Mountain View’s new Ameswell Hotel combines a tech-focused, sustainable approach to hospitality with exceptional amenities and a world-class art collection.
The hotel’s library gives a nod to the amazing exploits of space exploration and NASA.
When a hotel’s namesake is the nearby NASA Ames Research Center, it’s a good bet the minds behind the property had otherworldly expectations. That’s exactly what the newly opened 225-room Ameswell Hotel delivers in Mountain View—a property that remains grounded in the countless details of pleasing guests but also providing enough star shine for memorable stays.
The sleek Ameswell lobby.
“We’ve aimed to be the first hotel that comprehensively combines the Silicon Valley and tech aspects” of Google (speed, reliability, ubiquity) with Apple (ease of use and elegance of design) and Amazon (give customers what they want quickly, efficiently, reliably) with the traditional hospitality virtues, says Philip Maritz, the lead owner and developer of the property.
The rooms each have their own state-of-the-art air filtration system.
Tall tasks, indeed. But the Ameswell, which features three restaurants, a bar, library, outdoor heated saltwater pool, wellness and fitness center and an extensive art collection, is already turning heads. Like everything else in the Valley, the property’s success begins with the design. San Francisco’s award-winning BAMO, in collaboration with RYS Architects and exterior architecture by WRNS Studio, which is responsible for Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus, created a property that features open, light-bathed spaces, hyper efficient heating and cooling, solar panels, LED lighting throughout and indigenous plant species. It’s a LEED Silver building.
Forward-thinking sustainability is the watchword here, with organic soaps, shampoos and lotions; guests also will find electric car-charging stations and bicycle connections to the surrounding corporate campuses. Nearly all single-use plastics have been eliminated from the property.
The BAMO-designed guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, and each room’s aesthetic is West Coast chic, with hues of poppy orange and rich California black-walnut finishes.
Comfy, light-filled seating in the lobby.
The rooms also serve as a reminder of the tech geniuses in the hotel’s backyard, with custom-designed lighting by Granville McAnear Lighting Design (gmld.lighting), medical-grade air filtration system for each room, advanced water filtration, ethically sourced coffee and tea by Santa Cruz-based Steeped and 100% organic lotions and skincare products from Juice Beauty.
The Flyby cafe is great for lounging and grabbing a quick meal.
A permanent art collection on the hotel’s ground floor is dubbed Hangar One Art Gallery, a nod to the nearby hangar that once housed WWII naval airships. All of the pieces in the collection revolve around our relationship with or response to nature. Standouts include contemporary artist Chris Doyle’s seven-monitor video installation, as well as local creator Ala Ebtekar’s work, which employs negatives from the Hubble telescope.
The hotel’s main dining space, Roger.
With garage-style doors that connect indoor and outdoor seating, Roger is the hotel’s main bar and restaurant, featuring a blend of Mediterranean and modern California flavors. Early favorites include the kitchen’s flank steak, avocado burger and street corn, with raves for the beverage program led by James Beard winner Shelley Lindgren. She and her husband, Greg, focus on wines from nearby small producers, and the cocktail program celebrates techniques inspired by NASA astronauts. Guests can check out another eatery, Flyby, in the lobby for grab-and-go meals, but the visual coup is the Airstream Bar—a retrofitted vintage trailer—parked on the property for West Coastinspired cuisine to enjoy on the lawn or by the pool. And in true Silicon Valley fashion, there’s a technical twist amid the culinary service: Ameswell is the first hotel to offer Bear Robotics’ Servi, a selfdriving indoor delivery robot.
It’s certainly not easy to build into a hotel the high-minded equivalent of a tech campus and still have it feel welcoming and worthy of long, memorable nights. But at the Ameswell, it all works seamlessly and makes the case for ushering in a new era of California hospitality. Bring on the copycats as they aim for the stars. From $329 per night, 800 Moffett Blvd., Mountain View, 650.880.1000, @theameswellhotel
Photography by: FROM TOP: PHOTO BY JESSICA SAMPLE; PHOTO BY JESSICA SAMPLE; PHOTO BY LYLE THOMPSON; PHOTO BY JESSICA SAMPLE; PHOTO BY:JESSICA SAMPLE; PHOTO BY: JESSICA SAMPLE
