Rosewood Sand Hill

This property epitomizes understated luxury in all the right ways. Impeccable service, plush furnishings, a serene, one-of-a-kind setting all amongst the backdrop of a timeless quaint sophistication -- the words fall short -- simply stay here and be happy. A bay area gem, you will rave about it to your friends as you daydream of your next visit. My wife said, in her words, "I will stay here ANY time you want...ANY TIME...."

We spent another wonderful weekend at this gorgeous property. When we told the front desk that our 2 year old grandson would be visiting during the mornings, Alondra R (guest services) went above and beyond- letting us borrow a Rosewood tricycle, bubble gun, and other toys to make his visit special. She was so personable. The pool staff were also amazing- helpful in every way to accommodate our family. We have stayed here many times and have wonderful memories- from being greeted by name during every visit by Joe in the front to great dining at Madera (Kevin has always been our wonderful server). Misa at the coffee bar makes excellent specialty coffee drinks. The staff at the front desk are top notch. The hotel rooms are large and comfortable and the pool and gym are great. I hope we can return soon.

Rooms subpar. Food mediocre. Service doesn't know if the left hand is talking to the right hand. We love dogs and have a few, but we don't bring them and other guests who bring their dogs are left in the rooms barking so good luck getting any sleep. Hotel doesn't address the issue or follow through on their comping another stay. It's like having airline miles that won't let you use them due to their policies and when you are actually traveling to use them, so a bait and switch. Worse experience! So many other wonderful hotels to stay at in the area! Wouldn't stay here, again, if you paid me.

Traveling from Asia, our family’s stay at Rosewood Sand Hill was the perfect final stop on our California trip before heading home. The facilities were excellent—spacious rooms, beautiful gardens, and a relaxing pool area. Service was outstanding—friendly, attentive, and genuinely caring. The great dining at Madera made our stay even more enjoyable. Highly recommended for a luxurious family getaway!

My wife and I recently celebrated our anniversary with a 2 night stay at the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel in Menlo Park. I booked the room through AmEx travel and received a $100 hotel credit, daily breakfast for two, an upgraded room (based on availability), 4 PM late checkout, and no charge for parking. We have dined at the property’s award winning restaurant, Madera, on many occasions but never stayed at the hotel or any Rosewood property for that matter. Summary I was impressed. The Rosewood Sand Hill has excellent service from the front desk to housekeeping to the restaurant. I give them a 5 out of 5 for service. The quality, presentation, and taste of all our meals was very good to excellent. 4.5 out of 5. The rooms and facilities were clean, clean, clean but slightly dated. 4.5 out of 5. Located in the northern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains I give them 4.5 out of 5 for location. I rate the overall value for this high end Bay Area resort, 4.7 out of 5. This hotel gets my highest recommendation. If interested, there are more details about my stay below. My wife and I live in the Bay Area and rarely stay at local hotels. We toyed with the idea of going away for our anniversary, but our schedules before and after the weekend didn’t allow us to travel far. We wanted an upscale, quiet place rather than something in the city. The Rosewood checked all the boxes since it was close (30 min away), had an upscale reputation and nice location, I could use AmEx points to cover one night, and lower incidental costs paid for by booking through AmEx. The question was if we would feel like we were “away” when only 30 min from our house? The answer turned out to be “Yes”. We booked our room an hour before arriving at the hotel. Arrival & Service We arrived about 12:30 pm and self parked near the lobby. The front desk staff seemed to be expecting us which felt very welcoming. They acknowledged the AmEx benefits and said that we had been given a room upgrade. In our case it was the room we booked but with a great location and view (upstairs, building 12) We learned that on the weekends, the hotel offers afternoon tea from 2-4 pm in the “Library” adjacent to the bar. We decided to try it out but the online reservation system said they were full. I replied to a welcome text from the front desk asking if there was space for us. The answer was Yes and they booked a 3 pm reservation for us. Daniel, our server, did a great job explaining how the tea service would unfold. We added a celebratory glass of champagne to be festive and thoroughly enjoyed the tea sandwiches and desserts. I really appreciated that the overall experience was totally unrushed. Note: Since my wife and I didn’t want to get too full right before dinner, we shared one serving and took the rest back to our room for snacks later. We are already planning to return with our granddaughters. The Room Our room was spacious with simple, but nice furnishings. Replacing a “Do Not Disturb” sign there is an electronic “do not disturb” button and a doorbell by the door. There is a shelf outside the door for room service trays which is so much better than leaving them on the ground outside the door. The balcony, furnished with a table and chairs, had with an unobstructed view of the Santa Cruz Mountains. There was some noise from a nearby freeway (which you can’t really see) but the sliding glass door completely shuts out all sound. The mattress was super comfortable with very soft linens. The AC worked well and was very quiet. The walk-in closet had plenty of room for hanging and folded clothes and luggage (think weddings). The bathroom was roomy and nicely appointed. The room was extremely clean and the evening turndown service included a refresh of towels and resupply of amenities such as water or coffee modules. Madera Rosewood has one restaurant: Madera. It is the only dining option on property for guests but is a good one. Breakfast and lunch is casual with a regional, sometimes eclectic menu. Dinner gets the fine dining treatment ala Silicon Valley (Coat and tie are not required). The ingredient quality, preparation and presentation of the dishes is very good to excellent. As locals, we’ve dined at Madera many times for breakfast or special occasions with positive experiences. If for some reason you prefer different food choices, Palo Alto is home to hundreds of fine restaurants of every flavor. Reservations can be made through the hotel concierge. My wife and I came away from our stay with several impressions: • We had the feeling that we were “away” at the Rosewood even though we were in an urban area. • The staff and service were excellent in every department. • The hotel came through with the promised benefits from AmEx. I have top tier status with two other hotel loyalty programs and the benefits and upgrades are largely at the discretion of the property. As a first time visitor with no status, Rosewood treated me like an honored guest. • The hotel is only 30 min from my home (or many places in the Bay Area) in clear driving. That makes the Rosewood more convenient than going to Monterey/Carmel, Half Moon Bay, Marin county or Napa. The Rosewood Hotels do not have a loyalty program like other hotel groups. I learned that they give incentives to certain travel agencies, such as AmEx travel, and provide top tier benefits. I have no status with Rosewood and was treated as well as other hotels where I do have status. We received a nice bottle of pinot noir and fresh plums as a welcome amenity. Later we received a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine and chocolate as an anniversary gift. The guaranteed 4 pm late checkout is very nice. I give the Rosewood Sand Hill my highest recommendation. Whether you are a local resident looking for a getaway or a Bay Area visitor who doesn’t want too much hustle and bustle.