Why book?
To enjoy a truly special hospitality brand that lends itself equally well to business travel and family vacationing. The juxtaposition of the hotel’s quirky vibe and Silicon Valley’s casual tech buzz feels fresh, and the pool and food offerings set the bar very high for an area that’s slowly diversifying its hotel offerings.
Set the scene
Like some of the best things in Silicon Valley, Treehouse is hiding in plain sight, nestled between a highway and a quiet block of office buildings. The real encounter starts once you hand your car to the valet and make your way into the reception pavilion—a bright greenhouse which doubles as the hotel’s retail shop, with a photogenic, flower-covered 1967 Volkswagen Beetle at its decorative centerpiece. The check-in process sets the tone; this is a property that’s filled with greenery and is fun to interact with and explore, with multiple dark blue buildings wrapping around a spacious pool area and an impeccable lawn. During my stay, families with small kids vacationed side by side with a team retreat (there are meeting rooms and an event space geared towards corporate groups). Thanks to the spacious layout, the hotel immediately feels laid-back and relaxing, but opportunities to energize are plentiful, from the cotton candy machine that welcomed my excited seven-year-old to the lawn games on offer.
The backstory
This is only the third location—and the first one in the US—of Treehouse Hotels, a brand owned by Starwood Hotels, which is perhaps better known for 1 Hotels and Baccarat Hotels. The first Treehouse opened in London in 2019, and the second in Manchester in 2025. Designed to evoke childlike nostalgia, the Silicon Valley installment currently features 111 rooms. Each location is unique, but the theme remains—it’s treehouse-like charm to the max.
The rooms
Imagine Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, in hotel form. The hotel's dedication to the treehouse theme is quite literal and, in most cases, adorable: think lacquered bedside tables shaped like tree stumps, tree wallpaper, and throw pillows embroidered with owls. Nostalgic quilts above the beds, mix-print upholstery, rugs, and other cozy accents confidently keep pace with the latest trends in hotel design—even the poolside cabanas are wrapped in bright gingham fabric. To further drive the nostalgia point home, rooms feature vintage-looking Galanz mini fridges and some have record players, complete with a selection of vinyl.
In terms of room size, there are many options; the standard king and the double queen are your starter option, and from there guests can opt for a patio or a balcony, or upgrade to a junior suite with a sitting area, or a cabin suite. The most luxurious option, the Clubhouse Presidential Suite, can easily host a whole family with two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room with a bar, a patio, and multiple restrooms and plenty of nooks to hideout in.
Food and drink
There are three dining offerings on the Treehouse grounds. The Beer Garden, which opens onto a lawn, offers live music, wood-fired pizzas, a comically massive beer pong setup and many brews on tap. The Backyard is a breezy and thoughtful daytime cafe, and a very pleasant spot for doing some remote work, with cronuts, hearty lunch bowls and excellent coffee. The culinary crown jewel is Valley Goat, by James Beard and Top Chef-winning Chicago-based chef Stephanie Izard. Valley Goat is open for weekday lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, with both menus soaring way above the Silicon Valley hotel restaurant standard. For dinner, I especially enjoyed the brown goat butter hamachi poke, as well as chickpea fritters, resting on a bed of goat yogurt and herbaceous chutney. For brunch, you can’t go wrong with the sweet-and-savory yolk okonomiyaki and the refreshingly tangy labneh and fruit bowl.
The neighborhood/area
The cradle of innovation and technology, Silicon Valley announces itself at every turn, from the Tesla chargers visible from the hotel’s gym to the Google Cloud campus that literally borders the property. Having said that, this is a hotel you drive to and from, with no walking-distance attractions to speak of. Sunnyvale, where Treehouse is located, features a pleasant downtown, and nearby Palo Alto offers a plethora of trendy restaurants and a vintage movie theater. The Stanford campus is nearby, and Alviso Marina, a pretty bayside park with birdwatching and colorful sand dunes, is also a short drive away.
The service
Friendly and personable, with enough breathing room for real relaxation. The front desk is happy to recommend day trips and activities in the area, and the staff can arrange for enjoyable add-ons, like a s’mores kit for your patio fire or a poolside cabana reservation.
For families
With its playful design, child-size robes and multiple family room options, the Treehouse is a kid-friendly paradise. My daughter was delighted and amused by details small and large, like: a vintage dial phone that provides informational tidbits if you press a special button, a Mason jar filled with plastic toy soldiers on the bed stand, tiny rubber ducks in the soaking tub—and mega ones in the pool—plus multiple books, board games, and puzzles. There’s an option to purchase a $60 Great Indoors package, which includes an adorable kid tent set up in the room, with LED string lights and plushies, a milk and cookie platter, and retro toys that would make parents shed a happy tear. For selective eaters, Valley Goat has a more-than-basic kids menus for both dinner and brunch, which double as a coloring sheet.
Eco effort
The eco effort is noticeable. In addition to a variety of newly-planted, biodiverse plants native to the area, Treehouse features recycled bird houses throughout the poetry, and the design favors vintage and upcycled objects. The mattresses are made from sustainable materials, including recycled water bottles, the showers are water-efficient and the hotel’s “Tree Purpose” invites guests to leave behind a gently-used clothing item, to be donated to a local charity partner.
Accessibility
The hotel offers eight ADA-compliant guest rooms, in addition to ramps to all the public spaces, and ADA door openers.
Anything left to mention?
While it’s understandable why a certain type of traveler might want to utilize Treehouse as a base for a busy meeting schedule, it’s really worth exploring the full spectrum of the property and calling it home, if only for a day or two. From the cozy rooms to the gingham cabanas to the glitzy dining, it will grow on you, fast.
1100 N Mathilda Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089
United States
https://www.treehousehotels.com/
(408) 900-9401