Crowne Plaza Palo Alto Review: Dogs, Pool & Beatles

The Beatles Stayed at the Cabana Hotel in 1965

Now, this was a discovery that made me sit up and take notice. On August 31, 1965, the Beatles performed at the Cow Palace in Daly City and stayed at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto during their visit. I’d booked the place because of the pool, with absolutely no idea that I was spending the night in a hotel with such a wonderful piece of rock-and-roll history.

At the time, the Cabana was one of the most glamorous hotels in the area. Opened in 1962, it was a lavish property with a distinctly Las Vegas vibe, complete with fountains and classical statues. It was developed by Jay Sarno, who would later open Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and the Cabana is often described as a precursor to that famous resort. Doris Day was also among the early investors in the hotel, adding a little Hollywood glamour to the enterprise.

It’s a little hard to imagine this scene along El Camino Real today, but back in the 1960s, the Cabana was quite the place to be. And when the Beatles arrived, it became the center of a major episode of Beatlemania. Hundreds of screaming teenage fans surrounded the hotel, hoping for a glimpse of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

How the Beatles Escaped the Cabana Hotel

My favorite part of the story involves the elaborate plan to get the Beatles out of the hotel without being mobbed. Decoy limousines were positioned to attract the attention of the fans, while the actual Beatles were secretly escorted out through another exit and loaded into a delivery truck. It was a clever plan, except for one minor detail.

They forgot Ringo.

The truck had to stop so the drummer could climb aboard, which seems a fairly significant oversight when you’re transporting a band consisting of only four people. The scheme ultimately worked, and the Beatles managed to escape the hotel.

Afterward, pieces of the bedsheets from the Beatles’ rooms were reportedly cut up and sold to fans as souvenirs. I’ve stayed in quite a few hotels, and I’ve never encountered a housekeeping department with quite that entrepreneurial spirit.

This Palo Alto History article has a great account of the visit, including details of the escape and the fans who gathered outside the hotel.

You Can Still Stay in the Beatles Room at the Cabana Hotel

What makes this history even more interesting is that the hotel still has a Beatles-themed suite on the eighth floor.

Room 810, known as the Beatles Room, commemorates the band’s visit and is decorated with photographs and memorabilia from that famous stay. According to the hotel’s website, it also has a record player and mountain views. I would absolutely have booked that room if I’d known about it before making my reservation.

Instead, I was five floors below the Beatles’ old accommodations, watching movies with a Golden Retriever and discovering the hotel’s rock-and-roll history on my laptop. Not exactly Beatlemania, although Ellie does attract a certain amount of attention when she walks through a hotel lobby.

For fellow Beatles fans, the room alone would be a fun reason to consider staying here. I’d recommend contacting the hotel directly to ask about Room 810 rather than assuming you’ll find it among the standard room choices in the online booking system.