This post is part of Random Hotel Review Month. Today we review the Hilton Garden Inn Mountain View, CA from my October 2012 visit. Other Random Hotel Reviews: Westminster Hotel, Conrad Istanbul.
Unlike my most recent trip to see Google where I was able to stay at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, I usually find myself staying at more modest hotels whenever I am in the area. Not that the hotels in the Silicon Valley area are not good in their own right; they just aren't as nice as the Four Seasons.
With that out of the way I must say that the Hilton Garden Inn in Mountain View, California was a very pleasant stay and delivered on expectations each step of the way. I spent 3 nights in this hotel in October of 2012 and found the location to be convenient, the breakfast good and the room to be clean.
The hotel is easy to find and on site parking is available. Even though the hotel location is listed as Mountain View, it's actually closer to Sunnyvale on El Camino Real, a main road that parallels the 101 Freeway. While the quiet location away from downtown Mountain View kept noise levels low, it made for an awkward location to start my morning run because there are very few businesses on either side of the hotel.
View on Approach of the Hilton Garden Inn
Loading/unloading area
Lobby Area
Rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn
The rooms in the hotel were standard fare for a Hilton Garden Inn. That's to say they are not lavish, but rather functional for the business traveler. My room came with two queen beds, even though I only needed one. The rest of the room looked as I would have expected from this particular hotel chain.
Queen Size Bed
Entry Way with Coffee Maker and Microwave
High Speed Internet Port
Facilities at the Hilton Garden Inn
There is a small workout facility at the hotel, which is located on the ground level across the pool from the main lobby. You can access the workout center by walking through the halls of the hotel or by taking a shortcut through the pool area. I recommend taking the pool shortcut.
Workout Machines
There are only a few workout machines and they are often occupied in the morning, but for those looking to work out after the morning rush you shouldn't have a problem finding a machine. They also have dumbbells and an adjustable bench if you're into that.
Dumbbells
The hotel has an outdoor pool that also has a nice seating area outside of the main lobby area. While I have never gone swimming at the hotel, I did enjoy the cool California nights sitting at the tables near the pool.
Outdoor pool and seating
Pool and Hot Tub Area
Eating at the Hilton Garden Inn
As a Gold Hilton Honors member, breakfast was complimentary. I was happy to see that they had a hot breakfast selection with waffles, sausage, bacon, potatoes and eggs. There was also an omelet station for those wanting their eggs cooked to order.
Hot Breakfast
In addition to the hot options, there were several bread and pastries, as well as fruit and cereal. The breakfast was better than most hotels aimed at business travelers and I would have found it a good value even if I had to pay for it.
Bread and Pastries
Cereal and Fruit
Overall Impressions of the Hilton Garden Inn Mountain View
This is a well operated hotel with a location near many Silicon Valley businesses. I enjoyed my three night stay at the hotel and appreciated the quality of the breakfast each morning. Since I was in town for a conference, I did not spend much time at the hotel other than for breakfast and sleeping.
For the price of the hotel and the relative value to other hotels in the area, I would stay here again, but I would first check to see if there was a room available at the Hampton Inn which is located closer to downtown Mountain View. If I was looking to splurge, I would no doubt spend my time at the Four Seasons once again.