As the best example of late 19th-century Mediterranean Revival architecture in the Santa Clara Valley, this historic mansion and hotel is easily one of those places filled with remarkable potential. The grounds, private estate, landscaping, and private park are impressive. The rooms are clean, beds comfortable, and everything maintained despite the age of the property. The mansion itself is in remarkable condition. The off-mansion hotel rooms are in pristine condition too (big congrats to the cleaning staff).
So why doesn't this historic property score five stars? Despite the ideal setting, there are small and yet very noticeable non-boutique like decisions being made that drag things down. The toilet paper in the bathrooms are thin. Instead of quality shampoo products, there are 'dispensers' dispensing who knows what in the shower. Room service times for dinner are omitted on the in-room menu (it instructs you to call). Evidence of staff work feels ever-present (cluttering the hallways or outside dining areas).
The staff is friendly, but not engaging. There are dozens of parking spaces marked Valet, but we never saw any evidence of a Valet. When the non-Valet spaces filled up, staff told us we could park in Valet or the adjacent park lot. I'm not clear why they didn't tell us this upon check in, which leads to another issue. If your room is located in the back hotel portion of the property as opposed to the mansion, it's easy to feel disconnected from the property and some amenities — like coffee in the mornings or beverages at night.
The mansion itself is steeped in history. They even provide a walking map of sorts, which is one of the reasons we stayed here. Upon following it, we discovered many of the rooms on the map had their doors shut. In one instance, a dining staff member seemed perplexed why I was looking into one of the rooms (because it was on the map) and shut the door.
Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely stay here again. The park, fitness room, and pool are all great. We didn't eat on property, but the bar and restaurant looked inviting. The price point is about right, depending on the dates you happen to be in town. The location is not the best as it’s mostly surrounded by residential neighborhoods. But I don’t mind driving so it’s a nice alternative to staying at a property downtown. Everything in San Jose feels relatively close.