TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection in California [In-depth Review]

After an action-packed week in New York, my next stop was California.

I flew Flagship Business from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) where I’d start my Highway 1 road trip.

I also wanted to catch up with my friends Lauren and Seth who live in Santa Clara, so I looked for a hotel in the San José area to be closer to them.

That’s when I came across TETRA. I was initially drawn in by the fact that it’s part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotels — one of my favorite hotel brands.

Then I realized that it would be opening around the time of my visit. Being among the first people to stay at a new hotel always makes for a good review, so I went ahead and booked.

Hotel Location

TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection is nestled among the offices of the major corporations of Silicon Valley, making it a perfect hotel for business visitors.

Don’t let that put you off visiting if you’re in the area for a vacation — the hotel is leagues above cookie-cutter chain hotels.

If you’re flying into SFO, TETRA is around a 30-minute drive southeast. Alternatively, San José (SJC) is closer at around 20 minutes from the hotel.

Booking My Stay

I’d originally booked a special introductory rate from February 26, 2022, to March 1, 2022, for $202 per night, bringing the total for my 3-night stay to $606.

The rate included breakfast for 2 people and, most importantly, it was a flexible rate, meaning I was able to cancel up until 2 days before my stay. Given the continued volatility of travel due to COVID-19 at the time, this kind of flexibility when traveling was invaluable.

I rarely book rates that include breakfast, but as this was a hotel in a predominantly business area, I wasn’t sure what breakfast options would be close by. Plus, $10 each per day for breakfast was a pretty good deal in my eyes.

There are several Marriott Bonvoy credit cards you could use to bolster your Marriott Bonvoy points earned for this booking. However, I’d suggest using either the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card to earn up to 17x and 14x per dollar spent, respectively.

The standard rate for the same dates was almost double. Take this as another reminder to always book directly through a hotel’s website where possible. You may come across this type of special deal or package (elite status and points and elite nights).

After I had booked, I figured I’d reach out to the hotel’s PR team to see if we could work on a collaboration. To my delight, it was agreed that I would receive 3 comped nights in return for this review. I went ahead and canceled my booking and started counting down until my stay.

Hot Tip: If you were to book a stay at the TETRA — or any other hotel that’s part of the Marriott Bonvoy program for that matter — you’ll earn bonus points and, in some cases, benefit from additional perks by booking with one of the best cards for Marriott Bonvoy loyalists. 

Checking In

As it was late, my room was ready and waiting for me.

I was greeted with the smiling faces of Cameron and Patricia who had been expecting me.

Having no idea which room type I would be assigned, I was over the moon to hear I’d been treated to a suite!

On the way to my room, I noticed these signs signaling that this particular room had been modified for those with hearing impairments. This was the first time I’d ever noticed this in all of my hotel stays.

Amenities

The vast lobby and reception area of the hotel is one of its main focal points.

The bright and open plan space had multiple seating areas fit for all purposes.

But the main vibe was cozy and relaxing.

Games

At ground level in the covered outside space between the TETRA and the conjoined AC Hotel Sunnyvale Moffett Park was an assortment of seating areas and games for guests to enjoy.

If anyone knows what Yardzee is, you could play it at TETRA.

Directly opposite the games area was a bleacher-esque seating stand ideal for catching some California rays.

Gym

I loved the gym. Firstly, because it had enough equipment to classify it as an actual gym as opposed to those half-baked “fitness centers” that you often find in hotels.

Secondly, because it looked out over the pool.

The gym had a good selection of dumbbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls.

But the pièce de résistance for me was the adjustable pulley machine.

The hotel was so new that I was the first person to use one of the handles that was still tied up with a rubber band.

For some reason, a carabiner was missing. This meant that both sides of the rope pulley machine couldn’t be used at the same time, making some exercises impossible to do.

I called down to reception each time I visited the gym to ask where the other was but nobody seemed to be able to fix the issue. Instead, I resorted to popping over to the gym in the AC Hotel and taking one of the carabiners from there so I could use the machine properly.

As well as a stepper and some running machines, the TETRA’s gym was very on-trend with its Peloton bikes.

