Silicon Valley’s New Ameswell Hotel Targets Tech Travelers and Staycationers
If you’re looking for a unique high-tech hotel stay in the middle of Silicon Valley, you may want to consider checking into the gay-friendly Ameswell Hotel in Mountain View, California. The new hotel exudes a chilled-out, grown-up summer camp vibe, and folds high-tech amenities into a low-stress environment.
The independent 255-room property features a lawn furnished with cornhole boards and other games, a saltwater swimming pool, an Airstream trailer repurposed as a bar, and light-filled, wood-accented public spaces that spill from indoors out through rolling glass garage doors. That’s all in addition to app-driven check-in and room key services, Lululemon Mirror smart gyms, and rolling robot busboys.
Now at full stride after opening mid-pandemic, the Ameswell provides a playful oasis for visitors to nearby Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook campuses. It’s a holiday hub with equidistant access to San Cruz beaches and San Francisco. It’s an ideal staycation spot for Bay Area residents attending concerts at one of two nearby major music venues, Shoreline Amphitheater and the Mountain Winery.
According to Victor Escoto, the hotel’s director of rooms who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, many guests avoid the traffic and parking snarls associated with those venues, booking a room to turn a concert into a mini-vacation and Ubering from the Ameswell to the show. “We had plenty of guests check-in for the Audiotistic dance music festival at Shoreline,” he notes.
Guest rooms and suites (from as low as $179) range from 310 to 995 square feet, all featuring high thread-count linens, organic bath products by Juice Beauty, and televisions set up to stream your favorite shows or movies from your cellphone.
Roger, the Ameswell’s restaurant and bar has quickly become an in-demand watering hole for locals as well as hotel guests. Chef Christian McCallon’s casual Cal-Med menu features unique touches like the vibrant duo of green and yellow sauces that turn a perfectly roasted branzino into a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. And keeping diners (and cocktail drinkers) coming back for more are the McCallon’s simultaneously crunchy and creamy salt-roasted potato planks.
The aforementioned robots – self-steering cabinets made by nearby Bear Robotics – are used to transport dishes and utensils from the dining room to a relatively remote dishwashing area, allowing the service staff to remain fully attentive to guests.
Another welcome tech touch is the QR code discretely tucked beside each of the artworks decorating Ameswell’s flowing series of lobby-level lounges and seating areas. Smartphone cameras can be used to learn more about the impressive pieces, including Chris Doyle’s multi-channel video installation, which poetically comments on environmental fragility, and Ala Ebtekar’s light prints derived from Hubble telescope images.
The latter is particularly noteworthy, given the hotel’s namesake, NASA’s Ames Research Center, located just five minutes away. Ames is further represented in the hotel’s library lounge, an aeronautic cabinet of curiosities with books and memorabilia curated by the facility.
Also, close by, the Mountain Winery, in addition to being a concert venue, grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Visitors are welcome for weekend tastings and panoramic perspectives on the Santa Cruz Mountains, vineyards, and valley. “The view is just stunning,” says Escoto. “I like to go at least once every year.”
For guests in need of some South Bay gay flavor, Escoto recommends taking the 15-minute drive to San Jose to check out its Rose Garden neighborhood, home to a robust queer community as well as The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, an under-the-radar Bay Area attraction built in the style of an ancient temple that houses artifacts including mummies, dearest.
Check out the Ameswell’s website for more travel inspiration and details on how you can plan your stay.
