Guest Resources

The big letter C from the logo

Getting To The Hotel

Letter C from the logo

From San Francisco Airport

From San Jose Airport

Driving from Bay Area Cities

Parking

Getting Around

Letter C from the logo

Rideshare

Stanford Shuttle

Bike Rental

Favorite Running Paths

Hotel Resources

Letter C from the logo

Hotel Policies

Credit Card Authorization

Local fitness

Frequently Asked Questions

From San Francisco Airport

The big letter C from the logo

Caltrain

1st step: SFO- Millbrae via samTrans or BART

  • BUS (direct SFO - Millbrae Transit Center) recommended.
    samTrans - Millbrae. samTrans Schedule
  • BART (Mon-Fri 1 stop and train transfer required After 7:30pm and Weekends direct SFO - Millbrae Transit Center Southbound Platform 1)
    This station is located in the International Terminal at SFO. Bart Schedule
Map of public transportation between SFO and Millbrae BART station

2nd step: Caltrain Millbrae Transit Center - Palo Alto

3rd step: Palo Alto Transit Center - Cardinal Hotel

  • Walking: 8 minutes
The big letter C from the logo
rideshare taxi app on smartphone screen

App Based Ride Shares

San Francisco Ground Transportation Information

UBER X

SFO App Based Rides location map

From San Jose Airport

The big letter C from the logo

Caltrain

  • Estimated travel time: 1h 15
  • Estimated cost: $12

1st step: San Jose International Airport Terminal - Santa Clara Transit Center

2nd step: Santa Clara Transit Center - Palo Alto

3rd step: Palo Alto Transit Center - Cardinal Hotel

  • Walking: 8 minutes
The big letter C from the logo
rideshare taxi app on smartphone screen

App Based Ride Shares

San Jose Rideshare Information

UBER X

San Jose Airport terminal location map

Driving From Bay Area Airports

The big letter C from the logo

From San Francisco International Airport

  • Take US 101 South towards San Jose. Drive approximately 17 miles.
  • Exit at University Avenue and stay left towards Palo Alto.
  • Continue on University Avenue and drive approximately 2 miles.
  • Turn left onto Ramona Street.
  • The Cardinal Hotel is at 235 Hamilton Avenue (at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Ramona Street).

From San Jose International Airport

  • Take US 101 North towards San Francisco. Drive approximately 13 miles.
  • Exit at University Avenue. Follow signs to Palo Alto, up over the freeway onto University Avenue.
  • Continue on University Avenue. Drive approximately 2 miles.
  • Turn left onto Ramona Street.
  • The Cardinal Hotel is at 235 Hamilton Avenue (at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Ramona Street).
Bay Area Map showing San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Jose

Cardinal Hotel

San Francisco Airport

San Jose Airport

Parking

The big letter C from the logo

The Cardinal Hotel does not have On Site Parking.

Guests must park in the City of Palo Alto Public Parking Lots or on the city streets around the hotel.

Best Place to Park

  • The closest and largest Public Parking Lot is located diagonally across the street from the Cardinal Hotel underneath Palo Alto City Hall.
  • Once in the City Hall Public Parking Lot, guests should park only where the signs read “CORAL ZONE 3 HOURS” (the top level and a half)

Loading Zone

  • A loading zone is located in front of the Cardinal Hotel on Hamilton Ave. (corner of Hamilton and Ramona)
  • Guests may park in the loading zone for 10 minutes while loading or unloading.

Weekday Parking in Palo Alto

  • Parking in Palo Alto is FREE but time limited for maximum of 3 hours between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday) in the City Hall Public Parking Lot
  • Street parking is limited to 2 hours - the same as most other city lots
  • The maximum parking allowed underneath City Hall would be from 2pm on any given weekday to 11am the following day. This example uses the 3 hours allowed on 2 consecutive days 2pm-5pm on day 1 and 8am-11am
    on day 2.

Paid Parking

  • Daily parking permits are available for purchase for $25.00 per day at the front desk. The City of Palo Alto sells these permits for the same price.

Weekend Parking

  • Free and unrestricted from Friday at 5:00 p.m. until Monday at 8:00 a.m.

Rideshare

The big letter C from the logo

Uber and Lyft are both popular and frequently used rideshare apps in Palo Alto. To accommodate guests that do not have an Uber account, the Cardinal Hotel has established a Cardinal Hotel Uber account that we can use to book Uber rides for our guests. The hotel will bill the cost of the Uber directly to the guest’s room.

Fare estimate from the Cardinal Hotel to Stanford University

  • Uber X $7-9
  • Lyft $8-10

Stanford Shuttle

The big letter C from the logo

Stanford Free Shuttle

The Marguerite is Stanford University's Free Campus Shuttle Service.

