Heralded by its own street sign as well as iconic Silicon Valley neighbors such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Moffett Field, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Levi’s Stadium, and Stanford University, Mountain View’s new The Ameswell Hotel is stylish, sophisticated, and tech-oriented (natch). You might want to check it out now before Google employees return to their hotel adjacent offices, and the company’s out-of-town business associates commandeer the hotel’s 255 rooms and its tony restaurant.
Guests of The Ameswell will recognize the nods to nearby NASA Ames Research Center, for which both the hotel and its cozy lobby library are name-checked. But aeronautic-chic aside, it’s the focal point restaurant, Roger, featuring creative cocktails, the chaise-lounge flanked heated swimming pool, and the fun yard games that make The Ameswell an ideal spot for a quick, local getaway. Melding innovation, art, wellness, sustainability, and natural beauty, the hotel also features an extensive art collection, a library, meeting and event space, a wellness/fitness center, an event lawn, recreational field, and direct access to hiking and biking trails.
The Ameswell is the newest hotel from Broadreach Capital Partners and Rockwood Capital; it’s managed by Storey Hotel Management Group and designed by BAMO, San Francisco’s award-winning design team. It has in common many of the same key players behind the critically acclaimed Rosewood Sand Hill and The Park James, both in nearby Menlo Park.
“We have aimed to be the first hotel that comprehensively combines the Silicon Valley and tech aspects of Google (speed, reliability, ubiquity) with Apple (ease of use and elegance of design), and Amazon (give the customer what they want quickly, efficiently, reliably) with the traditional hospitality virtues of a comfortable environment, a warm welcome, and a good night’s sleep; a healthy and fun respite from a demanding workday,” said Philip Maritz, lead owner and developer of The Ameswell.
Guestrooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, graphic wall-coverings, punches of California poppy orange, custom-designed lighting, and locally handcrafted blue fireclay tile in the bathrooms. Desk design is inspired by the shape of an airplane wing. High tech touches, such as a medical-grade air filtration system that ensures guest rooms never share air, advanced water filtration, and exceptional sound quality provide a reminder to the hotel’s location – the global center for innovation and creativity. Additional in-room amenities include 100% organic toiletries by cult favorite Juice Beauty, and ethically-sourced coffee and tea by local Santa Cruz company, Steeped.
The hotel features not just one, but three restaurants. Roger, the hotel’s main restaurant and oversized bar with garage-style doors, allows for both indoor and al fresco seating overlooking two large firepits and a soothing water feature. The menu features seasonal California cuisine with Mediterranean flavors and will no doubt soon be discovered by locals who will clamor for the creatively crafted cocktails (such as The Pineapple Booster featuring NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s G.O.A.T. Fuel) and wine on tap from local small producers. Roger highlights local and regional ingredients through partnerships with local farms, ranches, and dairies, including The Midwife and The Baker’s bread, Mary’s Chicken, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. Some signature items include the Flank + Fries, featuring a coffee and pepper rubbed steak with a watercress salad and in-house cut, salt roasted fries, plus the Hot N’ Crispy Chicken Sandwich, with pickles, shrettuce, and aleppo mayo. The quick and casual Flyby, an all-day café, is lobby-located and offers La Colombe coffee and made-to-order and grab-and-go meals; and the Airstream Bar, opening in September, is a retrofitted vintage trailer stationed within the event lawn, serving-up casual California-inspired cuisine
The Ameswell places a large emphasis on wellness, offering a Wellness Wing which features rooms with The Mirror by lululemon and ample equipment from the Oakland-based company Fitnesse for personalized workouts, along with private spa treatment rooms. The bright and airy 1,600 square foot fitness facility has everything anyone might require for maintaining workouts on the road, including several Peloton bikes.
Outside, more than two acres of gathering space surround the park-like property. At some point soon, the hotel plans for a range of cultural programming, such as regularly hosted live music, wellness retreats, winemaker dinner series and tastings, and guided hikes along the Steven’s Creek Trail. As part of the hotel’s commitment to sustainability, the Event Lawn is covered in life-like astroturf, eliminating the need for excessive watering, while the hotel’s solar panels power the LED bulbs throughout the property, and guests can find electric charging stations at the parking garage.
Finally, for those for whom ambient music is a vibe influencer (hand raised), The Ameswell lobby and restaurant playlists are appealing and feature a hand-picked selection of genres at a volume that compliments rather than distracts.