Governors Inn Hotel

Not great. This is not a great hotel. The pubic areas are fine, and the front desk staff was decent, but the area is kinda sketchy and my room was less than stellar. The shower is one of the worst I've experienced in any hotel. Bathroom hooks were falling off the wall. The lock to my door was loose and had to be adjusted to be fully closed, and even then it felt insecure. The TV remote didn't fully work, so I had to stand up to change the channel quite a bit. Also, and I realize this is nitpicky, but the colors of the room were just ugly and unwelcoming. Free breakfast was nice, though. Decent selection of the same stuff you find in almost every free hotel breakfast, and it was well staffed. I'd go to one of the hotels on the other side of the highway, were I you.

Good except for one issue. This was supposed to be a one night stay that, due to a bus cancellation, turned into two one night stays. The whole adventure definitely started off on the right foot as I arrived extra early due to an early arrival in Sacramento. They were able to set me up in a room at 10:00 AM, where I set myself up and then went off to get the paperwork I needed to do in Sacramento done. Which brings us to the location. This was a little remote for the mission at hand and to get to where I needed to be, I walked through a former rail yard that is being redeveloped. Now, back to the rooms, they were lovely and I got a good night's sleep both times. The other good part of staying here is that breakfast is included. That wasn't bad. The staff could not be faulted, and were great about holding my luggage between the time I checked out and the time my bus was supposed to depart the first time and actually departed the second time. So, why only three stars? Well, one of the things I value highly is a reliable Internet connection in the room as I work remotely. The only place I could get a reliable Internet connection both times was in the lobby, where finding an electrical outlet was a bit of a challenge. Which is unfortunate, because if that issue did not come up, the answer to the question, "Would I stay here again?" the answer would have been, "Yes."

Not so hidden gem! Don't worry about any bad reviews you might have read, this hotel is great! We absolutely loved our stay here! It's close enough, yet far enough from everything! It's surprisingly quiet for being close to the freeway. The furnishings and decor are not modern, but are super clean and in working order. We found it to be very charming, and reminds you of spending the night at a grandparents house when you were little. Very warm and inviting. The rooms are spacious and the bathroom has a good sized shower, with a separate sink and closet area. There is plenty of room for everything! We found the complaints about the place being inundated with homeless people to be overstated. It's Downtown Sac, so of course there is that population in the area, but the property was perfectly safe with solid fencing around. It's a big plus to have McDonald's right next door, and Denny's and a gas station across the street. The parakeets in the lobby are really neat, and the pool and spa are nice and clean. Don't pass on this property, it's a hidden in plain sight gem!

Beware! AND rude! This experience was a shocking disappointment. I generally do not rate rooms unless they are perfect, very bad or the service is unacceptable. In this case, the biggest surprise was the homeless encampment behind the hotel. Once off the freeway we rounded a corner and came upon an entire block (directly behind the hotel) of blue tarps and make-shift tents housed by at least 100 transients. There was a Mcdonald's within a few hundred yards and there were many unsavory men lurking on the property as well. When we entered the lobby and approached the front desk where no one else was standing, we were greeted by a woman who put her hand up and said, "Hold on," while she finished a conversation with a co-worker. When we were allowed to approach, she said flatly, "ID & Credit Card." Yikes! Taking a chance on her potential response, given her current attitude, I asked if she thought the area was safe in light of what we had just driven through on that very street. Mistake! She snapped back, "Ma'am, this is California, there are homeless everywhere, that's just the way it is! " Um, ok! BTW, the deposit is $200! Another strange touch, there were Parakeets in cages chirping about in the hotel....? I am not oblivious to the world we live in however, when choosing a hotel I do not look for a neighborhood that has a high transient population within a few hundred yards. Period. The reasons are obvious. Hotels.com had this hotel rated an 8.4/10 based on other reviews. I rate this hotel a 7 at best. The hotel denied a refund. To be fair, the room was ok, but outdated and dark.

Great Value 18 minute drive from Sacramento Airport (SMF). Good quick check-in with pleasant staff. Room was very clean, with nice amenities. Windows have plantation shutters, for clean touch. Room size was spacious in my King size room. Great value.