (1.6 mi), along with Stanford University (1.7 mi) and Facebook Campus (3.5 mi).

What's the area around The Cardinal Hotel like?

The Cardinal Hotel is in University South, a short 6-minute walk from Palo Alto Station and 10 minutes' walk from Stanford Shopping Center. Travelers give top marks for the hotel's prime location.

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The Cardinal Hotel Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Popular mentions

Room
Location
Service staff
Restaurant
Air conditioning
History
Ambience
Historical
Building
Bed

What guests liked

  • The property's location offers easy access to many shops and restaurants within walking distance. (5 reviews)
AI Sparkle IconFrom real guest reviews summarized by AI.

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

this property is great example of historic preservation done right!
Laura, 4-night trip

10/10 Excellent

An impressive historic landmark, staff is friendly, rooms & facilities are clean, in the center of Stanford.
Michal Ravid, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Would stay again.
Nathan, 3-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Thanks for the great stay!
Jagdeep Singh, 3-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Front desk ladies are super helpful and nice. Hotel rooms are clean, neat, and quiet. Historical evaluator is fun. Super close to restaurants and markets. Good stay!
Y, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Nice and clean bedroom, although the shared bathroom was clean all the time
Teresita, 1-night trip

6/10 Okay

The property is in a great area for shopping and dining. However, the neighborhood can be noisy at night. At 2 am, the guest above me decided to have a loud conversation and did what sounded like moving furniture around. That lasted until after 3 am. The front desk person in the morning didn t bother to ask about my stay, so I didn't share it with them.
Dana, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Gorgeous hotel
Gumaro, 1-night trip

6/10 Okay

Good price. No A/C. Older property but clean.
Stephen, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

This was a great place to stay.
Diane, 5-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Staff are amazing! My stay was wonderful! Highly recommend!
Florinda, 3-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Gorgeous historic hotel; with clean, comfortable, and pretty rooms. In a great location. And very nice staff.
Mariela, 1-night trip

8/10 Good

pretty nice traditional hotel.
Qiying Ann, 4-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Great place, loved it.

Lots of history, great location, very clean and great walking distance to many things including Stanford University.
3-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Will stay here again

We absolutely loved our stay here! The hotel was right in Palo Alto among many restaurants, coffee shops, and an easy walk to the Stanford shuttle. The beds were super comfortable and the lobby was a great place to sit and read by the fireplace.
Suzanne, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Nice Hotel !
Misaki, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Nice hotel in a great area.
Donna, 2-night trip

2/10 Terrible

Incredibly upset and disappointed with the Cardinal Hotel. I was late to check in and was told I would have to share a washroom. Personally, the fact they are allowed to do that on Expedia is wrong. There shouldn't be 'college dorms' listed as hotels on Expedia.
Adam, 1-night trip

8/10 Good

The front desk and housekeeping staff were very friendly and helpful. Hotel is in a great location near lots of shops and restaurants. Bed and bedding were comfy. Elevator door opening was a little small for moving all my belongings, but I made do. There was no air conditioning, but open window and fan worked.
2-night trip

6/10 Okay

The front desk staff was very nice and the hotel is in a great location. However, it was very noisy. I could literally hear every step the person in the room above us took as well as his conversation verbatim. Lastly, there is no air conditioning which could have been miserable if it was warmer.
Karen, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful old hotel with charm.
Elsa, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Stayed here for 2 nights & was a great experience, shopping & diner literally downstairs from hotel.
Stacey, 2-night trip

8/10 Good

This historic hotel is lovely. It has a great location. I had a room directly over the restaurant, so the smell of breakfast and preparing food was very noticeable.
heather renee, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

A very special place with history! We really loved it. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud, very comfortable. Also the Christmas decoration in the hotel lobby was fabulous. A nice place to drink complimentary tee or coffee and enjoy the ambience.
Mario, 3-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Great location and culture.
Shuji, 2-night trip