I've had quite a bit of business travel to Chico, CA lately. Up till last month, I'd been staying in the City of Chico, at a couple of the various inns and motels available in town. Fortuitous event last month, all the hotels and motels were booked -- students returning to school at Chico State University. So I looked for lodging in neighboring towns. Stumbled across a small town called Paradise in the hills to the east.

What a wonderful surprise! It's a short 15-minute drive up the hill from Chico, on a scenic road called the 'Skyway' with gorgeous postcard-perfect vistas to the north -- rock faces, canyons and buttes. I had to pull over the first time and take out my camera. The locals were surely amused! The town of Paradise is a well-kept secret, uncrowded with friendly people and a small-town feel. The smell of pine trees is in the air, and small shops and businesses congregate alongside the Skyway as you gradually ascend farther into the hills.

The Paradise Inn Motel is excellent and I highly recommend it. The Inn is well-run, and the rooms are clean and well-furnished. The beds are comfortable and there is TV, wireless Internet, microwave oven, coffee maker, and a refrigerator stocked with free bottled water. In the evenings, guests occasionally gather around the swimming pool as the sun sets. The place is quiet at night.

Sum of it is that I'm pleased to report that the Paradise Inn Motel is a wonderful place to stay if you're traveling on business, visiting friends or on vacation in the Chico area. It has all the amenities and conveniences expected in a well-run modern motel, plus atmosphere and hospitality that is friendly, comfortable and close to nature. And it's close to Chico. The result has been an excellent place to stay while I've been away from home. My version of a five-star establishment.

I recommend the Paradise Inn Motel of Paradise, CA to the TripAdvisor community.