Nestled in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, Hotel Keen is a new boutique hotel catering to the traveler on the go. Our Orlando Diaz-Azcuy designed hotel offers hotel accommodations and appointments that are fresh, stylish
and functional. Inspired by the high tech businesses of Silicon Valley, Hotel Keen creates a guest experience that is truly on the cutting edge.
100% Non-Smoking Hotel
Complimentary Continental Breakfast (Grab & Go available as well)
Evening Wine Hours
Dry Cleaning Service
Laundry Service
Use of nearby Fitness Center (additional cost)
24 hour front desk staff
Shoe Shine Service
Complimentary Newspaper
Interior corridor
Express Check-In/Check-Out
Airport Shuttle Available (additional cost)
5 minute walk to Cal-Trains station
32” Flat Screen Television (Featuring HBO)
Complimentary Wireless and Hard Wired Internet
Writeable Whiteboard Wall
Workspace with Desk and Chair
iHome Docking Stations
Cordless Phones with Voicemail
Personal Wake-Up Calls
Black out Drapes
Wii Rentals (subject to availability)
Iron & Ironing Boards on Request
Star Rating:
Local Attractions:
Stanford University .05 miles
Stanford Hospital 1.1 miles
Menlo Collage 1.5 miles
May 2, 2013
Afsaneh N, New York, New York, United States | Trip type: Family
I am an experienced business travelers having accumulated over 4 million miles in 25 years. When I go to Silicon Valley on business, I find myself staying at hotels that...
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I am an experienced business travelers having accumulated over 4 million miles in 25 years. When I go to Silicon Valley on business, I find myself staying at hotels that I know and am comfortable with like the Fairmont in San Jose. My daughter just got accepted to Stanford so this time we decided to stay at a hotel in Palo Alto. A friend recommended Hotel Keen.
The most wonderful staff, the nicest rooms although minimalist, small intimate boutique feeling. Very much like hotels in the Nordics. I loved my four day stay there. Two great yoga studios are walking distance from this place. unbelievable restaurants full of organic food and fresh produce are steps away.
You will never go wrong with this place and you do not have to pay Fairmont prices. I will come back for sure. « less
“Comfortable boutique hotel with friendly staff and a great location”
Mar 18, 2013
Jen W, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Nice lobby, excellent and friendly front of house staff. Free tea and coffee station 24 hours. Nice breakfast. As with many boutique hotels my room was small but comfortable, good...
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Nice lobby, excellent and friendly front of house staff. Free tea and coffee station 24 hours. Nice breakfast. As with many boutique hotels my room was small but comfortable, good heating system, comfortable bed and decent shower. My only real complaint was the frosted window opened inches from a brick wall though so it could feel a little claustrophobic but there are plenty of outdoor tables at local cafes should you feel the need for fresh air. Front desk recommended an excellent restaurants for dinner locally - Reposados. Parking in Palo Alto generally can be tough but I managed to find on street or garage parking within 2 blocks throughout my stay. All in all a very pleasant place to stay on a brief business trip. « less
“Small rooms with thin walls”
Feb 22, 2013
Polka5, Krakow, Poland
We stayed here for three nights and were astonished how this poor quality stay can be so expensive.
The rooms are tiny (even deluxe) and the door to the toilet...
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We stayed here for three nights and were astonished how this poor quality stay can be so expensive. The rooms are tiny (even deluxe) and the door to the toilet is missing. There is just a curtain. The walls are surprisingly thin: we could hear every single word of our neighbor's phonecall. It was unfortunately at quite unpleasantly early time if the day... The little window looked out at the wall, just about 2 yards behind it. And eventually the room was quite clean at the first sight, but you just need to walk on the carpet floor barefoot, and your feet will turn black! I hope we won't stay here again. « less
“Great, if you JUST want to sleep, otherwise; "meh".”
Feb 12, 2013
DaDAisTic, Oakland, CA | Trip type: Couples
Where this review is coming from: 40-something married couple who wanted a night in Palo Alto.
Why we decided on Hotel Keen: price seemed OK, the simplicity attracted us.
