My husband had business meetings in Palo Alto on November 13 and 14 and we chose the Zen Hotel for our stay. I may have had unrealistic expectations from the hotel's Web site's pictures, and was somewhat disappointed when we arrived at what was basically a motel fitted with boutique hotel furniture. But I was completely won over by the end of our three-night stay.

The staff was friendly and helpful, and although the breakfast was served in a small area that was once the motel office, it was really quite pleasant. The breakfast was varied and wholesome and freshly-baked cookies and apples were offered the rest of the day. There really is a nice feeling to the hotel, and the free breakfast, beverages and snacks, together with the convenient, free parking, add up to a very good value for the area, especially compared to the expensive high-end chains in the Palo Alto area.

If the word "hotel" brings to mind a multi-story structure with a spacious lobby, with a coffee shop and bar near the reception desk, think again. The Zen Hotel is a remodeled motel. Nicely remodeled, with clean, attractive rooms, but nothing more. The staff is friendly, the location is convenient. A hot breakfast buffet is included in the price.

This place was very pleasant and a great deal. We loved the beds, the showers and the breakfast in particular. This site was clearly once some sort of motor lodge. low square buildings have been made modern and up to date. The decor was nice and not at all like what we usually see at such modest prices. While close to El Camino Real, traffic noise was minimal and it was easy to get on and off this major blvd because the driveway leads you to a side street with a traffic light. also, I am very particular about smells and this place was great. the rooms smelled fresh and clean not like cleanser/chemicals. Room 211 is on the ground floor and has a back door that leads to a sweet (shared) garden space, great airflow. My mom stayed in a nearby room (201) and it was also nice but did not have a back door. We both rave about this place!

My husband and two teenage sons stayed two nights here one holiday weekend in order to visit Stanford University. The Zen Hotel was reasonably priced & very conveniently located for exploring the campus and the town. The front desk staff were friendly & helpful with suggestions & directions. The hotel was very quiet -- we could occasionally hear other guests coming and going in their cars, but otherwise no noise.

The room was a little crowded for four people, but we managed okay. If I stayed here again with my kids, I'd probably get two adjoining rooms & just splurge for some extra space. I'm not crazy about the design choice to put the sink out in the main room and have only the toilet & bathtub behind closed doors. It's handy if you have one person taking a shower, say, and another person brushing their teeth. But where it's not so great is the middle of the night (or in the morning when teenagers are trying to sleep in) -- there's no way to quietly use the bathroom then wash your hands if the sink is right off the main room with no partition.

This was a relatively minor complaint, however. The room was otherwise very comfortable. They do this strange thing with their pillows, where they sort of fold them in on themselves so they're more like squares than the traditional rectangles, but then you try to use them & you realize they're just regular pillows they've "origami-ed" into squares. (Maybe it's supposed to look more Japanese? I don't know -- I'm Japanese-American & have spent a lot of time in Japan & this doesn't strike me as particularly Japanese.) Whatever. The beds are very attractively appointed. In fact, everything in the room looks quite tasteful, as does the exterior.

Breakfast is served in the main lobby, which is a simple but comfortable space. The breakfast options were also simple but perfectly adequate: yogurt, cereal, toast, bagels, eggs, some kind of breakfast meat (sausages or bacon), oatmeal, fruit, coffee, juice. Also some kind of chocolate-marble muffins that my boys just LOVED. They provide a few different papers to read & CNN was on the TV most mornings, audible but not overwhelmingly loud.

All in all, a very pleasant stay. If either of my kids gets into Stanford, I could see spending the night here again!