Historical Traveller Reviews of Wild Palms Hotel
Inconsistant!!!!
from Stickbreaker
We've stayed at this place numerous times. The first time ,winter of 2004, we were placed in a room on the Wolfe Rd side. We pulled up to the locking gate , the lighting was almost non-existant , and no security guards. A non-guest was in the bushes handing something through the window and departing quickly as we approached. Great, a drug deal at our hotel. We gathered our bags and were met with a bunch of young hip hop thugs flowing over into the hall, using a room-RIGHT next to our as a party spot. (Several other times we've seen loud rowdy idiots at this property as the word must be out ANYTHING goes, no security guards or consequences). We immediately called the desk and the night manager said she would move us the second floor on the east wing which has less traffic and no rowdy punks. The new room was much nicer and quiet. The NICER rooms feature comfy matresses . a nice little Sony CD stereo w/remote! nice linens and Aveda soaps and shampoo! The next 2 times the manager always made sure we had the same room at the same price. The most recent and probably last time we stayed there , was New Years eve. The hotel was a ghost town. They put us in the very back on the second floor, in a sketchy room, with bad matress , 2 towels and a crumby cube clock radio! I called to complain that we always had the better room, after haggling with the front desk, the lady finally conceeded to our request and put us into a better room on the East side. She explained that she usually wouldn't upgrade and made it seem like a big deal, which was lame , as every other time we've stayed there they treated us great and made note of our frequent stays.
We bought some Perrier Joet down the street at Trader Joe's and had dinner at P.F. Changs. We enjoyed our own selection of CD's and had a nice NYE. Next Year will not be at the Wild Palms!!!!
Well...it was close to my office
from A TripAdvisor Member
What a strange joint. It is close to my office, is clean and has funky decor. There's just something about the place...can't put my finger on it....that just isn't 'there'. You can find better in Silicon Valley at more reasonable prices.
WOW - WOW - WOW!!!
from A TripAdvisor Member
Wow! We were totally impressed with this hotel. From the brightly painted walls and artwork; to the fabulous canopy bed with downfilled comforter; to the thick, plush, soft towels; to the bathrobe. There was not a hint of "old" in the room. The bathroom was wonderfully done with a high bowl sink on top of the counter and Aveda products for use.
We couldn't have been more pleased with the hotel and friendly staff. A real jewel in the rough ... all this for a GREAT value!
It was warm, cozy, bright, and cheerful. We will certainly stay here again.
An old motel with cheap Mediterranean? decor
from A TripAdvisor Member
If you are OK with a 'pee flow' shower, serious street noise (fire trucks, cop cars, siren, cars speeding on Wolf St), noisy air-conditioning that partially dislocated from the wall, holes on the bed sheets, pubic hair from the previous customer(s), a 19 inch TV with poor signals, and last but not least 75 cents per local call (the first 15mins +extra for add' mins), I am sure this is an 'adventure' for you. The pool side does look nice as seen on the website, but would you camp outside the pool? The breakfast is OK. Be sure not to check any accounts and emails from their business center since they do not have the Encryption Package installed.
Funky Cool Hotel
from A TripAdvisor Member
We loved the Wild Palms! My husband found a great deal online and we booked it, sight unseen. We were very pleased with the hotel. Our room was luxuriously comfortable--the bed and the linens were superior and the pillows were plentiful and high quality. The pool area was beautiful and well kept. The breakfast was excellent and had lots of variety. The staff was helpful and the place was very clean. We especially loved the vibrant color schemes and open concept of the lobby. We'd recommend this hotel to anyone.
Cool place
from A TripAdvisor Member
I made the reservations on-line and was very pleased at the place. Very unique, vibrant colors with a nice atmosphere.
On-line special $58 a night for two nights. Awesome deal. Much better than a Best Western or anything similar. One of the better breakfasts' offered from the motel type hotels we've been to in the past.
Would go again for sure.
Nice but not great
from A TripAdvisor Member
I was concerned about staying there as I made the reservations over the Internet and not sure of the area or the hotel. When we drove up we were pleasantly surprised by the indoor/outdoor lobby. Check in was fast, but we had to drive around to the back of the hotel for our room. Not enough light around the back and when we used our key to open the locked door to go into the hotel it was dark as was the second floor near our room. The lights in the hallway were out. We changed our room to be near the front desk on the second floor. Better. Room nice, comfortable bed. One thing I noticed was they gave you pencils at the desk, but not pad and we were there for 5 nights.Pool area nice and breakfast was fine. The sign at the desk said the breakfast hours and days, but on Saturday we were charged for it. No sign saying we'd have to pay for breakfast anywhere for the weekend. The biggest concern was that although all the doors to the parking lot were locked and you had to use your room key to access, anyone could walk into the lobby and go right up stairs because the lobby's all open and the check in desk is behind glass doors to your right. They can't see who's coming in at all times.
Not terribly impressed
from A TripAdvisor Member
The hotel had the overall feel of trying extremely hard (very eager-to-please front desk), but there were elements that stacked up to make the experience feel like an attempt at 5-star in a Motel atmosphere. The outdoors landscape was clean and tidy, but not particularly pretty. The room itself had a mix of good and bad. The telephone was really cheapo -- this alongside a nice stereo, gave an uneven feel. I wouldn't go again. I stayed in the nearby Cypress Hotel (Cupertino) earlier in the week and liked it much more.
Great hotel
from fenwaycat
Just stayed here last week (March, 2004) and was very impressed. Our room was neatly decorated and very clean. We LOVED the canope bed. Our bathroom was a good size, and very nice. Cool marble countertop. The pool area was nice, and the way it's set up is pretty cool. I would definitely stay here again. An overall great experience.
Former Frequent Guest
from shoebox56
I used to stay at here on a fairly regular basis as a business traveler; at least 6 nights/month. The Joie de Vivre chain has lost my business as a result of the conduct of one particular manager at The Wild Palms. As a regular guest I was extended small courtesies by most of the staff: an additional bottle of water, a preferred area of the hotel away from street noise. I expressed surprise when this manager told me granting these requests are against policy. After making the tactless suggestion that I was lying, the manager promised that the staff would be reminded of the policies and these courtesies would not be repeated. I stay in a hotel 3-4 nights/week and look for alternatives to the Westins, Hyatts, etc, typically finding that personal touch I so appreciate and to which I am loyal. I haven't found such a place in Silicon Valley, but I continue to look. San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake, Denver and Phoenix all have excellent options, in my opinion.
Top Local Tips for Sunnyvale
Unique, inexpensive dining
There is an Italian restaurant about 5-10 miles away called "Buca di Beppo" which is family owned and serves up large portions of food with a very cool atmosphere. The look and feel of the restaurant alone is worth dropping by.
Different
This place tries to be different, and largely succeed's
wine lovers
Sunnyvale is very close to the various small boutique vineyards in the Santa Cruz area. Within 20 minutes you can be at some of the most interesting wineries in California. Different than Napa and Sonoma in that the area is much less commercialized and the wineries are small and personal. But very good. And many of them have good wines, but reasonable tasting fees if there are any fees at all. Not as crowded as Napa and Sonoma. And if you are going during the summer, check out the concert venue at mountain winery. Great views, small venue, nice time.