Aloft Santa Clara — Hotel in San Jose

This was our second time staying at this hotel because I really liked the location, design, cleanliness, and convenience during our first stay last year. The front desk staff were very polite, accommodating to our requests, and I was very satisfied with that experience.

However, this time we were unpleasantly surprised. After my husband and I settled in to rest, we started noticing small ants falling from the ceiling, in the pillows, in the blankets. They were everywhere— in the bathroom, on the tables, on the windows. There weren’t a huge number of them, but they were scattered around. My husband was bitten twice by one of these ants.

We reported the issue to the front desk, and they sincerely apologized and kindly offered us a new room two floors up. To be honest, that room was completely ant-free—we didn’t see a single one. I really appreciate their understanding and the fact that they moved us to a different room.

However, for the first time, we had booked a room with breakfast included, and the breakfast was a huge disappointment. I ordered a plant-based burger, and while the burger itself wasn’t terrible (I’d give it a 6 out of 10), the bun was delicious, and the vegetables inside were fresh. But the patty had a very unpleasant smell and looked far from fresh. I couldn’t eat it. My husband’s burger, which was actually a sandwich, looked and smelled terrible. And after eating it, he started feeling sick. He experienced severe stomach pain and felt awful.

We were both extremely disappointed with the breakfast, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating at this hotel. Another concern we had during our stay was the quality of the toiletries provided in the shower. Both my husband and I experienced significant itching on our scalp and skin after using them, and the body wash was particularly difficult to rinse off. I would kindly recommend that the hotel consider upgrading the toiletries for a better guest experience.

Overall, my feelings are mixed. On one hand, I appreciate the great location, comfort, cleanliness, and friendly staff. On the other hand, the issue with the ants and the terrible breakfast really ruined this stay for us. I am grateful to the staff for promptly resolving the room situation, but unfortunately, this time our experience at this hotel was not as pleasant...

I stayed here for the first time a year ago and picked this hotel because it was less than a mile to my supplier. Last time was fine so I stayed here again. This stay was brief - one night - and also fine. Odds are high that I'll stay again if I come to this supplier again.||Pro:|* I love the decor in this hotel. It's really attractive.|* The bed was really comfortable.|* I like the plugs being available on the bedside table so I don't have to move furniture or crane around to plug things in.|* Last time I visited, I had time to sit outside with a drink - it was lovely and a praying mantis joined me. Very cool. (This time, I arrived after midnight and left before 8 am. I just had time to crash.)||Neutral:|* I checked in, hauled my stuff to my room, and my room key didn't work. I had to haul everything back downstairs to get the desk guy to make my key cooperate. Minor inconvenience but I'd worked and travelled and it was after midnight by the time I arrived so the trek back downstairs felt a bit herculean.|* In order to get breakfast, you have to order it off a screen and then wait for it to arrive. I had a voucher for breakfast, but needed to get gone and didn't have time to wait.||Con:|* The bathroom is not woman friendly. The trash cans don't have plastic liners. The sink is a giant bowl - you will break your neck trying to shave using the sink. The shower doesn't have any shelves or storage space for your toiletries. It also doesn't have a lip or step for your foot so if you are trying to shave in the shower, you either sit on the floor or fold yourself in half. Poor planning. |* The whole lot is oddly situated so it's a challenge to get into the lot in traffic and even more of a challenge to get back out.||Overall, it was fine and if I'm in the area, I'll be back. My goal is to eventually try...

I stayed here for the first time a year ago and picked this hotel because it was less than a mile to my supplier. Last time was fine so I stayed here again. This stay was brief - one night - and also fine. Odds are high that I'll stay again if I come to this supplier again.||Pro:|* I love the decor in this hotel. It's really attractive.|* The bed was really comfortable.|* I like the plugs being available on the bedside table so I don't have to move furniture or crane around to plug things in.|* Last time I visited, I had time to sit outside with a drink - it was lovely and a praying mantis joined me. Very cool. (This time, I arrived after midnight and left before 8 am. I just had time to crash.)||Neutral:|* I checked in, hauled my stuff to my room, and my room key didn't work. I had to haul everything back downstairs to get the desk guy to make my key cooperate. Minor inconvenience but I'd worked and travelled and it was after midnight by the time I arrived so the trek back downstairs felt a bit herculean.|* In order to get breakfast, you have to order it off a screen and then wait for it to arrive. I had a voucher for breakfast, but needed to get gone and didn't have time to wait.||Con:|* The bathroom is not woman friendly. The trash cans don't have plastic liners. The sink is a giant bowl - you will break your neck trying to shave using the sink. The shower doesn't have any shelves or storage space for your toiletries. It also doesn't have a lip or step for your foot so if you are trying to shave in the shower, you either sit on the floor or fold yourself in half. Poor planning. |* The whole lot is oddly situated so it's a challenge to get into the lot in traffic and even more of a challenge to get back out.||Overall, it was fine and if I'm in the area, I'll be back. My goal is to eventually try...