While the first reason you might think to stay at the Santa Clara Marriott is for an onsite conference or convention, and additional reason to stay here is that it’s located within a walkable distance to Levi’s Stadium, home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Game day convenience!
Just a bit further away, but with equally convenient access that is said to be walkable, is the Great America theme park. The Santa Clara Convention Center and Santa Clara University are also nearby. The Santa Clara Marriott isn’t all business any longer, the hotel is a great hub for an entertainment getaway.
Although you’ll find a lot of local guests during football season, the majority of guests arrive via the San Jose airport, formally known as Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. The hotel doesn’t have a shuttle. If you’re spending time exploring the area, a rental car is a must.If you’ll be onsite most of the time, opt for one of the on request car services, taxi, or the public bus.
The hotel entrance leads to a huge long room, with the reception desk on the right, chairs and lounging space in the center, and a coffee stand on the left. Decor uses lots of warm colors, yellow, orange, and gold, with dark wood. Hallways lead to the sports bar, meeting space, and rooms. Check in service is efficient and cheerful and has always had adequate staffing, even when there’s been quite a crowd. Mobile check in is available, but I’ve not yet had the opportunity to try it.
This is a category 6 Marriott property, so rooms and amenities are as expected for the level – nice sized, a choice of one king or two queen-sized beds (an upscale feature at a time when many hotels are moving to two double beds instead of queen), plush bedding, and lots of fluffy pillows. I love a bed with fluffy pillows – and lots of them – as they provide support and comfort that I need when I’m reading or working in bed. The rooms continued the warm-color theme, and are bright with well-placed lighting, plug-ins, and charging stations. Wi-fi was lightning fast during my stay (complimentary with elite loyalty status), and the flat screen television was equipped with Netflix that I could log into with my personal account for some binge watching. Rooms do not have refrigerators, but one will be brought to your room upon request.
There are three restaurants at the Santa Clara Marriott, the Starbucks coffee stand in the lobby, Characters Sports Bar & Grill, and Parcel 104. I’ve tried the first two, grabbing a coffee to go from Starbucks and building my own burger at Characters. On my next stay, I want to try out the outdoor seating at Parcel 104, it looks comfy and I’d like to get in a relaxing dinner once the oppressive heat cools down.
Room service here is anything but traditional. Instead of the usual tray delivery and set up, their Fresh Bites program is delivered in a disposable “grab and go” style bag, complete with the needed accompaniments, It’s a great feature for heading to eat by the pool or for a picnic, but for in room dining it’s been met with less uniform reviews. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
On my last stay, I only had time to dip my toe in the pool and it was a ridiculous tease that haunted my thoughts during my afternoon meeting. The pool area is large, with chaise loungers, tables and chairs, and umbrellas scattered around the pool deck. They also have changing rooms and a sauna, an unusual feature for a hotel pool. It’s nothing fancy, just a good, solid, usable pool area. I looked down at the pool area longingly, and it’s a high priority for my next stay
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The Santa Clara Marriott is located at 2700 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, California. Rates start around $275 during the week, with screaming deals on the weekends starting around $125. Game weekends and special events will be substantially higher and will sell out. The hotel offers special rates for family members of patients at the nearby Kaiser hospital (subject to availability). You can also compare rates and book through Hotels.com.
Parking is $15/day, $25/day for valet. There are two electric car charging stations which are complimentary. If you bring the RV for some game day tailgating, advance parking reservations are required.
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