Description Academic Pursuits: Palo Alto

This home might be close to Stanford University, but it's a million miles away from your average student house. In fact, parts of it feel more like a learned professor's seminar room, from the shelves packed full of books and the grand piano, to the historic paintings hanging on the walls. There are a couple of desks if you need to study, as well as a few nooks nestled below the window or a roaring fireplace surrounded by comfy armchairs for any late-night philosophical conversations. Alternatively, if you're not in the mood for thinking, there's a Jacuzzi bathtub in the main bathroom. Outside, there's a leafy garden to the back and an arch of roses by the front door that is sure to look stunning if you're lucky enough to catch them in bloom. When you fancy a day out, there are distractions in every direction — San Francisco is forty-five minutes' drive to the north, the trails of Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is seven minutes due west and to the south, San Jose can be reached in under half an hour.

Home truths:
*There's one free parking spot available on-premises, as well as extra space out on the street
*The host offers discounted rates for monthly bookings
*For stays longer than fourteen days, there's an additional deep clean fee of $80
*Self-check-in is possible thanks to the keypad lock