Cardinal Hotel

What Cardinal Hotel does

Cardinal Hotel is a privately held historic boutique hotel located at 235 Hamilton Avenue in downtown Palo Alto, California, one mile from Stanford University. Built in 1924 and family-owned for three generations by the Wansek family, the property operates as a single-location lodging business with a recently renovated vintage interior, an elegant lobby reflecting Palo Alto history, and an on-site French crêperie called Bistro Maxine at 548 Ramona Street. The hotel offers five room categories ranging from a budget Shared Bath Style room (rates from $129/night) to Standard and Deluxe rooms with private baths, all featuring 300-thread-count stripe weave sheets, white goose down comforters, Tarocco Orange bath products, and luxury microtec robes; Standard and Deluxe direct bookings include complimentary Cardinal Breakfast at Bistro Maxine (Tuesday through Sunday).

The property generates revenue primarily through nightly room rentals on a pay-as-you-go basis, with credit card authorization at check-in under a cashless policy implemented in August 2017. Supplementary streams include daily parking permits ($15-$20), breakfast upgrades ($12-$18), package handling, and fax services. A secondary revenue layer comes from subscription-style corporate and Stanford University department direct-billing accounts that offer preferred rates and centralized invoicing to recurring institutional travelers. Distribution is multi-channel: the direct booking website (powered by Mews property management and BookingSuite), Booking.com for OTA reach, phone reservations, and dedicated group sales. Technology infrastructure is standard hospitality stack: Mews PMS, BookingSuite/Booking.com integration, Canary Technologies for PCI-compliant credit card authorization, and a WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant website; no AI or proprietary ML capabilities are present.

Cardinal Hotel targets three primary segments: Stanford University visitors (families, prospective students, alumni, conference attendees), corporate travelers visiting Silicon Valley companies, and leisure tourists exploring Palo Alto on foot. Customer relationships are anchored by long-standing direct-billing accounts with Stanford departments and hundreds of Silicon Valley companies dating to the hotel's 1924 founding. The business is small (1-10 employees), managed day-to-day by General Manager Stephanie Wansek, and operates without external institutional capital, acquisitions, or expansion into additional locations.

Name

Cardinal Hotel

Legal name

Cardinal Hotel

Website

https://cardinalhotel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cardinal Hotel is a family-owned historic boutique hotel built in 1924 in downtown Palo Alto, serving Stanford University visitors, Silicon Valley corporate travelers, and leisure guests through direct bookings, corporate accounts, and OTA distribution from a single 1-10 employee property.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Hotel Accommodations

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAGALAL

Historic/Heritage Conference Hotels

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Convention & Conference Hotels

Keywords

• Boutique hotel lodging
• Historic hotel accommodations
• Corporate lodging accounts
• Stanford visitor lodging
• Palo Alto hotel rooms

Headquarters

HQ city

PALO ALTO, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Room Rentals: Nightly hotel room rentals across five room categories: Standard Queen, Standard Two Doubles, Standard King, Deluxe King, and Shared Bath Style. Revenue collected at check-out with credit card guarantee system.
2. Corporate Account Billing: Direct billing accounts for corporate clients and Stanford departments enabling centralized payment, invoicing, and preferred rate access for recurring institutional and business travelers.
3. Ancillary Services: Parking permits ($15-20/day), breakfast upgrades ($12-18), package handling fees, and fax services ($0.50/page) provide supplementary revenue from overnight guests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Cardinal Hotel is a historic 1924 boutique hotel in downtown Palo Alto that rents five categories of guest rooms (Standard Queen, Standard Two Doubles, Standard King, Deluxe King, and Shared Bath Style) to leisure visitors, Stanford guests, and corporate travelers. Standard and Deluxe rooms include complimentary Cardinal Breakfast served at the on-site Bistro Maxine. The hotel also offers corporate and Stanford direct-bill accounts, group room blocks, and seasonal promotional packages.

