Palo Alto hotels with pools

Palo Alto's weather makes a hotel pool useful. Summer afternoons are warm and dry and many hotel pools are heated, so a swim works from spring into fall and often beyond. Yet the hotels people most often book, the small downtown hotels near University Avenue, mostly have no pool at all. If a swim after a long day of meetings or campus tours matters to you, choose your area with that in mind.

This guide lists the hotels that publish a pool on their own pages, as summarized on our hotel profiles. We note whether each pool is heated, indoor, rooftop or seasonal when the hotel says so, along with posted hours. Pools close for maintenance and private events, so check with the front desk before you plan around one. To compare rates, search hotels with pools near Stanford and filter for a pool.

Hotel pools at a glance

Hours are the ones the hotels published when we checked in October 2026. Several other hotels in the area also list pools, including the resort hotels in Menlo Park and the suite hotels at the south end of El Camino Real. Our family-friendly hotels guide covers the ones with kitchens and suites.

Pools near Stanford

The block of El Camino Real across from Stanford has three hotels in a row and all three have a pool. The Sheraton lists one outdoor heated pool, with the Poolside Grill serving food and drinks beside it. Next door, the Westin lists an outdoor heated pool with cabanas, couches and a whirlpool. A few steps south, The Clement's heated rooftop pool is lined with cabanas and looks out over El Camino Real. At The Clement, meals and drinks are part of the all-inclusive rate.

Just over San Francisquito Creek in Menlo Park, the Stanford Park Hotel lists a 50-foot heated pool with a whirlpool spa in a private courtyard. Its own homepage still describes the pool that way. Many rooms face that courtyard, so the pool is part of the view.

These are the best picks for families visiting campus in summer or anyone who wants a swim after a day at the medical center. All four sit within about a mile of the Palo Alto Caltrain station.

Heated and year-round

"Heated" does not always mean "open all year," so look for both words. Two hotels say their pools open year-round:

• Creekside Inn. The hotel's amenities page describes a heated outdoor pool "open year-round," set among gardens beside Matadero Creek. Many rooms have balconies or patios facing it.
• Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. Its heated pool sits on the third-floor rooftop next to the spa and is open year-round, with cabanas and summer pool bar service. Pool dining carries a mandatory gratuity.

Winter in Palo Alto is mild but nights are cool, often in the 40s. A heated pool is pleasant at midday in January. A whirlpool helps after dark.

Indoor and seasonal pools

Hilton lists an indoor pool at the Hilton Garden Inn Palo Alto on south El Camino Real. It is the only indoor hotel pool we found in Palo Alto, which makes it the safe choice for a rainy-season trip with children. The hotel also lists cribs and connecting rooms.

At the other end of the scale, the family-run Coronet Motel near California Avenue has a seasonal outdoor pool with an ADA-compliant pool lift. It does not run year-round. Ask the front desk whether it is open on your dates before you promise the kids a swim.

South El Camino Real and Mountain View

The hotel strip near the Los Altos line has several big pools. The Crowne Plaza Palo Alto, the old Cabana, still has the largest pool deck on the road: an outdoor pool on a patio of about 5,000 square feet with a whirlpool, cabanas for rent and posted hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. IHG does not say whether it is heated. Next door in Los Altos, the Courtyard Palo Alto Los Altos lists an outdoor heated pool with a whirlpool and an accessible lift or sloped entry.

In Mountain View, The Ameswell Hotel lists an outdoor heated saltwater pool, open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with room key access. A chair lift is available. A seasonal bar opens by the pool on Memorial Day weekend. Shoreline Amphitheatre and the Stevens Creek Trail are close by.

Farther north on Shoreline Boulevard, near Google, the Shashi Hotel lists a pool and jacuzzi open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is a good pick for a concert night at Shoreline.

Redwood City

Two stops north of Palo Alto on Caltrain, Redwood City adds two more pool hotels. The Courtyard Redwood City on Bair Island Road, east of Highway 101, lists an outdoor pool. On El Camino Real closer to downtown, the Best Western Inn Redwood City lists an outdoor pool too. Neither page we checked gives pool hours, so ask at check-in.

Hotels without a pool

Most downtown Palo Alto hotels do not advertise a pool. That includes the design hotel on Hamilton Avenue, the boutique hotels on Cowper and High streets and the converted 1929 hotel on University Avenue. A few suite and business hotels farther south do not list one either. If a hotel page says nothing about a pool, assume there is none and ask.

You can still swim. The city's Rinconada Park has Rinconada Pool, which the city keeps open year-round for lap and recreation swims. Our swimming pools guide lists public pools, swim times and how drop-in fees work.

Tips for pool-minded travelers

1. Check the dates. Pools close for resurfacing, often in the off-season. A quick call before you book saves a disappointment.
2. Ask about hours. Some pools close at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., which matters after a late dinner.
3. Ask about children. Most hotel pools have no lifeguard. Some set age rules for whirlpools.
4. Look for cabanas early. Hotels that rent cabanas, such as the Crowne Plaza, can sell out on summer weekends.
5. Think about noise. Pool-view rooms are pleasant, but summer evenings can be lively. Light sleepers may prefer the other side.

Booking a pool hotel for big weekends

Pools make the El Camino Real hotels popular with families on summer weekends. They are busiest of all on Stanford commencement weekend, which runs June 10 to 13 in 2027. Book early and pick a cancellable rate. If the hotels near campus are full, the south El Camino Real cluster and Mountain View have more pool rooms and often lower rates. You can compare hotels with pools on Expedia for your dates and then confirm pool hours with the hotel.

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