By 156-room hotel opens on El Camino

Los Altos held the grand opening for its first hotel Nov. 13 behind the Rambus building at 4460 El Camino Real. The 156-room Marriott Residence Inn Palo Alto-Los Altos is one of three hotels that the Los Altos City Council recently approved.

There have been no hotels operating in Los Altos for more than a year, since developers razed the Four Season’s Motor Inn. City officials expect the hotel to bring in about $300,000 in taxes this fiscal year, which ends in June. The Marriott features studios to two-bedroom suites with kitchens.

The Los Altos City Council earlier this year passed an ordinance to prohibit guests from staying at hotels for more than 30 consecutive days. State law authorizes cities to collect a transient occupancy tax for stays up to 30 days only.

Los Altos

Mayor takes donations to NY

Los Altos

Los Altos Mayor King Lear and his wife, Ginny, left for New York City last week to deliver a $52,000 community donation for the New York 911 Fund to Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation contributed $20,000 to the fund. A fund-raiser at Jocco’s restaurant in downtown Los Altos raised the remaining amount.

This is the second time a community member has hand-delivered a message or donation to Giuliani as a representative of Los Altos. Volunteer city cameraman Mike Larkin presented the mayor’s office with a Los Altos city proclamation just two weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

- Town Crier Staff Report