A Day at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley

When you think “Four Seasons,” you immediately think “luxury.”  When you think “Silicon Valley,” you immediately think “tech.”  So how do these two concepts marry when you have a Four Seasons in Silicon Valley?  You end up with a modern interpretation of the Four Seasons: clean lines, warm wood with stainless accents, rich leather next to glass, and power lunches in a Mediterranean-inspired setting.  

We spent a day at the luxurious spa, where we each had massages and took advantage of the facilities.  The spa is small but comfortable, with relaxing aromatherapy scents everywhere, fruit-and-cucumber-infused water, and sleepy, dark rooms.  

We loved the tea bar in the lounge area, where you can relax in the world’s coziest chairs after your massage with a cup of tea, a handful of nuts or some dark chocolate.  

In addition to the typical spa services, there’s one unique addition that you don’t ordinarily see in hotel spas: a nail salon!  It’s a brilliant idea for a location to caters more to business travelers.  

The showers were possibly the most sumptuous showers ever, and we’re trying to figure out how we can replicate them in our own homes (think: a shower the size of a small bedroom with gorgeous tiling and multiple shower heads, including a rain shower head).  

We got ready at the vanity station, which had everything you need to face the real world again, from mouthwash to hairbrushes to body lotion.  

After our spa treatments, we headed down to the hotel’s restaurant, Quattro.  It’s an expansive, bright space with impossibly high ceilings and matching floor-to-ceiling windows.  Although it was a little too hot for us, there’s also a lovely outdoor patio with stone walls and a soothing waterfall.  The wine list is impressive, so we had to partake: a glass of sparkling for Alyssa and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for Carla.  The menu changes constantly to take advantage of seasonal produce, but it always has a variety of dishes to suite your mood.  

We’re burrata fanatics, so we couldn’t resist the heirloom tomato and burrata salad with a basil emulsion and country bread.  We were torn between wanting to eat light after our spa treatment and trying the Q burger, which our server highly recommended, so we compromised.  Split the burger and a salad!  

The beef short rib burger was as good as advertised, with balsamic-grilled red onions, avocado, cheddar, pancetta and cilantro aioli.  The shrimp salad was good, but it was a salad.  We fall squarely in the burger camp.  Sadly, we didn’t save room for dessert but the dessert menu was inventive and tempting.

After lunch, we headed back up to the spa area to check out the pool deck.  It’s another gorgeous, Mediterranean-inspired space, with bright blue umbrellas, orange cabanas, palm trees, bright flowers, and a tiled whirlpool and swimming pool.  

We wished we’d had more time to spend there!  (Wi-fi access in the pool area AND a bar?  We may have just found our new office.)  

If you’re local to the area, head over for some of their extra fun events!  The hotel hosts a great variety, from 80’s Night and Women and Whisky to Sunday Suppers.  (Since we loved Quattro’s wine selection, don’t miss the brilliant Friday happy hour special on bottles of wine either.)

We didn’t get a chance to stay in the rooms on this trip, but they’re in the process of some updates to the rooms and meeting spaces.  In fact, there’s a grand reveal of all the beautiful work they’ve been doing on Friday, September 11th.

Alyssa’s take: This may sound strange, but one of my favorite things about The Four Seasons in Palo Alto was the setting.  Honestly, I wasn’t sure that it would be worth the trip to Palo Alto; there are some pretty great spas all over the Bay Area!  One of my personal favorites is a super-luxurious one in The Westfield Center in downtown San Francisco, but there’s a huge drawback to that location.  When you’re relaxed, rejuvenated and feeling refreshed after your treatment, you walk out of the spa into a crowded mall on Market Street into the middle of bustling, slightly grimy part of SF.  There’s no avoiding it, and it almost immediately reverses the relaxing effects of the massage.  But after our massages at the Four Seasons, we had a glass of wine in the airy Quattro restaurant, relaxed in the sunshine on the pool deck, hopped back into the comfort of our air conditioned car, and headed straight home.  The relaxation continued even after we left the spa.  I would absolutely make a special trip down the peninsula to return.

Carla’s take: Here’s the one thing about business travel that no one knows until they’re doing it: it’s often a lot of time spent on crowded planes and in crappy hotels.  A LOT OF TIME.  Trips that once seemed glamorous turn into frustrating time warps devoid of comfort and ease.  For me, that’s the true standout praise for this Four Seasons property: it’s an efficient and elegant hotel with benefits — perfect for both the business traveler and the local alike.  Each amenity, from the spa to the conference rooms and the restaurant, radiated skillful luxury and practiced comfort.  Pretty sure anyone can appreciate that.

Bottom line: modern luxury, indulgent spa, gorgeous pool, and great dining.

 

 

Thank you to the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto for providing spa services and lunch.  As usual, all opinions are our own and we would never endorse products or services that we don’t truly believe in!