As for gym amenities, there was a water and ice machine for refilling your bottle or using the criminal single-use tiny plastic cups.

Towelettes were available for drying off and disposable in-ear headphones were available should you have forgotten yours. While that’s a nice thought, it means yet more single-use plastic.

Guests actually have access to 2 gyms as there’s a similar-sized gym at the other side of the pool in the AC Hotel.

Parking

Given the hotel’s location, it’s most easily accessible by car. As such, guests are charged a $5 hourly or $22 daily fee for the on-site multi-story garage.

Valet parking is $28 per day and the hotel’s 8 electric car charging stations are complimentary.

Pool

Having a hotel pool in California is for sure a welcome perk.

I was told it was heated, but when I dipped my toe in, it definitely didn’t feel any warmer than the mild February air.

I like the concept of the pool being on a raised level between the TETRA and the AC hotels, but as it was located on such a narrow strip, the hotels cast shadows over the area for what felt like at least half of the day.

It didn’t bother me at all, as it certainly beat working from my apartment in the cold of the U.K. winter.

Each sun lounger was set up with 2 towels.

Even though both hotel guests had access to the pool, I was always the only person there.

COVID-19 Protocols

At the time (late February/early March 2022), regulations regarding COVID-19 were being relaxed in Santa Clara County, but masks were still to be worn in public spaces unless eating or drinking.

As I’d recently come from the U.K. where all mask regulations had been dropped, I forgot my mask a couple of times and was politely reminded by staff that I would need to wear it.

The Standard Guest Room

To give a fair insight into what you might expect from a stay at the TETRA, I asked for a tour of one of the regular rooms before I left.

Bedroom

I was shown room 504 on the corner of the fifth floor.

I expected a corner room to be big, but room 504 seemed larger than your average standard corner room.

The focal point of the room was the stand-alone bed in the very middle.

On a nightstand was everything you’d expect to find, including power and USB sockets, a telephone, a notepad and pen, the TV remote, and the COVID-19-era antiseptic wipe.

The room had a large living space with a 65-inch LCD TV, with a sofa and comfy-looking chair for relaxing and a more formal chair and desk space for working.

A pull-out minifridge with 2 bottles of complimentary water could be found underneath the drink-making tray.

Concealed within a drawer in the same storage-come-desk unit was the safe.

Additional storage was available in the large wardrobe that came with plenty of hangers, as well as an iron and ironing board.

The bathroom, located behind the bed, was concealed behind a sliding door.

Overall I loved the layout and design of the room. Little touches like cushions on the seats and reading material on the coffee table gave a cozy sense of home.

Bathroom

The bathroom had a large sink area in the middle with a private toilet closet to the right.

To the left was the shower.

The shower was large and featured both a rainfall and handheld shower head.

I loved that the MiN New York body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were in refillable bottles rather than wasteful and unsustainable throw-away miniatures.

Additional bathroom amenities included all the classics, such as a vanity kit, moisturizer, and a bar of soap, as well as a couple of bonus items such as a loofah and shoe sponge.

That’s not all: TETRA takes it to the next level with its bathroom amenities with none other than a Dyson hairdryer.

I’d also like to point out the blue face cloth, which was provided for makeup removal purposes to avoid staining the hotel’s beautiful white towels — what a clever idea.

The Suite

Now that you’ve seen what a regular room is like, it’s time to show you where I actually stayed…

I was assigned room 830 on the corner of the eighth floor.

The living space was bigger than some entire hotel rooms I’ve stayed in. In fact, some New York apartments could probably fit into just this 1 room of the 3-room suite.

The living space was equally perfect for either hanging out, relaxing, and watching TV on the comfy seats or catching up on some work at the desk.

The Bedroom

The size of the bedroom was equally as impressive as the living area. It comprised of a huge bed with a floating wall-fixed nightstand on each side, a set of drawers, a 65-inch TV, and a hot drink station.

On a nightstand were the TV remote and a notepad and pen.