Would...
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Where this review is coming from: 40-something married couple who wanted a night in Palo Alto. Why we decided on Hotel Keen: price seemed OK, the simplicity attracted us. Would we stay there again? Not very likely.
Great for: very tired (so tired that they are dead to the world) solo business travelers and/or folks who need to be downtown. Not good for: anyone who needs to see the sun, or breath outside air from their hotel room.
The Review: This hotel is fine/ok, but that's about it. The desk staff was very nice, attentive and helpful. Upon arrival, they told us that they had upgraded us to a larger room free of charge (which was very nice, naturally). The "larger" room was fairly small (acceptable, but just small in general), so I'm afraid to find out what the smallest rooms are like. As the other reviews here on Trip Advisor point out, Hotel Keen is a very stark, simple, small boutique hotel with nearly no perks.
...the clean design, and creative use of small space are great and all, but as my wife pointed out, it may be a little bit like what living in a cell might be like. Me, I thought of it as being confined to a cell on a spaceship as you're unaware that you are hurtling through space (kind of like living in the Film "2001"). Why? Well, the fact that there was a single window, which you cannot open, and is made of frosted glass so that it was also almost impossible to tell if it is night or day outside might have had a lot to do with it. The room was clean, efficient, and generally attractive with its use of curtains instead of doors, and euro-style fixtures, furniture, etc. The bed was comfortable, the TV worked fine.
WHY we wouldn't stay again, or longer than one night; honestly, it is because the impression is that you are basically confined to a cell. As you walk towards your room down the hallway, you notice there are little blue lights at foot level not unlike the emergency exit lights on a plane. I'm doing what I can to give the best illustration/impression that I can of the place so that you won't be surprised when/if you stay there. Again; I'm not intentionally trying to put the place down, it is fine for what it is, but you should really understand what that is before you stay there.
I think this place would be ideal if you were super, super tired, and all you wanted to do is sleep without knowing if it is daylight or nighttime outside.
There is an acceptable level of "white noise" to the place; the sounds of machines and such muffled through the walls which is typical for any building, but I'm mentioning this so you don't think the place is 100% quiet.
The free 24 hour pod coffee (in the lobby) and "free" continental-style breakfast were nice, but with 3+ bakeries nearby (plus numerous other restaurants all within a couple blocks) you might need to get out of the hotel to not feel like you are still on lock-down in the hotel's confining environment.
SO; if you just need a practical, but small, essentially windowless room to stay in for the purpose of sleeping, and you feel the price is OK, then go for it. If you want to feel human, however, or if your idea of life is breathing outside air and seeing the sun (from/in the hotel) while staying somewhere, then this won't be the place for you.
On the plus side; seriously close to EVERYTHING downtown. Parking: we were there for a Saturday night, and had no problem getting a free spot in the lot next door, weekdays would be challenging, and/or at an expense.
Great for what it is. Not so great if you need/want something different than what it offers. « less
Read management response to this review.
Management response from Peter Friedman, General Manager
Thank you for giving the hotel a try and posting a very honest and accurate assessment of the property. I am especially glad that you found the staff and service spot on as they and that is what truly sets our hotel apart from our peers. While we were able to do an amazing job on the physical plant during our two plus year renovation, we were not able to make the property any larger with regards to public space. We actually lost rooms, going from 56 to 42 (adding private bathrooms in every room, an elevator, etc.). Palo Alto and its surrounding area has so much to offer with one exception - a truly cool place to refresh and recharge when work and fun are done. One small correction: the windows do open - albeit to face the walls of our neighboring buildings (so I almost didn't want to mention it).
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“Awesome staff and location”
Feb 2, 2013
jmhcktt, Cambridge, United Kingdom | Trip type: Business
I love staying at Hotel Keen and have had an amazing experience every time. The guys at the front desk are very accommodating and have a great sense of humour!...
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I love staying at Hotel Keen and have had an amazing experience every time. The guys at the front desk are very accommodating and have a great sense of humour! The know all the good places to eat and are very helpful. The rooms are very compact and have everything you need, and they have a healthy breakfast complete with great espresso! Can't wait to go back. « less
Read management response to this review.
