Santa Clara Hotels

One of the largest and best hotels in Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Marriott provides guests with 759 large, modern rooms and a full range of amenities - principally a restaurant, sports bar, gift shop, fitness center, courtyard garden, sizeable outdoor pool, hot tub, and 23,500 sq ft of recently renovated meeting/event space. Although aimed mostly at business travelers, the Marriott is also popular for those visiting the Great America amusement park, entrance to which is just 0.4 miles north; the hotel has a spacious site along the Great America Parkway, one block north of US 101 and 4 miles from San Jose International Airport. One amenity not included is free parking, however.

Santa Clara's Avatar Hotel is one of several full service properties along the Great America Parkway, on the north side of town between Highway 237 and US 101 - near the center of Silicon Valley and walking distance (0.5 miles) from California's Great America theme park. Some of the guest rooms have views over a peaceful enclosed garden area and the outdoor pool; other amenities are a meeting room, a coffee shop, room service and a fitness center. The hotel opened late 2023 after full renovation of an existing property.

Hilton Santa Clara is the hotel of choice for visitors to the adjacent California's Great America amusement park; south facing rooms overlook the vast parking lot on the north side of the facility, and the main entrance is an easy 0.3 walk south. Santa Clara Convention Center is also just across the street, to the north, while San Jose Airport is 4.5 miles away (no free shuttle service, however). Highlights of the large, full service, resort-style, Four Diamond-rated hotel include La Fontana restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch, dinner & room service), the Lobby Lounge, the Starbucks Cafe, a well equipped fitness center, a palm tree-lined indoor/outdoor pool and 7,000 sq ft of meeting/event space.

The upscale AC Hotel San Jose opened summer 2019, adding to the accommodation choices on the north side of the city. Located near the US 101/Great America Parkway intersection, the seven floor property has 186 guest rooms and two suites, and is close to two other Marriott properties, the TownePlace Suites and the Residence Inn. Most of the neighborhood contains business premises but there are a few restaurants within walking distance. The full service hotel offers many facilities including a bar, restaurant, outdoor pool, and four meeting rooms.

Delta Hotels Santa Clara opens summer 2021 after full refurbishment of a previous property (Biltmore), providing upscale, full-service accommodations in luxurious, modern surroundings. The hotel is part of a business park near the busy intersection of US 101 with the Montague Expressway, 4 miles northwest of SJC Airport and within half an hour's drive of numerous Silicon Valley attractions and corporate headquarters. Facilities include a restaurant/bar, meeting space, fitness center and outdoor pool, this in a shady courtyard between two of the residential blocks.

Embassy Suites Santa Clara is conveniently situated at the Bowers Avenue exit of US 101, the freeway providing quick travel to San Jose International Airport (4.5 miles), downtown San Jose (6 miles) and many other Silicon Valley locations. Sites within one mile include Mission College and California's Great America theme park. All guests accommodations are comfortable two room suites, and most have fine views of the surroundings. The hotel provides both free hot breakfast and free evening light meals, the latter in the Valley Plaza Cafe which is also open for lunch and dinner. All the usual business, meetings and leisure facilities are available.

The TownePlace Suites is the second Marriott hotel to open in Santa Clara; a five floor, 107 suite building offering long stay accommodation in studio, one bed or two bed layouts, all of which come with a fully equipped kitchen. The building is situated at the Bowers Avenue exit of US 101, 3 miles north of downtown Santa Clara and 6 miles from San Jose. Amenities include a 24 hour convenience store, free wi-fi, complimentary continental breakfast, a pool and exercise facility. The hotel is a short walk away from half a dozen fast food restaurants.

The Element is a 2019 addition to the wide range of hotels in Santa Clara, positioned alongside the Montague Expressway just north of the US 101 intersection, 2 miles by road from California's Great America. There are many corporate centers close by, including Oracle and Intel. All accommodations are suites (studio and one bedroom), equipped with kitchenette or full kitchen; some have a balcony and/or sofa bed. Complimentary breakfast is served in a cafe, while Bar Serano is open for lunch, dinner & evening drinks. Other dining options are around a mile away, along Great America Parkway. The hotel has a fitness center and an outdoor saline pool.

Close to the center of Santa Clara along El Camino Real (Hwy 82), the Holiday Inn Express hotel has 47 nice clean rooms, in a new two floor building situated in a mixed residential/commercial area - there are several restaurants close by and a shopping center 2 blocks west. Places within 2 miles include Santa Clara University, Central Park and Pruneridge Golf Club. The inn has rather limited amenities of free continental breakfast, a fitness room and guest laundry.

Holiday Inn Express Santa Clara offers affordable accommodation and a central location, at the junction of El Camino Real with the San Tomas Expressway, in the middle of a generally residential neighborhood but within walking distance of many shops, bars and restaurants along the two main roads. Locations within 3 miles include California's Great America, San Jose Airport and the shops of Santana Row. Complimentary amenities include hot breakfast buffet and wi-fi, while also available are an outdoor pool (in a secluded courtyard on the west side of the property), 24 hour fitness center, a business center and boardroom.

The SureStay Plus is an affordable hotel along El Camino Real a few blocks east of downtown Santa Clara, 3.5 miles by road from San Jose International Airport. Guest rooms are on two floors of an older, exterior corridor building, with views across the parking lot towards a sports park on the far side of the road. Amenities are limited to free hot breakfast, free wi-fi, a business center and a microwave/refrigerator in all accommodations. There are several restaurants within easy walking distance.

The 70 room Best Western University Inn occupies a relatively old building of two floors and exterior corridors, extending around three sides of the central parking lot, which is well shielded from the adjacent road (Lincoln Street) by a line of tall trees. There are many restaurants close by and a city park on the far side of the street, while El Camino Real runs right past to the south, leading to San Jose 5 miles east and Sunnyvale to the west. The hotel has an outdoor pool, in the middle of the parking area, a fitness room, and a dining room where the free hot breakfast is served.

There are countless motels along El Camino Real through the towns of Silicon Valley, all providing a largely similar standard of accommodation. About half way between Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, the Best Western Inn Santa Clara offers 52 rooms, a heated outdoor pool and basic free continental breakfast. The hotel is next to a group of shops & restaurants around the junction with the Lawrence Expressway, and about a mile south of the edge of the main Sunnyvale-Lawrence business area.

Quality Inn & Suites Silicon Valley receives some of the better reviews for motels in the Santa Clara area, because of the clean, recently upgraded rooms, comfortable beds, good (free) continental breakfast and the efficient staff. The location is 2930 El Camino Real, a mile or so west of the center of Santa Clara in the middle of a never-ending line of restaurants & shops along the main road, all surrounded by an extensive residential district. The inn has 70 rooms on 2 floors, linked by exterior corridors and arranged around 4 sides of a central courtyard/parking area.

Although the building is relatively old, with the familiar two storey, outside corridor layout, guest rooms at Super 8 Santa Clara are bright and modern, recently refurbished with contemporary furnishings and colorful decor. The property is situated on the south side of El Camino Real about a mile west of the city center in the Koreatown District, near many shops and restaurants. Most rooms are set back from the highway and offer a restful night's stay. Amenities are free continental breakfast, laundry, wi-fi, and an outdoor pool at the front.

An outdoor pool and free wi-fi are the only amenities of Rodeway Inn Santa Clara, a typical low-price, exterior corridor motel, with rooms in several blocks around the central parking area. The location is easily-reached; along El Camino Real at the intersection with the Lawrence Expressway, in Koreatown, within walking distance of shopping and dining.