I’ll also mention here that while the pillows appeared to be super plump and comfy in this picture, they were in fact almost too big and rather hard. So much so that I would wake up in the night with a stiff neck.

I called down to reception on my first morning and asked if I’d be able to swap these out for something softer but I was told that it wouldn’t be possible.

I took a picture of the bedsheets to remind myself to mention that instead of being inserted into a proper duvet cover, the duvet was sandwiched between 2 loose sheets.

It was a needlessly complicated set-up which meant I ended up getting knotted up in the 3 different pieces of bedding.

In addition to the set of drawers in the living area, the 4 sizeable drawers in the bedroom provided even more storage.

Floor-to-ceiling windows made up 2 of the bedroom’s walls which added to the sense of space and light. The windows were dressed with translucent drapes for added privacy during the day and heavy black-out curtains for complete darkness at night.

As a self-proclaimed coffee snob, I was immediately skeptical when I spied the atypical sachet of instant coffee.

With very low expectations, I followed the instructions and poured myself a cup. Needless to say, 1 sip was enough to know that even the most basic of espresso pods would have been far superior.

I like the creativity, TETRA, but, as the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The third, and final, room could be entered through a set of double sliding doors to the right of the bed.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was made up of 2 rooms.

The first was what I’d describe as a dressing room.

And following through another set of sliding doors was the actual bathroom.

Back in the dressing room was a large wardrobe complete with hangers, ironing facilities, 2 robes, and even power and USB ports.

The same amenities could be found in the dressing room of the suite as in the bathroom of the regular room I showed previously.

That included the game-changing face cloth for makeup.

I’m not sure whether this was just because I was invited to stay by the hotel, but I had the use of a Theragun hand-held massager for the duration of my stay. If you haven’t used one of these before, I highly recommend it.

Finally, my favorite amenity of all was this luxuriously soft, TETRA-branded robe. Unlike most other ill-fitting and over-washed hotel robes, this fit me perfectly (even the sleeves) and felt so soft on the skin.

Food and Beverage

TETRA has 4 main food and beverage outlets:

• Adrestia — the hotel’s main restaurant for evening dining
• AC Hotel Lobby — where breakfast for guests at both hotels is served
• Coffee Manufactory Café — for coffee and snacks throughout the day
• Nokiri — the hotel’s highball bar

As I salivate just remembering all I ate and drank at the hotel, I can confirm that I was very impressed with the food and beverage options at TETRA.

Adrestia Restaurant

Even if you’re not staying at the hotel but you’re in the area, I would highly recommend a visit to Adrestia.

It’s located in the lobby area of the hotel and not fully enclosed due to the wooden slat walls that make it feel like part of the room.

The restaurant was made up of mainly smaller tables for 2 or 4 guests with a larger table for 12 in the middle.

There was also a designated table for those needing accessibility.

The menu featured dishes made with seasonal and local produce.

Main courses ranged in price from a $22 Durum Semolina Spaghetti to a $48 Greekstone Angus New York Strip steak.

I’d only been away from home less than a week and I was already craving a traditional Sunday Roast — a classic British dish with meat, vegetables, and Yorkshire Puddings that my mam would make every Sunday without fail growing up.

So, when I saw a half roast chicken on the menu, it was a no-brainer.

The juicy and tender meat was perfectly cooked and was a welcome substitute for the chicken dinner that I’d probably have been tucking into back in the U.K.

On the flip side of the menu was a selection of starters, including some for sharing, and some green and healthy options — the cheapest of which was $16!

The cornbread was absolutely everything and more. In all honestly, if I was in the area, I’d go back to Adrestia just for that.

We dined at Adrestia a second evening with my friend Geoff who lives in San Francisco. He went for the Durum Semolina Spaghetti and thoroughly enjoyed it.

And Paddy, my friend from the U.K. who joined me for a California road trip, particularly enjoyed the massive chunky fries that came with his Wagyu burger.

AC Hotel Lobby — Breakfast Area

If you opt for a rate that includes breakfast, it’s served each morning in the lobby of the adjoining AC Hotel.

