If you're going to have a car, there are a whole bunch of independent motels on El Camino Real in Palo Alto and Mountain View. Many of these aren't advertised on sites like Expedia, so just use Google Maps to find them, and then contact them directly for rates. Some of 'em look kinda sketchy, but they're all safe, lots of nearby food, and probably clean enough. ;-) Hit me up directly if you want a local's opinion on a particular Mountain View motel. (At least how it looks from the outside.)<p>Also, you can get great deals on Priceline for excellent hotels near San Francisco Airport. I've gotten rooms a couple times for under $40 per night for 3 or 4 star properties. (The 3 star ones may be better because they won't gouge you on parking and Internet.) Check out www.biddingfortravel.com to see what kind of rates people are getting. Most airport hotels have transportation shuttles, so you can stay near the airport and take Caltrain to your interview. But, shuttle-BART-Caltrain is a bit of a schlep.<p>Congrats and good luck! Are the interviews this weekend or next?