Graduate by Hilton Palo Alto — Hotel in Palo Alto

Upon my arrival at the property, I was greeted by the valet team, and instantly, the meticulous attention to detail throughout the property caught my eye. As I stepped through the doors, I was enveloped by the sophisticated and luxurious NEWSTALGIA fragrance that filled every corner of this stunning establishment.||The lobby is a perfect blend of romance and charm, creating an inviting and immaculate atmosphere with every detail curated. The furniture is not only solid and comfortable but also exudes chic elegance, significantly enhancing the overall aesthetic.||The front desk staff are truly the cornerstone of this hotel's extraordinary service. Diana transformed a challenging day at Stanford into a positive experience with her attitude, extreme politeness, professionalism, and empathetic demeanor. She went above and beyond to assist me with parking, wrote a handwritten note to cheer me up, had a big smile and super positive vibes. ||Diana provided excellent suggestions to restaurants and places around the hotel making her an outstanding employee! Aylin was equally impressive, consistently displaying a positive attitude, efficiency, and attentiveness. She handled all my requests promptly and with a genuine smile. Darnell also stood out with his exceptional politeness and attentiveness, exemplifying the hotel's commitment to service even at 1 AM when I required items to be delivered to my room. ||Diana, Aylin, and Darnell epitomize outstanding customer service, and their efforts are deeply appreciated. Thank you all!||At President’s Terrace, the ambiance is electric, cozy, warm, and incredibly chic, with breathtaking views of Palo Alto that enhance the experience. Erica's exceptional service and insightful recommendations elevated my evening to an unforgettable level. Her enthusiasm, attentive listening, and delicious suggestions showcase excellence in the food and beverage industry. Erica, thank you for the delightful food, drinks, and vibrant atmosphere you provided, which added immensely to my experience.||The room exceeded my highest expectations. From the moment I entered, I was greeted by the signature scent, and the room was immaculate, showcasing an extraordinary level of cleanliness. The decor is thoughtfully designed, with high-end furniture and well-planned spaces where everything has its place. ||The careful selection of every element, from the wallpaper to the bathroom sconces, underscores the commitment to quality. The sheets, pillows, fabrics, and toiletries (Malin & Goetz) are of exceptional quality, contributing to a sense of luxury and comfort. The fresh, clean scent of the towels, reminiscent of a light Tom Ford Neroli Portofino fragrance, adds a final touch of elegance. ||The room is a true masterpiece, combining art, scent, high-quality furnishings, and unparalleled comfort.||Breakfast and coffee at Lou & Herbert’s were exceptional experiences. The service was fast, the breakfast delicious, and the coffee among the best I have ever had, which is saying a lot as a frequent coffee drinker. The gentleman serving was kind, attentive, and efficient, making for a pleasant morning start.||Lastly, during the checkout process, Daniel, the Office Manager, demonstrated politeness, extensive knowledge, and made the process smooth and efficient. ||Chelsey, impeccably dressed and exuding positivity, provided outstanding customer service. She answered all of my questions, shared information about the hotel's signature scent and history, and made my departure as pleasant as my stay. Her professionalism and friendliness were commendable, ensuring that my experience ended on a high note.||In conclusion, every aspect of my stay, from the valet service to the room amenities, from dining experiences to the exceptional service by the staff, contributed to one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. The attention to detail, quality of service, and overall ambiance of this property are unparalleled. Thank you to the entire team for making this an unforgettable stay. Thank You, Graduate...

TLDR: Poor service. Would not accept/process our Graduate Hotel Gift Card, even though they literally say they are for use "at all US locations." Pretty small rooms. Fun historical building. Nice shower, good central location.

Long story, short-ish: We received a gift card for this Palo Alto hotel and were excited to try it out. My wife made a reservation over the phone and asked if we could use a gift card. We were told yes, no problem, so we made the reservation. Upon checking in the front desk person said she didn't know how to process the stay with the gift card so she'd leave a note for the next person who'd hopefully be more knowledgeable. She assured us our credit card wouldn't be charged for the stay and said she was adding a note on file to ask us about our gift card and not to charge the credit card. When checking out, we learned they had charged our credit card. My wife told them about the gift card, mentioned the previous conversations we had when first making the reservation and checking in, but the guy at the front desk didn't know how to charge the stay using our gift card. He said he'd check with his supervisor, Danny, and call us back to get the credit card charge refunded and process the gift card instead.

We hadn't heard anything, so we called the hotel back and spoke to Danny. He said they aren't able to accept the gift card, offers the rationale that they're a new location so maybe that's why, but would not be updating the payment from credit card to gift card. When pressed on this, he told us we could try speaking with the Director of Rooms the next day and see if she could do anything. We wouldn't have stayed here if not for the gift card, and we asked about it before our stay to make sure we could use it for the reservation, so we were pretty annoyed about how flippant he was about the issue. The gift card says, "for use at all US locations" and the web page to purchase it also has a photo of the Palo Alto location on it.

About the stay. The lobby is fun, eclectic with a somewhat historic feel. We heard the rooftop bar was a great vibe but they were all booked, so would recommend making a reservation in advance if you want to go there. The room we stayed in, Queen, was quite small (no room for nightstands). There's a kettle and instant coffee, but no tea. There is a safe that worked well. No mini fridge, but not sure if that's specific to the room category we were in. The highlight of the room was the shower. Great water pressure and nice scented Malin & Goetz products.

We have left a message about our gift card situation with the "Director of Rooms" so we'll see if we get...

I was in town for the week for business and picked the Graduate because it was a Hilton Property, and the reviews and pictures looked good. When I arrived the woman at the desk gave me my pre-checked in room cards and gave direction to the elevator. The room was small, but nice. There was only a desk chair to sit on other than the bed which was the first surprise. I looked around for some sort of hotel guide and didn’t find one so turned the TV on to check if there was any hotel info on there, but no. Went back downstairs to find out about some water as I didn’t get any when I checked in as part of my Hilton rewards and asked if there was any sort of guide to find out about the restaurant or rooftop bar (or any other amneties) and checked for water. I was told they didn’t have any guides and that there was water in my fridge. They could have told me that when I checked-in but decided not to. I then found out the hotel didn’t have any retail snacks, water or beverages for sale. I then went back to my room and found the two cans of water in the fridge which was inside the buffet stand with the safe and set of drawers. The staff were friendly, but they would not volunteer any information. Luckily there is a CVS a few blocks away to pick any incidentals. The downstairs restaurant menu didn’t look appealing so went up to the rooftop bar. It was cold and the employees were wearing coats and only served appetizer food. I then went a few blocks and found a nice restaurant. Nothing like the Hilton properties I am used to. Based on reviews I chose a room on the back side to avoid street noise and the room was very quiet. Thursday morning is trash day which isn’t a problem unless you planned on sleeping in past 5:56 am as that is when the truck unloads the dumpster and wakes everyone up. The housekeeping was great and enjoyed the breakfast in the morning. There is a $25 daily credit to be used in the hotel with the restaurant and rooftop bar the only two options so I did the breakfast which used up the fee each day.|I have never had to deal with a front desk staff this bad and with the small rooms is not what I expected from a Hilton property and I can’t recommend this hotel for any...