The Marguerite Shuttle offers a number of routes that can be useful to guests at the Cardinal Hotel who wish to use free transportation to access Stanford University, SLAC, the Stanford Hospital, Shopping Center or Stanford Research Park. Most shuttles lines connect the main campus with the Caltrain station (Palo Alto Transit Center) which is a 7 minute walk from the Cardinal Hotel.

Walk from the Cardinal Hotel to the Marguerite Shuttle 7 minutes

Shuttle Departure Points at the Palo Alto Transit Center

Local map of the Palo Alto Caltrain station

Marguerite Shuttle lines that depart from the Palo Alto Transit Center

Click on the map to enlarge

Bike Rental

The big letter C from the logo

Bicycling in Palo Alto is a very popular option. There are bike rentals available from Bike Connection; just a few blocks away on El Camino Real. You can visit them online or call them at 650-853-3000, and they will be happy to rent you a bike for the week or just the day. Another popular option is BikeShare which offers short duration bike rentals from automated kiosks.

Our Favorite Running Paths

Many people have asked us for our recommendations for the best places in palo alto to go running or walking. Usually we recommend the Stanford campus. But where? Well, here you are, a list of our all time favorite routes in and around Stanford University.

The Boot

Approx. 2.1 mi.

Palo Alto Old Town

Approx. 9.9 mi.

10K - PAUSD

Approx. 6.2 mi.

Stanford Dish Walk

Approx. 3.23 mi.

Hotel Policies

The big letter C from the logo

Check in: 2:00 PM      Check out: 11:00 AM

24 Hour Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your reservation without penalty only if you cancel by 2:00pm the day prior to arrival. If you cancel after 2 pm the day prior to arrival, you will be charged a penalty equal to the cost of 1 night’s room + tax without exception.

The Cardinal Hotel will not waive late cancellation charges for any situations that are considered outside of the guest’s control such as a flight cancellation or delay, a personal or family member illness, or change in business related plans. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance to insure against any unexpected changes in your travel plans. We will not refund a no-show charge incurred due to a booking error made by the guest or the guest’s booking agent.

Package Handling Policy
The Front Desk will receive packages on your behalf during your stay. Within 3 days of your arrival we can receive up to 8 cubic feet of packages. Prior to 3 days before, the hotel will charge a storage fee of $5.00 per day per cubic foot and a minimum storage fee of $10.00 per day.

We can not receive and store packages after your stay. The hotel does offer limited shipping services via USPS or UPS at an additional fee only for items left behind.

Pet Policy
Pets are not permitted in the hotel.

Credit/Debit Card Policy
Debit and Credit cards will be authorized at check-in for the amount of your stay, plus an amount to cover incidentals. The authorization will hold the funds until check out, at which time the amount actually incurred during the stay will be charged. Authorized amounts may take up to 30 days after departure to be released by your bank or financial institution and the hotel will not be responsible for any resulting fees or charges.

Cashless Property
Please note that from August 1st, 2017, The Cardinal Hotel will not accept cash or check payments. Only credit card payment will be accepted.

100% Non-Smoking Property
All guest rooms are 100% non-smoking. A $250 cleaning fee will be charged to any guest who violates the smoking policy. If the room must be kept out of inventory and not rented due to excessive smell and extra cleaning demands, extra charge will apply.

Credit Card Guaranties

The big letter C from the logo

Reservations

A credit card is required for all reservations as a guarantee method at the time of making the reservation. If a 3rd party will pay for a guest’s stay, they must fill out a credit card authorization at the time of reservation or have an active account with the Cardinal Hotel.

At Check in

A credit card must be present and authorized for the full amount of the stay at check in. No guest can occupy a hotel room without presenting a credit card at check in. Even if a 3rd party is paying for the room, the guest occupying the room must provide a credit card at check in that can be authorized for incidentals or rooms damage.

3rd party payment

If the credit card to be used as the payment method for the hotel stay will not be present at check in, we require a credit card authorization form be completed by the card holder and returned prior to the guest's arrival.
An active corporate account or Stanford Dept account can be used for direct billing of a guest stay.

Local Fitness

The big letter C from the logo

YogaSource Palo Alto offers over 65 classes a week, including vinyasa, power, bikram, yin, restorative, yoga sculpt, and hot pilates, with some of the best instructors in the bay. We welcome students of all levels to take classes to de-stress, build strength and stay healthy.

Rumble Rumble Boxing combines the sweet science of boxing with the transformative power of strength training. It’s a high-octane 10 round fight that offers authentic HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), metabolic conditioning (MetCon), and the benefits of cardio in one seamless class.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are considering renting a car in either San Francisco or San Jose airport, we recommend considering how you will use the vehicle when you are in Palo Alto.
If your main purpose is to visit Stanford University, and the University is NOT providing parking for you during your stay, you should consider UBER from the airport and for getting to and from campus (1 mile from the Cardinal Hotel).
We often see people rent a car, drive to the hotel, spend time looking for parking. Once they have found parking, they end up paying $25/ day to park in the public lot across the street from the hotel and take other transportation to visit Stanford University. In this case it would be better to NOT rent a car.
Also, you can find almost anything else you would need during your visit within walking distance from the Cardinal Hotel.

