Wild Palms Hotel, A Joie De Vivre Boutique Hotel

"Kids really felt like VIP"

Our family stayed at the Wild Palms Hotels in Sunnyvale this weekend. Kids are supposed to be treated as VIP (Very Intelligent Persons according to Daughter 1) and I was curious to see how the hotel would pull it together.

At check-in, I was handed 4 entrance card keys: two for my husband and I, and two for my children. According to my children, just having your own key qualifies for being a VIP: they were thrilled.  I was also asked if we wanted milk and cookies right now or later during the afternoon. Milk and cookies ?  Thank you, I will take them right now, we will need some energy before swimming in the pool. I have two girls aged 7 and 10 who get easily excited, so the milk and cookie surprise upon entry into the room started some squealing that must have been heard by half the hotel guests. VIP? You bet! While entering the room, they discovered a queen bed for each of them to sleep in with lots of pillows. Then, at the side of each bed was a wooden basket filled with snacks, juices, a geography activity book and goggles! All this in front of a flat screen TV. We do not have a TV at home so that was a nice treat for them. Daughter 2, 7, exclaimed: ’I feel like I am already a princess, I want to live here’ and the always nice for us: ‘I wish our house was like that!’

So as far as VIP status, I believe my children agreed that they felt they were treated like VIPs. But now, what about the parents?

Did I mention that the girls had their own room? We had two connecting bedrooms that made the whole stay a very enjoyable one. No TV or bathroom to share, nothing child related in our space and  the girls really enjoyed the feeling of being in charge of their room. For a $179 a night stay, I really felt that it was worth it as each ‘generation’had enough room to breathe and a personal space.

The swimming pool was too hard to resist, so with a new goggle wearing 7 year old and a disappointed cast wearing 10 years old (never a good idea to break your finger before the summer), we headed off to the swimming pool where towels were provided for guests. Just this will make me go back. I dislike having to bring towels from my room to the pool and I just do not want to pack bulky beach towels when I go on a trip. Having towels by the pool was a big hit for me.

After swimming, off to the room for a game of SORRY. Another treat! I love board games! The Wild Palms has a decent selection of board games for its guests and we had fun playing a board game that we do not have at home.

The hotel does not have a restaurant on-site but there are dozens of restaurants and fast food places within walking distance. We decided to go to the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant, a 5 minute car drive since we had been to that restaurant before and enjoy their food.

The beds are so comfortable; we all had a nice sleep rest. Showers in the morning is something I enjoy at home, but often not in hotels because of the poor quality of the shower products. But the Wild Palms had a nice surprise:  bergamot scented bath products. Bergamot is used in aromatherapy to fight stress, so it has a very peaceful and fresh scent. Coupled with warm water, you’ll easily be put in a happy mood. And off we went for breakfast. The breakfast room was crowded, but after we put everything we wanted on a tray, it began to empty out. We were there at 9:00 am and it closes at 9:30 am. We should have gone earlier because after we helped ourselves, there was a shortage of pastries. The breakfast room was surprisingly not noisy even though it was packed. The Jacuzzi and pools were open already , but it was time for us to hit the road.

The Wild Palms hotel got the seal of approval from the parents

We like:

Kids are really VIP: board games, buckets full of treats that had Daughter 1 exclaim: ‘we are treated like royalty’

Nice details: towels provided at the pool, bath products that you actually want to use, fresh fruit and lemonade in the lobby, two toilet paper rolls instead of one (not that we are going to use it all, but I like seeing two),  low bathtub.

Having a fridge in the bedroom for the leftover milk and restaurant dishes.

The colors: lots of yellow and blue all around the hotels: bring you peace and relaxation. Bergamot scented bath products add the final peaceful touch. The curtains by the pool and the cabanas added some chic.

For the geeks: cable for DSL at the desk inside the rooms resulting in faster internet than with WIFI.

The staff is professional and patient. They did not even give me the bad eye when I showed up at the front desk asking how to see the channels on the TV. For my defense, it was not obvious.

Two computers and printers available by the lobby: you can check the activities you want to do online or on their lobby (they have flyers to the main attractions), buy your tickets online, and print them right there.

Central location to the activities of the Silicon Valley: minutes from the San Jose Museums (Rosicrucian park, Winchester house etc), Great America, Hakone gardens in Saratoga and all the great activities and museums of the Peninsula.

Could do better:

The bathroom is a little small but I have to say that I appreciate seeing a non-slippery mat, very useful for younger children. If you still need to bathe your children, the space to sit facing the bathtub is limited.

So many details that I appreciated like supplies at the desk but strangely enough not a pen in sight.

I would have liked to see a note on how to turn the channels on for the TV. Believe me, it was not obvious.

Recommended for families with children age 4 years and up

This review is based on a complimentary stay at the Wild Palm Hotel in Sunnyvale. I received no other compensation besides the hotel stay, and the hotel did not express any requirement that I express a particular point of view.