Management response from Peter Friedman, General Manager
Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice review. I am pleased that we are still on your mind these many months since your visit. Which only means that it will be that much sooner until your next one. Did that come out right?
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These reviews are the subjective opinions of individual travelers and not of TripAdvisor LLC nor of its partners.
Details
Check In:
3:00PM
Check Out:
11:00AM
Year of Last Renovation:
2010
Floors:
3
Rooms:
42
Corridors:
All Rooms Have Interior Hallways
Non Smoking Rooms:
42
Handicap Rooms:
4
Suites:
1
Room Windows:
Windows Do Open
Cleaning Frequency:
Daily
Meeting Rooms:
0
Dist. to Food/Bars:
0.3 Mi
Dist. to 24hr Restaurant:
0.3 Mi
Dist. to Nearest Gym:
0.3 Mi
Policies / Expenses
Cancellation: Group with Rooming list 30 Days
Individual Call-in 7days
Individual Reservations 24 Hours
Total Taxes:
12.00%
Total Misc Fees:
$0.00 USD (mandatory resort fees/taxes)
Occupancy Tax:
12.00 Per Night
Parking Fee:
18.00 Per Night (For parking 8am-5pm)
Porterage Fee:
4.00 Per Item
Gym Fee:
20.00 Per Day
Additional Person Fee:
10.00 Per Person (after double occ.)
Room Types - Hotel Keen
Standard Queen
One Queen Bed
Get a good night's sleep with signature bedding and cotton linens. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and the 37-inch LCD TVs is offered for your entertainment. The partially open bathroom has a shower, as well as complimentary toiletries and a hair dryer. A desk, complimentary newspapers, and daily housekeeping are among the conveniences offered. This room is Non-Smoking.
Deluxe Queen
One Queen Bed
Get a good night's sleep with signature bedding and cotton linens. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and the 37-inch LCD TVs is offered for your entertainment. The partially open bathroom has a shower, as well as complimentary toiletries and a hair dryer. A desk, complimentary newspapers, and daily housekeeping are among the conveniences offered. This room is Non-Smoking.
Amenities - Hotel Keen
Air conditioning
Alarm clock
Baggage storage facilities
Central location
Charge for early check out
Complimentary breakfast
Complimentary newspaper
Concierge service
Credit card accepted: Mastercard/Visa
Credit card accepted: American Express
Credit card accepted: Discover
Credit card accepted: Diners Club
Electronic key card
Elevator
Express Check-Out
Facilities for the disabled
Fax available
Free local calls
Games room
Hairdryer available
Handicap accessible
Ice Maker
Internet - wireless
Internet - ethernet
Internet is Complimentary
Movies in room
Non-smoking rooms
24 hours opened
Private bathroom in room
Quiet location
Radio in room
Self controlled heating/cooling system
Shop
Shower
Telephone
Telephone in all rooms
Telephone - Free local calls
Television
TV - Free Cable
TV - Free HBO
Video Games in Room
Voicemail
Pet Friendly?
Sorry, pets are not allowed.
Airport & Shuttle Information - Hotel Keen
San Francisco International Airport 16.7 miles
San Jose Airport 14.1 Miles
Airport Shuttle? Sorry, no airport shuttle available.
Local Shuttle Info: Super Shuttle available outside of baggage clain at SFO cost is aprox. $33.00 and $8.00 each additional person.
San Jose Airport-Call Super Shuttle for rates and arrangements.
Testimonials: Why use Hotel Planner?
"I will recommend this website to all of my friends. It was great to have such a speedy response and genuine offers." S.S. - St. Paul, MN
"A terrific service, smartly presented and assuredly handled. A welcome time saver and an invaluable resource!!!!" J.J - Atlanta, GA
Based on 65 traveler reviews 
Value
Cleanliness
Service
“The best kept secret in Palo Alto”
“Small rooms with thin walls”
“Great, if you JUST want to sleep, otherwise; "meh".”
Standard Queen
Deluxe Queen