A Vintage Hotel In The Heart Of California's Silicon Valley Is A Colorful Callback To 1960s Pool Parties

In 2023, staying at the Wild Palms Hotel in California's Silicon Valley would be comfortable, yet fairly unmemorable. The colors were muted, amenities outdated, and the common spaces neglected. Fast forward to 2025, and this vintage hotel has undergone a spectacular transformation. As part of Hyatt's JdV brand portfolio, it boasts 207 refurbished rooms designed by BHDM, a New York-based design studio. The hotel captures the vibrant energy of the 1960s with bold interiors and confident color combinations. Its standout feature? A year-round, heated swimming pool, surrounded by retro umbrellas and yellow terrace chairs — a clear callback to glamorous 21st-century pool parties.

The updates were part of a major renovation when the hotel joined Hyatt's JdV collection, its lifestyle-focused lineup of boutique hotels. JdV, short for Joie de Vivre (French for "joy of life"), features independent properties that reflect the character of local neighborhoods. These are not your standard cookie-cutter hotels — they're designed to offer a uniquely personal, community-driven experience. Each JdV hotel even has a neighborhood ambassador to curate custom guides and recommendations for guests. In this case, Wild Palms Hotel offers a stylish home base in the global tech hub of Silicon Valley.

The Hyatt group began in 1957 as a small motel and has since grown into one of the world's largest hospitality groups, with over 1,300 properties across 76 countries. Today, Hyatt has five tiers of hospitality, ranging from "essentials" to "luxury" stays. The Wild Palms Hotel falls under the "lifestyle" category – one of only a handful in California. As a part of this global brand, the hotel benefits from Hyatt's impressive loyalty program, so you can look forward to getting extra perks when you check into your hotel.

While the rooms now feature bright wallpaper, quirky throw pillows, tropical rattan furniture, and nostalgic '60s-inspired artwork, the real showstopper is the lobby and lounge. If you compare a photo of the original lobby to its revamped version, you'd almost think it was an AI-generated interior. The redesign draws inspiration from California's famous sunshine and vibrant colors, creating a playful atmosphere with bold block colors, abstract shapes, and eye-catching decorative details, like the translucent, colorful hanging discs that feel almost like a mobile for grown-ups. The reception desk stands out with its off-center design, striking lighting, and textured mural backdrop that pulls the whole look together.

As you walk into the breakfast room, you'll be greeted by more bold colors, striped optical illusion wallpaper that will make you look twice, and mid-century furniture. The palette, with sunset gradient tones mixed with primary colors, feels like a subtle nod to one of Silicon Valley's most iconic residents, Google, which is less than 10 miles away from the hotel. The breakfast room is designed as a dual-function co-working space where guests can set up and work from an inspiring setting right in the heart of the tech capital.

The surprising color palette carries through outside to the pool, an area which looks like something straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Oversized, scalloped parasols shade yellow sun chairs in cabana-striped fabrics, while colorful beach balls and inflatable donuts drift across the water. These playful, eye-catching touches come courtesy of Dan Mazzarini, creative director at BHDM, a design firm known for telling stories through its unexpected, whimsical interiors. In this case, the narrative dips into the nostalgic poolside charm of 1960s California.

The Wild Palms Hotel is in Sunnyvale, a Silicon Valley suburb between Palo Alto and San Jose. It's less than a 15-minute drive from Downtown San Jose, or about 30 minutes by public transit. Central San Francisco, including one of its best shopping neighborhoods, is 44 miles away — less than one hour's drive or a little longer if using public transportation. There's a train station in Sunnyvale, with routes that connect to San Francisco and the "birthplace of Silicon Valley," Palo Alto. If you are driving, there is free parking at the hotel. Note that there are no elevators, so if you book an upper-level room, you'll need to use the stairs. That said, there are accessible rooms available on the ground floor.

Rooms feature comfortable beds with nightstands, built-in power outlets, and mounted wall lamps. Each room includes a TV, dresser, mini-fridge, coffee maker, and ice bucket. There is also a work desk with a swivel chair, task lighting, and power points — fitting for its location in Silicon Valley, where many guests are in town for business. Check-in is at 3 p.m. and check-out is by 12 p.m. A continental breakfast is served daily, and there is a 24-hour market on site, stocked with snacks and drinks.

The hotel has received mixed reviews, but the hope is that these recent upgrades will boost its ratings. Hotel guest Paul M shared, "The Wild Palms is Retro in a good way and stays on top of things that are important – like room condition and staff knowledge. It is a fun place to stay for leisure or business purposes when needed in the area." Standard rates start at $175 per night for a king room for two guests, and reach up to $218 for a double room that accommodates four.