Many thanks to Treehouse Hotel in Silicon Valley for hosting my family of two adults, four kids, and a dog for a lovely weekend. The following is an honest review of our experience.
Staycations are the workhorses of a successful Summer break. No airline tickets, no crazy gas prices, and no endless screen time or snacks required to keep the rascals in line. Low stress, lower price, lots of fun! At least that’s been my family’s philosophy as of late. So when I was looking for a family-friendly place for a weekend away that would also feel special (and dog friendly!), Treehouse Hotel in Silicon Valley fit the bill.
A Family-Friendly Treehouse in the Heart of Silicon Valley
The reason Treehouse initially caught my eye was its name: is it a treehouse? Well, no. Instead, they’ve captured the treehouse vibe with loads of whimsical touches. Warm wooden accents, abundant greenery, cozy quilts on the walls, magic 8 balls scattered about, and all tilting towards upscale. I was worried it might be too upscale and not-so-family-friendly given its location (right smack dab in the middle of the Google Cloud campus), but, happily, it was not.
We were able to have connecting rooms, which for our family is key. Let the kids have their own space, own bedtime; parents get to Netflix and chill. There was also a cute tepee and some board games for the kiddos, as well as a dog bed and bowls for our dog. Each room also opens out onto a cute little patio with seating and views of the pool, perfect for lunch or a snack. Oh, and the bathrooms were on-point, though everyone did have a hard time figuring lighting system.
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What to do on a Silicon Valley Staycation
The hotel had some pretty great on-site activities. We spent a lot of time enjoying the pool and hot tub, which were happily not overrun with cool tech bros as I’d feared. Instead, there were several other families with young children splashing about, as well as a few older folks who didn’t seem to mind. There are also complimentary bikes (and helmets!) available, though we didn’t partake. Leaning even more into the playful atmosphere, they also have a bunch of backyard games (think giant Connect Four, Cornhole, etc) at the beer garden.
When we wanted a break from the pool, we took a short drive over to the Stanford Campus, which my kids were curious about, and then went on a short hike nearby. My husband had suggested we try to get tickets to a baseball or soccer game, but the kids revolted (there are more of them than us, so yeah). Should you want to take a field trip, the hotel has a bunch of ideas for you. I think next time we might try Great America, which is super close by, or the Children’s Museum. Or for a free option, probably this awesome playground.
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What to eat in San Jose with picky kids
Beer garden pizza: Figuring out what to feed everyone is always a thing. We have picky eaters. So we were excited to see that the beer garden had fresh wood-fired pizza available, as well as other kid-friendly items. When we went around 5:30 pm on Friday evening to grab dinner, the outdoor beer garden was boppin. Live music and lots of people (families and what looked to be young professionals). Sadly, there wasn’t enough seating for us, so we ended up having to order to-go, sending the kids back to the room to watch a movie while we ordered some fancy beer and waited for our food. Maybe it wasn’t too sad.
Backyard breakfast: Breakfast looked awesome at the Backyard Cafe. Alas, my kids prefer cereal, which I brought. There’s a cute mini fridge in each room, so if you want to bring some of your food, that’s an option too.
Fine dining for families: For dinner, we took a chance and made reservations at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Valley Goat. The chef is a famous Top Chef alum, whom my husband and I had watched and rooted for back in 2008! So we just had to go (even if I was pretty sure my picky eaters wouldn’t touch a thing). Much to our surprise, the restaurant had a kids ‘ menu and a welcome, low-key atmosphere. And while some of the dishes we ordered didn’t entice everyone’s discriminating palates, overall, the experience was a win. Taking little kids to a fine dining establishment is usually frowned upon, so it was exciting to just be able to give it a try.
Plan Your Visit to Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley
Location:Â 1100 North Mathilda Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA
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The Bottom Line on Treehouse Hotel
“Elevated playful” is what my husband dubbed our little staycation. And we were all into it. At a little over an hour to get to from Berkeley (or twice that with traffic), the Treehouse Hotel felt suitably “away”, but without all the fuss of a flight or road trip. We enjoyed the sweet touches, on-site amenities (especially the pool!), and that we could bring our dog. The chance to try a fun, fancy restaurant that was not pretentious was also a perk. I can see us going back again for a quick getaway in the future. Overall, my family enjoyed our stay in the Treehouse!
Thank you again to the Treehouse Hotel for hosting my family for a fun little staycation!Â
