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Entire home

Downtown SJ The Hensley House

Photo gallery for Downtown SJ The Hensley House

Exterior
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Interior
Interior
1 bedroom, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets
Experience the old-world charm of Hensley House of San Jose, a historic landmark since 1990. Retaining its original character with antique wood furnishings, wool carpet, and marble sculptures, this home offers modern comforts like Tempur-pedic mattresses and high-count cotton sheets in all seven units. Enjoy your own bathroom in each unit as well as access to a large common living area and outdoor garden.

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Entire home

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 565 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Fireplace
  • Outdoor space
  • Kitchen
The current price is AU$346
includes taxes & fees
8 Sept - 9 Sept

Add dates for prices

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Downtown SJ The Hensley House

Welcome to the Hensley House of San Jose. It gained historical landmark distinction in 1990. It was the former home of San Jose Mayor Samuel Hensley who was responsible for developing San Jose from a small settlement to a large city in the Mid 1860’s. This house was originally built in 1894 and still retains it’s old world charms, but updated with modern amenities for your comfort. All seven units enjoy their own bathrooms, and large common living area, dinning area, and outdoor garden. Unit 6 is only for the entire 3rd floor of the property with its own small kitchen, en-suit bathroom, small living and dinning area. It stands out with original antique wood furnitures, wool carpet, marble sculptures, and original oil paintings. There is also a Tempur-pedic mattress replete with high count 100% cotton sheets, a single bed, a full-size sofa foldable bed, a fireplace, and a 65” smart tv to help you wind down after a fun day. Our common area for staying guests only. The first floor living dinning room available daily between 10am-8pm. No party, gathering, or more than one visitor without permission from the host before use the common area. To reserve our common area for small gathering, please contact the host. Additional fee may apply.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Hob
  • Kitchenette
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • Bedroom
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Sofa bed

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Fireplace

Entertainment

  • Smart TV
  • Video games

Outdoor areas

  • Fenced yard
  • Firepit
  • Garden

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In the city centre

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 700 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 21

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

An adult aged 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

About the area

Map
San Jose, CA

What's nearby

  • San Pedro Square - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • CSU San Jose State University - 19 min walk - 1.6 km
  • SAP Center at San Jose - 20 min walk - 1.7 km
  • San Jose McEnery Convention Center - 2 min drive - 2.2 km
  • PayPal Park - 4 min drive - 3.6 km

Getting around

  • San Jose College Park Station - 5 min drive
  • Japantown - Ayer Station - 6 min walk
  • San Jose, CA (SJC-Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl.) - 7 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Cardenas Markets - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪tōno coffee project - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪La Victoria Taqueria - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Fosters Freeze - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Sushi Maru - ‬9 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Downtown SJ The Hensley House pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Downtown SJ The Hensley House?

As of 3 Sept 2025, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Downtown SJ The Hensley House on 8 Sept 2025 start from AU$345.94, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

What time is check-in at Downtown SJ The Hensley House?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Downtown SJ The Hensley House?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Downtown SJ The Hensley House located?

Located in Hensley, this holiday home is within 1 mi (2 km) of Silicon Valley U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and CSU San Jose State University. SAP Center at San Jose and San Jose McEnery Convention Center are also within 3 miles (5 km). Japantown - Ayer Station is 6 minutes by foot and St James Station is 11 minutes.

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Downtown SJ The Hensley House Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 21 out of 31 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 31 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 31 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 31 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 31 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Ian T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Stay

Property was great. Street parking was easy and free. Fun stay
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family reunion

Had an awesome stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Arturo E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Nice and heartwarming private place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amanda W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good location

We came for the half marathon and had a great stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sarah U.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mother/Daughter Trip

This property was perfect for our girls trip. Parking was on the street but we didn't have any issues finding a spot near the home. Beds were comfortable and room was clean.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

Tiffany C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Sister trip!

My sisters and niece and I had a great stay!! Very cute and accurate to the listing!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Elisabetta P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing Historical Home

Worth every penny, incredibly beautiful home. I loved every minute, thank you for providing such a welcoming space!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Georgina P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

San Jose Getaway...

We have a lovely stay in room 6 of the Hensley House. This space was the entire top floor of the property. With events at SJSU planned it was a centrally located, peaceful, quaint, and lovely place to come home to at the end of the day. Coffee and chocolate croissants were a definite perk too!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Guy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice Apt #6

The decor in Apt was awesome. We plan to stay again during next trip to San Jose
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Courtnay Hudson B.

Liked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy

came for halloween

Lovely home, not perfect but comfortable. we appreciated the laundry facilities. the fans and some other appliances we had problems with, would stay again if in area. hosts did return calls in a prompt manner. thank you!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Tyler H., Marietta, Georgia

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Electricity

When we were no at the place, somehow the breaker became overloaded. I had to reset the breaker with the help of the owner but other than that it was a great place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Krystal P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Incredible Experience!!!

