Valencia Santana Row OR Pruneyard Hotel

Hi, I am travelling to SJ for a visit with family in June or July. These two hotels are best with close proximity to their house. My husband and I will be travelling with our 3 year old son. Can anyone give pros and/or cons for these hotels. We definately want a kid friendly pool area. Thanks in advance...

Valencia Santana Row OR Pruneyard Hotel

My parents just visited and spent a few nights in the Pruneyard hotel. They were a bit underwhelmed. There are a lot of good restaurants nearby and some shopping but those are also available even moreso at the Valencia.

Valencia Santana Row OR Pruneyard Hotel

Hi, The Valencia is gorgeous, but it%26#39;s trendy too .. mostly for business people and young adults. I stay there on business and sometimes pleasure, but the pool is small and I wouldn%26#39;t say it%26#39;s a kid-friendly place. I%26#39;ve never seen kids ever there. I have not stayed at Pruneyard so can%26#39;t advise on that.

Hands down -Valencia. More fun, more restaurants, great place to walk, great place to see movies, close to Winchester Mystery House; trendy shopping; lots of wonderful restaurants....fun, intersting, great bar with a good view; choose Valencia. Pruneyard is somewhat boring.

Hi -- I haven%26#39;t been inside the Pruneyard hotel but know where it is. I have been inside the hotel rooms at Valencia when my sister stayed there and they are very nice. Not large but very luxurious. My son did not go swimming since it was Thanksgiving week, but he did come w/us to the hot tub there and soak his feet. Just behind the Valencia , there%26#39;s a small playground at Santana Row in the large green area between Maggiano%26#39;s restaurant and Starbucks%26#39;. This is just behind the Valencia hotel. So you can take your 3 yr old there. We live near Santana Row and go over there for dinner sometimes -- our 4 yr old loves it. So even though it%26#39;s mostly upscale shopping/dining, still good for kids. I would recommend Pasta Pomodoro for kid friendly meals there.

(c) Take a peek at the Campbell Inn.

I often put family up there. It%26#39;s just a couple hundred yards away from the Pruneyard. PLUS, a 3 year old son will thank you for choosing a park whose property straddles a very nice Los Gatos Creek trail %26amp; park. There%26#39;s a pool there if you want a pool too. Their breakfasts are very nice.

I%26#39;ll have to post a more remark to counter Mini%26#39;s ';Hands-down'; business.

Santana Row area is for people who like indoors, noisy mall places for crowds, shopping, eating, watching movies and spending money to do anything.

Pruneyard/Campbell area is for people who like more relaxed, quieter outdoor areas with great family atmosphere. From Campbell Inn, which is between the Pruneyard and downtown Campbell, there is also a free shuttle service to downtown Los Gatos. The sunset can be gorgeous from the Los Gatos Creek Park. The Campbell library is a nice library right there too. If you plan things right, you don%26#39;t even need a car for this area. The light rail goes directly from here to the SJ airport.

If anybody is underwhelmed by the Pruneyard, they never got out of their car and ventured just a couple blocks away. Santana Row/Valley Fair has no other life in walking distance.

My parents were underwhelmed by the Hotel. Our house growing up was 50 yards from Campbell, and they know it like the backs of their hands. I%26#39;d probably prefer the Campbell area to the Santana row area myself, but I%26#39;m not sure the hotels can be compared.

Hi ,regarding previous comments -- in terms of location, the new Campbell Inn is probably ideal -- the playground right across the bridge is fantastic for toddlers and other kids. Plus the Los Gatos Creek Trail is great for taking walks/runs. I agree with Darth etc. -- probably better for 3 year old. Plus pool sounds more kid friendly than the one at Valencia.

Are you sure that you know Campbell like the back of your hands?

It%26#39;s changed _significantly_ in just the last five and fifteen years.

Fung Lum is GONE.

Downtown Campbell got a makeover, with a nice Sonoma Chicken Coop %26amp; Twisty%26#39;s Cafe (??? check the names) across the road (native French people regularly go to Twisty%26#39;s for mousse au chocolat, pain au choclat, etc. this says a lot!).

The canneries are all GONE. The historic house at Hamilton and Bascom got replaced by a tiny strip mall. Its orchard is way gone. The house got dropped onto the middle of Central Ave next to the library and got turned into a museum.

The Los Gatos Creek Trail got a serious makeover since the 1980%26#39;s and is continually being upgraded. It%26#39;s very nice now. The assortment of migrating %26amp; non-migrating aquatic fauna (far more than just ducks %26amp; geese) that the location%26#39;s attracted is quite amazing. The parks %26amp; recreation folks acquisitioned a good amount of land for the trail. It stretches 12 miles from Meridian Ave in Willow Glen down through Vasona, downtown Los Gatos and up to Lexington Reservoir.

The Korean War era jet fighter plane (on which kids used to climb) at the park at Campbell Ave %26amp; Hwy 17 is GONE. It got replaced by a very nice kiddy playground, basketball court, etc.

Orchards are no longer anywhere to be found.

Andy%26#39;s BBQ is GONE. Actually, it got relocated to El Camino Rl %26amp; San Tomas Expwy in Santa Clara. In its spot is a new luxury hotel. I still think Campbell Inn is a better more spacious, more personal, less cookie-cutter deal.

Campbell High School got converted into quite a nice community center at Winchester %26amp; Campbell.

I eat at Taco Bravo once a week. Yes, Fung Lum is gona alright. I take that right turn on my way. I went to Campbell high school for 2 years before it closed. I%26#39;m quite aware of the area.