Red Cottage Inn & Suites

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We were charmed by the Red Cottage Inn. You can never be sure about the photos you see on a Web site, but the Red Cottage folks got it right.



The motel is set well back off the busy El Camino Real, so street noise was no problem at all. Our check-in was prompt and painless, and after just a short walk to our room, we were in. Our room at first seemed small, but it was very well designed and beautifully finished; it proved to be plenty of space, even after eight days, even with our three bikes. We took care to store them carefully at the foyer end of the room, which left plenty of space for moving around. We also had two superb queen beds, a night table, side chair, desk area and three reading lamps. There was a flat-screen TV and DVD player. The space rounding to the bathroom door was very well appointed with an under-counter refrigerator, microwave, food storage space, granite counter (with ice bucket and coffee maker), and closet (iron and ironing board stored inside). The bathroom was roomy, with tub/shower, one sink, plenty of counter space and the toilet. All of it was clean and in very good repair, and housekeeping was courteous, quiet and thorough. And charming!



Then there was the small but private outside area. Here was a deck surrounded on three sides by plantings (hydrangea, geranium, ferns, etc.). And a nice table with two chairs. It was the perfect place to read the morning paper or relax after a ride. Ambient noise from other motel guests and from the neighboring houses was evident but nothing outside of normal neighborhood sounds. There was one incident with a guest who smoked outside on her deck (this is a non-smoking facility), but a call to the manager was respected and we had no further trouble with that.



We chose to have breakfast from our own foods in our room, so we did not participate in the provided breakfast. However, I did notice there was plenty of tea and coffee (Seattle's Best) as well as muffins, breads, cereals, juices and oatmeal packets.



There's not much in the way of restaurants or activities within walking distance of the Red Cottage, but a short drive takes you into the center of Menlo Park and beyond that to Palo Alto. There are a couple of great wine stores within a couple block walk. Also there is a Japanese restaurant (Gombei), but we opted for sushi in the Menlo Park area. Bus service runs regularly, but costs $1.75 even for a short hop, no returns. Cycling paths abound on the busier streets (but not El Camino Real), and getting up into the hills around the area provides cycling bliss. The Stanford Shopping Center is about two miles down the road, an outdoor affair with lots of great shops, both small and large, branded and not. Freeway access is close by, easily navigable and you can be in San Francisco within about 45 minutes.