This was our second extended stay at Hotel California and it was just as pleasant as the first. Probably the most conveniently located hotel in town. California Ave has a dozen restaurants: Subway is nearby and down the street is Cho's dim sum stand, almost next door to a price fixe $200 per person place. Palo Alto's best wine shop (Vin, Vino, Wine) and weekday bus service to Stanford and the VA hospital.

The hotel has a shared full kitchen and two markets are nearby. Coffee/doughnuts/fruit in the morning, and a washing machine you can use in the evenings.

It is not to everyone's taste: the rooms are small and the furniture is antiquey, but my wife and I wouldn't stay anywhere else.

Most motels in Palo Alto are on The Strip (El Camino) and run like one. They may be OK, but for $100 a night, Hotel California is on a real street, with a great coffee shop next door and great places to eat or have a drink just steps away. Most notably, it's run like a country inn from my childhood - personal touches, a shared kitchen and lovely patio. Fruits, breads and coffee set out early each morning. Beds very comfortable. Rooms are small, quaint, and clean.

The rooms are tiny and the TVs sure have about 20 years behind them. The shower was almost too small for a 6'/200lb person, and the closet and the bed should've gone to an antiques shop. However the location is fantastic, and the kitchen is nice. I expected more from the "complimentary breakfast" though. The free wireless internet works well, and the patio inside is a nice place for a morning cup of tea or an evening a smoke.

Our room (119) was infested with bed bugs. I trust they're remedying the situation, but beware. I've stayed there many times, and I generally like the place. But I probably won't again any time soon. Pay no attention to my ratings; I just wanted to mention this issue.