Hotel Santo Tomas is located, at a HUGE stretch 1.5 blocks from ZB, and has quite possibly one of the most picturesque restaurant/pool combinations of any place in SJ proper - I at least have not seen anything remotely resembling this, very attractive, view.
The pool has a jacuzzi above it, in a hidden away nook, which spills it's water down a slide that goes into the pool. There is a small workout facility, and a breakfast dining room in addition to the restaurant - Restaurant Oasis.
I had been wanting to stay here since my very first trip, mostly because of this pool. I REALLY wanted to see inside this hotel.
I called ahead for a reservation and booked a room. When we got there, we asked to be let into their parking garage, and were told it was $10 for the parking... Expensive, but not a rip, so I went for it, besides allowing in-and-out, it was late, and I just wanted to park, take a shower and head out for the night.
Upon walking inside the hotel I felt I was walking into Colonial San Jose. There is a gorgeous wooden floor, and it is very tastefully decorated, and the walls all have a nice wooden trim. I was DEFINITELY not expecting this when I walked in.
The walk from the parking garage to the reception desk would challenge most competent rats... It was just like walking a maze! Once you get it, it's easy, but I was told: go down the hall, and on your right... YEAH, THAT WORKED.... NOT.
Well, after finding the front desk, I am offered 2 different rooms, one for ~$85, and the other for ~$95, and I'm shown both rooms. Me being the cheap bastard I am, I went for the lower end one, especially since I still had to fork over $10 for parking...
Internet:
Each room is equipped with a cable for internet. The one we stayed in also received a wireless signal, which I assume is received in some but not all rooms, but since they are all hard wired, I guess this isn't a real problem. The wire was a decent enough length to allow me to sit comfortably on the bed and use the wire... Until I realized I got wireless
.
The room:
The room was probably a little smaller than a California King - it was cramped. The bathroom was about the same, not in size, but in proportional size. 2 people definitely DO NOT fit in that shower.
The bed was small, but VERY comfortable, but the headboard bangged the wall, and I'm sure we kept our neighbors up most of the night... Luckily we only had 1 neighbor.
There are NO airconditioned rooms, although they all had ceiling fans. I was never there during the mid-day, so I don't know how hot it gets, plus it was raining, so the outside wasn't hot.
The hotel DOES have HUGE rooms, but I never bothered to ask how much those were. They were quite sizeable, with 2 queen or full beds, and they looked gorgeous.
I had to leave before breakfast, so I can't tell you how good their included breakfast is... I belive it is served from 6am to 10am.
Overall impression:
This hotel is NOT monger friendly.
If you have a night to spend in SJ, with a wife, or S.O. that you want to show her a nice, beautiful building, and you're ok with paying the rates, this place is really nice. If you were to come with a spouce, and just wanted to zip down to ZB or NF, for a quickie, this would be a great spot, as anyone staying here wouldn't have a clue about the mongering world around them.
The room was exactly what I needed, although I REALLY could have used more space, but it worked.
There were several nice lounge areas for guests to sit and relax, so as to not feel so cramped in their room - I would have rather they taken that space, and re-apportioned it to the rooms, but hey...
The staff do not appear to be happy to work there, but were all very cordial with us.
Overall, it was a very nice stay, and I would consider staying with them again as an option, although I have to say that there are better choices in SJ for my $.
qbf
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