Product overview

Cardinal Hotel is a historic boutique hotel built in 1924, offering a portfolio of five distinct guest room types: Standard Rooms (available with One Queen, Two Doubles, or One King configurations), a Deluxe Room (One King), and Shared Bath Style Rooms. The hotel operates on a room-and-breakfast model, with complimentary Cardinal Breakfast included at Bistro Maxine for Standard and Deluxe room guests. Additional services include corporate and Stanford department account programs for frequent travelers, group room block bookings, and special promotional packages such as the Be a Part of History Package and Celebration Season 4th Night Free Package. Reservations are facilitated through direct booking on the hotel website (powered by Mews and BookingSuite/Booking.com) and third-party platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Room – One Queen Standard guest room featuring one queen bed with white goose down comforters, hypo-allergenic pillows, 300 TC stripe weave sheets, and luxury amenities. Includes complimentary Cardinal Breakfast at Bistro Maxine when booked directly. Targeted at individual leisure and business travelers.
• Standard Room – Two Doubles Standard guest room featuring two double beds with white goose down comforters, hypo-allergenic pillows, and luxury amenities. Includes complimentary Cardinal Breakfast at Bistro Maxine when booked directly. Suitable for families or small groups visiting Palo Alto.
• Standard Room – One King Standard guest room featuring one king bed with white goose down comforters, hypo-allergenic pillows, and luxury amenities. Includes complimentary Cardinal Breakfast at Bistro Maxine when booked directly. Targeted at individual business and leisure travelers.
• Deluxe Room – One King Enhanced guest room featuring one king bed with additional square footage, white goose down comforters, 300 TC stripe weave sheets, Tarocco Orange bath products, and Luxury Microtec robes. Includes complimentary Cardinal Breakfast at Bistro Maxine when booked directly. Targeted at guests seeking upgraded space and amenities.
• Shared Bath Style Room Budget-friendly European-style guest room with access to shared bathroom facilities. Features 300 TC stripe weave sheets, white goose down comforter, and modern amenities. Rates from $129/night. Does not include complimentary breakfast. Targeted at price-sensitive travelers seeking affordable Silicon Valley lodging.
• Be a Part of History Package Special promotional package featuring a Stanford Theatre film experience, complimentary Angels & Cowboys Sonoma County Rosé at check-in, and historical Palo Alto information. Available through direct booking.
• Celebration Season 4th Night Free Package Seasonal promotional package offering the 4th night free for stays during select November and December dates. Bookable through the hotel's direct booking system.
• Corporate Account Services Direct billing account services for Silicon Valley companies booking rooms regularly, including linked reservations, tokenized credit card storage via Canary Technologies, preferred rates, and streamlined payment processing for visiting employees, executives, and clients.
• Stanford Department Account Services Specialized billing and booking services for Stanford University departments, featuring customized direct booking links, preferred department rates, and simplified invoicing for visiting scholars, conference attendees, and campus visitors.
• Group Room Block Services Group accommodation services for corporate and organizational events, including negotiated rates and coordinated booking for multiple rooms. Handled through the hotel's dedicated group sales contact ([email protected]).
• Bistro Maxine (On-Site French Crêperie) On-site French crêperie located at 548 Ramona Street within the hotel building, serving breakfast as part of the Cardinal Breakfast package Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays). Open to hotel guests and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100 years in operation since 1924
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BookingSuite/Booking.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with BookingSuite B.V. (Amsterdam, Netherlands) for online reservation services. Reservations are processed through Booking.com platform. Guest data including personal information, payment details, and preferences may be shared with Booking.com and its affiliates for reservation processing, customer service, and marketing purposes.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Stanford University departments for guest lodging since 1924. Stanford departments use direct billing accounts for visiting scholars, conference attendees, and campus visitors. Marguerite Shuttle (Stanford's free campus shuttle) connects hotel area to Stanford campus destinations.
• Local Palo Alto BusinessesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with local restaurants, cafes, and attractions including Bistro Maxine (adjacent breakfast venue), local coffee shops (Philz, Verve, Coupa Cafe), and cultural attractions promoted through Cardinal Guide to Palo Alto content marketing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cardinalhotel
• Facebookfacebook.com/cardinalhotel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardinal-hotel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cardinal Hotel