The Cardinal Hotel

2.5 star property

Choose dates to view prices

your current months are January, 2025 and February, 2025.
January 2025
February 2025

Photo gallery for The Cardinal Hotel

Interior
Designer store
Lobby sitting area
Business center
Egyptian cotton sheets, premium bedding, down comforters, pillowtop beds

Reviews

9.0 out of 10

Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast available
  • Housekeeping
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
235 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
  • Stanford University Arboretum
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Stanford Shopping Center
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Stanford Stadium
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Palo Alto, CA (PAO-Santa Clara County)
    ‪9 min drive‬

Room options

Economy Single Room, 1 Queen Bed, Shared Bathroom

  • 130 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Private Bathroom

  • 250 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, Private Bathroom, Corner

  • 260 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds, Private Bathroom

  • 250 sq ft
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, Private Bathroom

  • 250 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

Similar properties

About this property

The Cardinal Hotel

Hotel in University South
This smoke-free hotel features a coffee shop/cafe, a 24-hour front desk, and express check-in. WiFi in public areas is free. Additionally, express check-out and a lobby fireplace are onsite.
The Cardinal Hotel offers 63 accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and complimentary bottled water. Pillowtop beds feature Egyptian cotton sheets, down comforters, and premium bedding. 42-inch LED televisions come with premium satellite channels.

Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers, bathrobes, slippers, and designer toiletries. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Additionally, rooms include hair dryers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is offered daily and hypo-allergenic bedding can be requested.

The hotel offers a coffee shop/cafe. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. This Palo Alto hotel also offers a fireplace in the lobby, express check-in, and express check-out.

The Cardinal Hotel is a smoke-free property.

Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM on weekdays.

Languages

English, French, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Offsite parking available (USD 15 per day)
  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Food and drink

  • Weekday full breakfast available 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: USD 22 for adults and USD 22 for children
  • A coffee shop/cafe

Things to do

  • Art gallery

Family friendly

  • Free crib

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Guidebooks
  • Luggage storage
  • Water dispenser

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Elevator
  • Visual fire alarm

More

  • 1 building
  • 3 floors
  • Built in 1924
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Smoke-free property
  • Traditional architecture

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Down comforter
  • Egyptian cotton sheets
  • Free crib
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding
  • Pillowtop mattress

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Designer toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Slippers
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 42-inch LED TV with premium satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk
  • Electrical adapters
  • Free local calls
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop workspace
  • Laptop-compatible safe
  • Phone
  • Portable fan

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Express check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Express 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

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 20.0 per day
Free cribs are available on request at the property

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately USD 22 for adults and USD 22 for children
  • Nearby parking fee: USD 15 per day (39 ft away)
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 20.0 per day

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Cashless transactions are available

We should mention

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)

Property is also known as

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

The Cardinal Hotel Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 159 out of 235 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 46 out of 235 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 19 out of 235 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 235 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 5 out of 235 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Richard

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Luiz Fernando

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Entrega o q propõe. Minha estadia foi excelente. Localização perfeita. Atenção …. Alguns quartos não tem banheiro privativo e alguns não tem ar condicionado.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Donald

Traveled with group
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Stephen

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Great location. No A/C.
No A/C when it was 100 degrees in Palo Alto. Only ceiling fans. It’s an old school hotel, which I like, but they should upgrade to A/C. Also, if they put you on the side of the alley, you’ll be greeted with the constant sounds of bottles and trash being emptied. You’ll need earplugs. Location is great.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Hyon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

robin

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great old historic hotel. No air conditioning, but it was comfortable. Loved the location.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Diane

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This was a great place to stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Van

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is a great location to our office as well as all of the restaurants nearby. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Because we are in downtown area though, noise will come through but it's worth it for the location and they provided us with earplugs if you need it but I was able to sleep fine.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Donna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice hotel in a great area.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

DONGIN

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Laura

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A cool older hotel with soul.
Fabulous location and love the old quaint building. Nice and chill small hotel. Truly my only complaint is that there is no air conditioning so will probably not stay again until it’s a bit cooler weather. The street can be loud and I had to keep windows open to stay cool.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Richard B.

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Oleksiy

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such an amazing 100 year old property.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Susan

Business traveler
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Charming, good location.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Shuo

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ricardo

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

John

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
great location
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Mary

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Global warming is a thing
This hotel, like many others, has no AC. So you are forced to either open your window and not sleep due the noise or close it and not sleep due to the heat This is only a winter time hotel
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gus

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

SANG WOOK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old building, clean & renovated rooms. In Palo alto, near to many coffee shops and restaurants.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stella

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Low key place, super convenient location
The hotel was in an excellent downtown location, surrounded by restaurants and shops and cafes. Even a Whole Foods just about 5 minute walk away. The room is neat and reasonably sized, and no frills service was just right for me (business trip staying multiple nights). The lack of AC might irritate some travelers (I was fine); and the noise from downstairs restaurants from evening to late night also can be off-putting (I survived it fine but first nights were challenging). Nonetheless I really enjoyed my stay and would recommend it to people who are interested in a super convenient location and appreciate a historic building. Getting to Stanford campus was a beeeze.
Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2024