We always do our best to accommodate early check-in and late checkout requests, however these will be honored on an availability basis. Please inquire at the Front Desk about late checkout. After 1:00pm a full day’s rate will apply and the room will be extended for that night.

You may cancel your reservation without penalty only if you cancel by 2:00pm the day prior to arrival. If you cancel after 2 pm the day prior to arrival, you will be charged a penalty equal to the cost of 1 night’s room + tax without exception.
The Cardinal Hotel will not waive late cancellation charges for any situations that are considered outside of the guest’s control such as a flight cancellation or delay, a personal or family member illness, or change in business related plans. We encourage you to purchase travel insurance to insure against any unexpected changes in your travel plans. We will not refund a no-show charge incurred due to a booking error made by the guest or the guest’s booking agent.

The maximum length of stay allowable is 28 days.

  • 20 miles from San Francisco International Airport - approximately 30 to 60 minutes away by car or taxi, or 1 hour and 15 minutes by CalTrain (plus bus or BART)
  • 16 miles from San Jose International Airport - approximately 20 to 60 minutes away by car or taxi.
  • The Cardinal Hotel does not have on site parking. Guests must park on the city streets or in the public parking lots.
  • The closest public parking lot is located diagonally across the street from the hotel underneath Palo Alto City Hall.
  • Weekday parking in Palo Alto is free but time limited from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m - 3 hours underneath the City Hall and 2 hours for on street parking.
  • Daily parking permits are available for purchase for $25.00 per day at the front desk.
  • Weekend parking is free and unrestricted from Friday at 5:00 p.m. until Monday at 8:00 a.m.

Concierge service is available at our front desk. Our team is well versed in recommendations regarding local dining, attractions and special events.

Yes, our Front Desk will receive packages on your behalf during your stay. Within 3 days of your arrival we can receive up to 8 cubic feet of packages. Prior to 3 days before, the hotel will charge a storage fee of $5.00 per day per cubic foot and a minimum storage fee of $10.00 per day.
We can not receive and store packages after your stay.

The front desk will be happy to send or receive faxes for you as a registered guest. Please be advised that there is a $.50 fee per page for this service.

Due to the increasing lack of reliability of our local taxi company, the Cardinal Hotel does not recommend using taxis for your transportation needs.

To accommodate guests that do not have an Uber account, the Cardinal Hotel has established a Cardinal Hotel Uber account that we can use to book Uber rides for our guests. The hotel will bill the cost of the Uber directly to the guest’s room

Due to the historic nature of our hotel, our guest rooms do not have air conditioning. All of our rooms do have windows which open and feature ceiling fans. We also have Dyson fans available by request available.

Each guest room is fitted with luxurious white goose down comforters. All of our luxuriously soft beds sport both white goose down pillows and hypo-allergenic pillows.

We also offer hypo-allergenic bedding and pillows upon request for our guests.

We offer a wide range of room categories to meet your needs. Please see detailed descriptions under the rooms section of this website.

The Cardinal Breakfast is included in all reservations for Standard and Deluxe room types booked directly with the hotel or via our website. If the Cardinal Breakfast is included in your room and you would like to have the Continental Breakfast instead, we are happy to make that adjustment for you.

Complimentary breakfast is not included with our Shared Bath Style rooms.

Cardinal Breakfast & mimosas are included with our Bed & Breakfast package.

The Cardinal Breakfast may be added for $18.00 or a Continental Breakfast for $12.00.

YogaSource Palo Alto offers over 65 classes a week, including vinyasa, power, bikram, yin, restorative, yoga sculpt, and hot pilates, with some of the best instructors in the bay. We welcome students of all levels to take classes to de-stress, build strength and stay healthy.

Rumble Rumble Boxing combines the sweet science of boxing with the transformative power of strength training. It’s a high-octane 10 round fight that offers authentic HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), metabolic conditioning (MetCon), and the benefits of cardio in one seamless class.

Please visit the Stanford Sports Website for ticketing information at www.GoStanford.com

Complimentary high-speed WiFi is offered in all common areas of the hotel and guest rooms.

There are many consulate offices located in downtown San Francisco which is approximately 60 -90 minutes travel time from the Cardinal Hotel in Palo Alto. Further information can be accessed via the San Francisco Chamber

Stay With Us

The big letter C from the logo

>> Take advantage of the Cardinal Hotel Breakfast included when you book direct (available Tues- Sun)