This was not just a stay, this was an experience! A GREAT experience. The home was just stunning. From the gorgeous decor, the cleanliness, the antiqueness.... we cant wait to come back. We rented unit 6 which is a full apartment on the top floor. Host was extremely responsive and very polite and helpful. They left snacks that the kids just loved ❤️. They neighborhood is peaceful and quiet. The other guests were quiet as well. Thank you! If you are considering traveling to San Jose, you wont regret renting at the Hensley house.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Sarah T., Fillmore California

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Communication

Needs more attention

No solutions to issues. Contact using emails not responded to.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

Jolyn

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Communication
The communication was a sub-par; I asked multiple times for the entry code details. Unfortunately, an item was left and I informed both contacts but I haven't heard from them. Too many steps - need to be candid about that.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

6/10 Okay

Alice H., Bakersfield, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication
Disliked: Location

One night would be enough

While this place was historic, which was interesting, it was not a great place to stay for multiple nights. We did get a parking ticket on the street because the different sides of the street do street sweeping on different days-not just Thursdays as the listing stated. Also, there was not hot water for the shower. We were told that if we turned the sink hot water on, it would make the shower hot. This did not actually work though. And was a waste of water. The keurig spit out brown water and the hot water kettle did not work. There are only two real beds on the top floor-one fabulous king, and one small twin. The other “bed” was the couch and it was not comfortable at all. The house was cute, and we did get discounted tickets to Winchester mystery house (not free though, as their Instagram implied). Walking to campus was doable, but we had to walk by a number of homeless people to do that. Again, if we’d only stayed one night, we would have been fine with the other things, but three nights was to much for us.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mayumi

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, communication
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Beth M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

ELIZABETH B.

Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sterling I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

As promised

We were in town for a volleyball tournament and needed room to sleep for myself and 2 teens. It was great to have 3 separate sleeping areas and a kitchen to cook quick breakfasts and dinners. The only issue we had was with the heater, I couldn't figure out how to easily adjust it so at 4am each morning the temps got unbearably warm. I never had the time nor occasion to address it with the owners but if I had, I'm sure they would have addressed it quickly.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yvette G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Angela A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Gem in Downtown San Jose!

We loved our stay! This home had tons of character, great location and everything we needed to have an awesome stay in San Jose. Would for sure stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Doreen R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfekt!

Die Wohnung entsprach genau unseren Erwartungen und wir haben unseren Aufenthalt sehr genossen. Alles ist mit viel Liebe zum Detail hergerichtet worden. Bad und Küche waren voll funktionsfähig. Alles war sauber und aufgeräumt. Auch die Kommunikation mit Mandy funktionierte im Voraus einwandfrei und freundlich. Wir bedanken uns für die schöne Zeit im Hensley-Haus und würden jederzeit wieder hier übernachten.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bec T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The honestay was magnificent. Beautiful heritage house! Convenient to amenities.

Have a great experience. Would love to stay more. Will recommend this VBRO. Thank you for the stay and experience. Thank you Mnady. We will come back to stay in the future.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

6/10 Okay

Joanne Y.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Historic apartment style rental

This was a interesting experience given the nature of the old home , the eclectic mix of decor and hostel style stay. The surrounding area was charming and close to dining and freeways. It was also very quiet noise levels were almost non existent. We enjoyed the large layout of the upper floor, double flat screen televisions and art work. The kids enjoyed the large stuffy dog that was provided to cuddle with. Overall the space was clean but lacking in high traffic areas, like stains on the rugs and chairs , chipping and peeling sofa bed and not to mention our sheets had not been changed out on the master bed. Luckily we had all of our own bedding from camping , we had to pull out our sleeping bags and pillows. The fold out sofa had no extra sheets provided but 2 large blankets and one pillow. This was not ideal for a family of 5 staying . This space was lacking in some guest amenities such as soap and shampoo ( oddly 3 conditioners?) extra towels for more than 2 guests, dish towels, frying pan and extra silver ware. The shower was freezing and we had to mess with the settings to get lukewarm water. We appreciated the large TV but Netflix would not work. I would not recommend this space for those traveling with young children, there are many breakables , noise ordnance, and a open window with no screen. Luckily our children are older but I had to remind them to not touch many things. There is a provided parking behind a very large gate, we managed to figure out how to use the back door to the kitchen to load and unload out things. The back garden needs some work to be able to enjoy. This space might work better for a couple passing through . Don’t expect all the bells and whistles like the photos display. Communication with the host was fine and she responded to my questions promptly.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Jen E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Weekend @ Hensley

Charming, historic home, in a great location central to all the wonderful sites / attractions San Jose has to offer. Given the age of the home, presence of other guests, and numerous posted prompts to keep even the slightest noise down, we walked on eggshells. Not ideal for young children but we enjoyed our stay overall and appreciated the opportunity to share about the history of the home with our children. Would be a nice, adult-only, getaway. Host was quite helpful and couteous.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022