Starwood Preferred Guest - Help on Westin / Sheraton Palo Alto...

I was wondering whether anyone could help me with the Westin and Sheraton Palo Alto hotels.

I am looking to organize a family reunion in one of those hotels, and I'm looking to see whether they have outdoor areas that kids can run around? Also I am just looking for a more relaxed environment, not like those big hotel complexes they have near SFO.

Can anyone help and let me know what those hotels are like? Or any other hotels around the area that maybe better?

Thank you.

bagold: Please see my post on 4 Starwood properties in Silicon Valley at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/000911.html for more information on the Sheraton Palo Alto.

The Sheraton is directly across "the El Camino" from Stanford. It's also right next door to the Westin. I found weekend rates to be considerably less expensive at the Sheraton, by the way.

The Sheraton has a bit more room to "run around" (it's a bigger property), but I'm not sure I would consider either one kid-friendly (lots of business meetings there, sometimes with outdoor meals).

There's the Westin in Santa Clara, 15 miles or so south of Palo Alto (but closer to SJC), and which is within walking distance to Great America amusement park, a plus for the kids.

I once ran into a huge family reunion at the Westin Santa Clara, and small kids were running around a bit more unsupervised than I would have liked if I were there on business, but it was on a Friday night free stay....

Thanks for all the suggestions especially dgolds for your trip report!

Isn't Great America closed for the winter? I stayed at the Westin Santa Clara recently and didn't see any of the rides running. The hotel seems pretty drab to me anyway.

The 4 points Sunnyvale (formerly the Hilton) is pretty nice with duck ponds and pool for the kids. I got a two-storey suite there as a Platinum recently. It's walking distance to the excellent Faultline Brewery restaurant.

Great America opens again at the end of March, at least on weekends.

But you can take the light rail to the Children's Discovery Museum or the Tech Museum.

Oops sorry I didn't note that Great America being closed for the winter. It was in the back of my mind to ask when the reunion will be if it would match the time the park would be open....embarassing to me if you knew that 2 of my kids have worked summers at Great America.