As well as the breakfast buffet, there were 2 à la carte egg options to choose from: open-faced toast with scrambled cage-free egg, manchego, arugula, and prosciutto, or a cazuela with cage-free egg, manchego, and prosciutto.

The hotel’s website indicated that continental breakfast was from $19 and a full American breakfast was from $26. I’m presuming the continental breakfast option refers to the buffet and that the full American breakfast may have been introduced since my stay, as the only options available were the buffet and the 2 à la carte options mentioned above.

The buffet was laid out directly opposite the entrance to the AC Hotel when walking through from TETRA.

For a healthy start, there were apples and bananas.

A fridge full of Chobani yogurts was available.

No breakfast buffet is complete without a selection of cold cuts and cheese. There were also boiled eggs and chunks of chopped-up pineapple and melon.

A variety of breads were available to toast and cover with Nutella and a selection of tiny pots of different flavored jams.

For kids and adults alike, there were 5 kinds of cereals and 4 pots of various dried fruits and nuts to add to your bowl.

And for an even sweeter treat, you could go for 1 of the tasty-looking pastries.

If you want to go all out, then the madeleines and churros might be for you.

To wash all the delicious food down, there was a selection of juices.

Drip decaf and regular coffee were also offered.

And, of course, a selection of teas by Teavana was available.

Coffee Manufactory — Café

I started my day each morning with a coffee from Coffee Manufactory. Located in the lobby of TETRA, the small café is the first pop-up from the San Francisco-based coffee roasters.

The coffee was the best I’ve ever had in the U.S. and the service was amazing. It was the perfect way to start my day.

Coffee prices were fairly reasonable. Though, when I asked for a double espresso I was charged for 2 espressos so it came to $8 which is a bit much.

A selection of chilled snacks and drinks was also available for purchase throughout the day.

You could also buy coffee-making paraphernalia.

We were fans of the Japanese sandos and salads.

The chicken katsu sando was my favorite.

Followed closely by the lobster one.

We enjoyed our lunch alfresco in the open-air seating area by the fire pit.

Nokiri — Bar

Last, and by no means least, is the Nokiri Bar.

Also located in the lobby, the bar is TETRA’s pride and joy, serving traditional Japanese highballs.

It was a nice place to sit on an evening and have a pre-dinner drink.

I’m not usually a whisky fan, but the Japanese highballs (basically, a fancy whiskey soda) gave me a taste for it.

If whisky’s your thing, then you should definitely check out Nokiri if you’re in the area.

Service

You’d be forgiven for assuming that the service received during a hosted stay might be a notch or 2 above what other paying guests might experience. However, I’m of the opinion that in any respectable hotel, the service a guest receives would be the same no matter who they are.

That said, I’d like to commend the staff of TETRA for doing, for the most part, their utmost to please their guests while finding their way in a freshly-opened hotel.

Things got off to a great start when I found an array of treats in my suite on arrival, accompanied by a hand-written letter.

Throughout my stay, I had many a pleasant interaction with each and every member of staff that I met.

I’d like to give a shout out and say thanks to a couple of staffers in particular:

Sarah was without doubt the friendliest, bubbliest hotel receptionist I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. She bent over backwards to make sure my stay went as well as could possibly be.

Emmanuel and Jeziah from Coffee Manufactory who poured me my coffee every morning were always so happy and friendly despite their painfully early starts.

It was also an absolute pleasure to speak with Coralie every morning at breakfast.

A strange encounter that I must mention here is one I had with the hotel’s general manager on leaving.

After I thanked her for an incredible stay, she made the following comment: “I hear you’ve been hard to please.”

It took me by surprise, as I only had good things to say when I was speaking with staff. I can only put it down to having requested softer pillows and ringing more than once for a carabiner for the gym.

I don’t think either of those requests was out of the ordinary, especially given I’d heard other guests complaining about the pillow at check out.

Final Thoughts

I am truly grateful to have been invited to try out a suite at the brand-new TETRA hotel.

I was treated like a king from start to finish and had some of the best hotel dining experiences of my life.

The location is both suited to those visiting the area for business and those looking to explore the San José and coastal areas close by.