Graduate by Hilton Palo Alto

Hotels
9.2 (225 reviews)
488 University Avenue , Palo Alto , us

Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Electric bicycle charging station
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Restaurant
Terrace
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Lift / Elevator
Luggage storage
Fax/photocopying
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Fun design
Cons:
Small rooms
Cleanliness issues
Noisy at night

Categories

Cleanliness
8.7
General issues with cleanliness noted, including dirty carpets and bad smells.
Service
9.67
Mixed reviews about staff attitude; some were helpful but others described as surly.
Location
10
Highly praised location with proximity to Stanford and local amenities.
Room Quality
8.21
Rooms described as tiny with some negative comments regarding decor and noise.
Amenities
9.16
Basic amenities provided but noted absence of a gym and poor coffee offerings.
Value for Money
9.19
Prices considered high for the quality of rooms and services.
Food and Beverage
8.65
Negative feedback regarding rooftop food quality and coffee in rooms.
Overall Experience
10
Overall positive impression despite some specific issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-08 17:51

Property Description

Chic Accommodations and Vibrant Atmosphere

Prime Location: Located just 10 km from Shoreline Amphitheatre, Graduate Palo Alto offers a perfect blend of convenience and luxury.

Modern Comforts: Enjoy air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, a restaurant, and a bar, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Exceptional Service: With a 24-hour front desk fluent in English and Spanish, our dedicated staff are always available to cater to your needs.

Experience the best of Palo Alto at Graduate Palo Alto. Book your stay now for an unforgettable experience!

Important information:

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: SJC

Property Policies

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 17 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed. Charges may be applicable.

  • Parking

    Private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed) and costs USD 50 per day.

Location

Guest Reviews

9.2
Based on 225 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.7
Service: 9.67
Location: 10
Room Quality: 8.21
Amenities: 9.16
Value for Money: 9.19
Food and Beverage: 8.65
Overall Experience: 10
S
Sasha couple gb
8
2026-03-28 via Nuitee
T
Tanja solo_traveller de
10
2026-03-27 via Nuitee
K
KARIN couple us
8
2026-03-18 via Nuitee
O
Oleksandr couple us
10
2026-02-23 via Nuitee
J
Julieta couple ar
10
Pros:

Perfect location and lovely hotel in palo alto. The terrace is really nice as well.

2026-02-10 via Nuitee
A
Aruzhan extended_group de
10
2026-01-22 via Nuitee
K
Kirk couple us
3
Smallest room we ave ever stayed in for very high prices
Pros:

Location, common areas

Cons:

Bookings listed the room at 300 sq ft, but all of the rooms in this class we were told were 187 sq ft. Disabled rooms were a little over 200 sq feet. This is false advertising. We had about 3 ft in each direction beyond the bed. The hotel blamed Booking for the misinformation and could not provide a room any larger.

2025-12-07 via Nuitee
C
Christian solo_traveller de
10
2025-11-25 via Nuitee
D
Dennis de Reus solo_traveller nz
10
2025-11-18 via Nuitee
M
michael couple us
8
Nice location, great
2025-11-15 via Nuitee
D
Dennis de Reus extended_group nz
10
Brilliant
Pros:

Location was perfect - on Palo Alto's Main Street with shops and restaurants, good location for walks to Stanford and suburbs. Great decor and reception to work in.

Cons:

Roof top bar was undergoing renovation.

2025-11-12 via Nuitee
M
michelle solo_traveller us
9
Great location- adorable decor- overall good- bad instant coffee in room
Pros:

Location- decor- elevator- staff

Cons:

Terrible instant coffee in a luxury priced hotel- booo

2025-10-29 via Nuitee
I
India couple us
5
Disappointing.
Pros:

Good location but no parking on site.

Cons:

Staff - Surly and unhelpful. Check in was fine but not welcoming. Rooftop host was rude and not welcoming. Staff seemed under staffed on roof. Valet did not offer to help with bags or open door to hotel for us.
Room - Tiny size. Wallpaper overwhelming. Woke up at 6am on Saturday to very loud trash dumpsters being emptied that lasted about an hour.
Elevator - carpet dirty/stained
Food- Rooftop food was terrible - felt like from a freezer. When told waite wine was bad he didn't offer to get another kind or take off tab
Smell - Generally bad smell in lobby and downstairs restuarnt.

2025-10-17 via Nuitee
O
Oana solo_traveller gb
6
2025-10-12 via Nuitee
A
Amit solo_traveller il
8
2025-10-07 via Nuitee
C
Chris
2
Pros:

Staff upon arrival were just rude, there was no water, no food, no parking, and the lifts were suspect. They charged $25 a day for food but there was none. No breakfast included in a room that costs almost $500 a night. Awful place and I feel I was conned.

2025-10-02 via Nuitee
C
Cedar
10
Pros:

Perfect. Was so glad I stayed here instead of the property around the corner where I was for a conference and which as 3x more expensive. I love the antique Otis elevator but did have a hard time using it. It took me some time to realize that there are two elevators.

Would love to stay here again!!!

2025-10-01 via Nuitee
M
Maria Celia family
10
Pros:

Great character and location

2025-09-17 via Nuitee
H
Hui-Han family_with_children tw
10
2025-09-06 via Nuitee
H
Hui-Han family_with_children tw
10
2025-09-06 via Nuitee