Hotel Avante

Hotel Avante is a small boutique hotel on the eastern stretch of El Camino Real in Mountain View. It has 91 rooms and belongs to JdV by Hyatt, Hyatt's brand for hotels with their own personality. The hotel says the name means "moving forward" and that it was recently renovated with a theme of beauty and wellness. It is a practical base for work trips to Mountain View and Sunnyvale, with a heated pool, a hot tub, a grab-and-go market that never closes and a quiet residential area behind it.

This profile is based on the hotel's official website. We do not publish prices, star ratings or reviews. For live rates, check Hotel Avante on Booking.com or book through Hyatt, where World of Hyatt members earn points.

Location and neighborhood

The address is 860 E El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040. That is on the east side of Mountain View, close to the Sunnyvale city line. El Camino Real here is a wide commercial road with shops, restaurants and other hotels. The hotel describes its surroundings as a quiet neighborhood, which fits the residential blocks behind the road.

Palo Alto is about 7 miles northwest in a straight line. That is a 15 to 25 minute drive depending on traffic, either along El Camino Real or by Central Expressway. The hotel's own neighborhood page points to Mountain View's big employers, including Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and Microsoft, plus the Computer History Museum and Shoreline Amphitheatre, which it puts about four miles away. Our Mountain View guide gives the wider picture.

Downtown Mountain View and Castro Street are about a mile and a half away. That is where most of the city's restaurants are, along with a Sunday farmers market at the Caltrain station lot. See our page on the Mountain View farmers market.

Getting there from Caltrain and the airports

The nearest Caltrain stop is Mountain View station, about a mile and a half away in a straight line. Express trains stop there and it is also the end of the VTA Orange Line light rail. From the station, a rideshare to the hotel takes a few minutes. Sunnyvale station is a similar distance to the east.

VTA Route 22 and Rapid 522 run along El Camino Real past the hotel. They head north to the Palo Alto Transit Center by the downtown Caltrain station and south toward San Jose. Our VTA bus guide explains fares and frequency.

• From SJC: San Jose airport is the closer airport, about 20 minutes by car outside rush hour. By transit, take the free VTA Route 60 to Santa Clara Transit Center and Caltrain north to Mountain View. See our SJC guide.
• From SFO: take BART to Millbrae and Caltrain south to Mountain View, then a short ride. Our SFO guide compares the options.

The hotel's site does not mention an airport shuttle.

Rooms

The hotel has 91 rooms. Its site lists six room types:

Rooms list Serta mattresses, Egyptian cotton linens, blackout curtains, individually controlled heat and air conditioning, a work desk with an ergonomic chair, a coffeemaker, a mini fridge, an in-room safe, an iron and Jonathan Adler bath products. The amenities page also lists a microwave. TVs range from 40 inches in some rooms to 44 to 50 inches in others.

Basic Wi-Fi is free. The hotel's FAQ says faster speeds are available as paid upgrades, which is worth knowing if you plan to run video calls from the room.

For accessibility, the hotel lists accessible rooms with 32-inch doorways, TTY phones, closed-caption TV decoders and assistive listening devices for meetings on request. Accessible routes run from the public entrance to the front desk, rooms, gym, pool and meeting room.

Pool, fitness and work

• Pool and hot tub. A heated outdoor pool and hot tub. The FAQ lists pool hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. No glass and no smoking in the pool area.
• Fitness center. On the fourth floor, with a treadmill, two elliptical machines, a stationary bike, dumbbells and an exercise ball. The hours printed in the FAQ look like a typo, so ask at check-in. The hotel suggests the Stevens Creek Trail for outdoor runs.
• Wine hour. The home page mentions a wine hour among the ways to relax. Ask the front desk about current days and times.
• Meetings. A boardroom for small groups, with catering and room blocks. The site gives its capacity as 8 on one page and 12 on another, so confirm the number.
• Charging. Charging stations throughout the hotel for phones and laptops.
• Luggage storage. Complimentary.

The site does not list a spa. The whole hotel is non-smoking.

Breakfast and the market

Hotel Avante does not have a full-service restaurant. It offers two things instead:

• Breakfast, with locally sourced fruit, yogurt parfaits, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, coffee and juice. The hotel lists hours of 6 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and 7 to 10 a.m. on weekends. The site does not say whether breakfast is included in every rate, so check your booking.
• A 24/7 market stocked with packaged salads, sandwiches, snacks, drinks and sweets.

For dinner, El Camino Real has plenty of casual restaurants within a short drive. Downtown Mountain View is about a mile and a half away.

Parking and policies

• Parking. On-site self-parking for a fee. No valet. Van-accessible spaces are available.
• Check-in and checkout. 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. Check-in is an hour later than at many hotels, so plan your arrival.
• Pets. Dogs only: one dog up to 50 pounds, or two dogs with a combined weight of 50 pounds or less, per room. A nonrefundable fee covers stays of one to six nights, with an extra nightly charge from the seventh night. A signed pet policy is required at check-in. Dogs cannot be left alone in the room.
• Smoking. Not allowed anywhere on the property.

Check the hotel's FAQ for current terms. Our guide to traveling with pets has ideas for dog-friendly outings.

Who Hotel Avante suits

• Business travelers working in Mountain View or Sunnyvale who want a smaller hotel.
• World of Hyatt members who want points near Palo Alto.
• Dog owners with a small or medium dog.
• Drivers who want a base on El Camino Real with on-site parking.
• Night owls who like having a market open around the clock.

It is less suited to visitors who want to walk to dinner or to Caltrain, or who plan to spend most of their time at Stanford. A rental car helps here; compare rental cars with Discover Cars before you land. For closer bases, see our Menlo Park and Mountain View overview.

Booking tips

1. Mind the 4 p.m. check-in. Use the free luggage storage if you arrive early.
2. Pick the studio for space. The Studio King with Sofa Bed is the largest room type at 410 square feet.
3. Ask for a pool view. The Deluxe King lists one. Some standard king and double rooms do too.
4. Budget for parking and Wi-Fi upgrades. Self-parking costs extra and faster internet is a paid add-on.
5. Check the Shoreline calendar. Big summer concerts can lift rates across Mountain View.

Frequently asked questions