I'm attending a conference in Saratoga in Oct that will last 3-4 days. I won't have a car, because I'm taking the train to San Francisco for a few days once the conference is over. Would love recommendations about hotels, restaurants and activities in the Saratoga area.

I suspect this thread is from another attendee of your conference. Have a look, it may have some of what you're looking for:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...con-valley.cfm

I used to live in the area and there's not much going on in Saratoga. Palo Alto may be a better place to stay though if your conference is there, it makes sense to be able to walk there. There's the Saratoga Oaks Lodge, and I think there's a Best Western, which is okay. There's also the Inn at Saratoga, which is quite nice. They have private balconies and complimentary breakfasts and afternoon wine and cheese.

I just googled the Inn at Saratoga and the patio area and creek look very inviting. The weather should probably still be warm in October. I'm also interested in ethnic restaurants--I especially like Indian food.

There is a lot of ethnic food in the Silicon Valley area, especially Indian, as a lot of tech workers are from India. I've been to Shezan in Mountain View and loved the nan. Amber India is also very good.

The Inn at Saratoga is quiet and restful. It's tucked away from the street and there's a creek that the patio and the balconies overlook. The Hotel Los Gatos is also a good choice.