The Nest Hotel Palo Alto (Palo Alto, USA)

This former motel has been reborn as a boutique hotel and as far as guests are concerned, the physical transformation has been astonishing. After passing through an outdoor patio area, guests are now greeted by a stylish, sleek lobby and a reception area which doubles as a bar. This latter feature has gone down very well, while many have been pleased to note that the minimalist theme is continued in the rooms.

This hotel is in the heart of Silicon Valley and does attract a number of business travelers. Thankfully, the promise of speedy Wi-Fi here is more than that; in fact, guests are raving about the superior speed and strength of this hotel's connection.

The quality of this hotel's staff has been praised by a number of guests, many of whom have found them to be incredibly helpful, professional and prompt. Additionally, when it comes to parking, visitors are delighted to report that this amenity is both free and plentiful.

A number of visitors admitted that while the Palo Alto area can be expensive for accommodation, quite a few felt that - although it looks great - this hotel doesn't necessarily represent the best value for money in this region. Breakfast here is an optional add-on and some of the aspects of the hotel, they felt, were a little bit less than lux for the price paid.

A number of rooms look out onto the parking lot, but interior blinds appear to be strangely lacking here. For some, this resulted in an uncomfortable lack of privacy.

Finally, some guests also felt that rooms could have been a bit more snug in terms of insulation against wind and the elements.