Travelodge by Wyndham Palo Alto Silicon Valley

This Travelodge in Palo Alto is a functional option for budget travelers, but it's not without a few welcoming details. The older motel-style property makes a pleasant enough impression from the outside, with a cheerful sky-blue facade topped with handsome terra-cotta tiles. A set of comfortable wicker furniture on a small, second-floor terrace provides a good area to relax and watch traffic and people go by on the busy road. Some nice landscaping and trees including towering palms add more appeal, but the overgrown vacant lot next door dims this a bit. The modest lobby doubles as the breakfast room, with a few tables and several chairs. It’s a sunny spot with lots of windows, but quite small. Budget-conscious students and others doing business at Stanford University frequently stay here, as do patients and families visiting the university’s medical centers and tech workers. It’s a generally peaceful place where guests stick to themselves for the most part.

The Travelodge is located on busy El Camino that runs north to the Stanford University Campus in less than two miles. It’s a safe and mostly commercial area in Palo Alto with some other hotels and a few restaurants in the immediate area, including a McDonald’s across the street and a bakery/cafe a short walk away.

• Six-minute walk to shopping at Palo Alto Square
• Six-minute drive to Stanford University and Stanford Stadium
• Six-minute drive to the CalTrain Station
• Nine-minute drive to Midtown Shopping Center and Palo Alto Art Center
• 10-minute drive to the Veterans Hospital
• 13-minute drive to Palo Alto Airport
• 14-minute drive to Google, Inc.
• 20-minute drive to Apple, Inc.
• 24-minute drive to Great American Theme Park
• 28-minute drive to San Jose Airport
• 32-minute drive to San Francisco International Airport
• 44-minute drive to Oakland International Airport

Guest rooms at this Travelodge are generally clean and continue the cheery sky-blue color from the hotel's facade, pairing it with shiny copper bed throws and bolster pillows. Their striped carpet and drapes add a bit more design, and tasteful nature-themed art is a nice touch. But the rooms' relatively diminutive size, smallish windows, and low lighting can make them feel a little glum. Budget-quality wood furniture in a dark espresso finish doesn’t help either. Some of the furniture we saw also was showing obvious signs of wear, and there were even patched walls and ceilings in some of the bathrooms. Bathrooms are also on the small side, but they feature some up-to-date fixtures like granite vanities, walk-in showers with marbled tiles, and windows that open, which are a welcome addition. Room categories span Kings, Double Queens, and even Triples. Amenities are solid throughout, with microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, safes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi as standard. Rooms in the L-shaped property that are closest to the busy road tend to hear more ambient noise, but it’s not oppressive. Views throughout are unremarkable. 

There's few extras on offer at this no-frills property. The most notable could be its free continental breakfast that includes cereal, pastries, fruit, juice, and coffee. It also has vending machines that sell soft drinks. Reception is staffed 24/7, and Wi-Fi is free. On-site parking also is free but it’s limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Street parking is available if the lot is full.)