When you travel for a living, you get sick of the usual faceless Hyatts, Marriotts, and Hiltons. They're all forgettable. The really special experience comes from the one-of-a-kind restored grand dames like Sacramento's Citizen Hotel. The location is excellent -- smack dab downtown, about a block from the state Capitol. It's a beautifully restored property that used to be the city's most prestigious professional office building. I'm a political junkie, so I loved that the art on the walls consisted of old political cartoons from the Sacramento Bee, and photographs of memorable moments in local history. It's a property with a terrific, quirky sense of humor. It's FUN.

The service, from the valet to the front desk to the staff at the Grange Restaurant, is close to impeccable. Best of all, the prices are insanely reasonable. Why would anyone stay anywhere else? I'm returning to Sacramento this week, and I'm heading to 926 J Street.

I was thinking, how much can you expect from a hotel in Sacramento? Well, hubby and I unexpectedly loved this hotel! It's somewhat olde worlde with a beautiful lobby with marble walls and olden elevator. It is as nice as any 1900's-era hotel in any city in the country. The room very large for a city hotel from this time period. The room and bathroom were spaciois and very clean and the bed was super comfy. The hotel was nicely located in the center of town and about a 20-minute walk to Old Town and the River. The Grange restaurant in the hotel was excellent, as well. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel and will definitely stay here again.

I would have given 5 stars, except our bathroom mirror was dirty. Other than that, the hotel room was clean. The room was nicely decorated, it had actual character. We had a corner room, with windows that opened. Staff were all very friendly.

We have stayed here numerous times and each time has been exceptional, including our most recent stay. The rooms are exquisitely decorated, have quality linens and there are wonderful in-room amenities (especially appreciate the bath soaps and Keurig coffee maker with quality coffee and tea). The double bed rooms we have stayed in are large, with huge bathrooms. The king room sizes are more varied, but even the smaller king rooms are adequate and nicely appointed. We have enjoyed views in each direction (park or capital). It's fun to read the political statements throughout the building. We enjoy dining at The Grange Restaurant for both breakfast and dinner. Although the pecan butter pancakes are not on the weekend breakfast menu, ask, and they will gladly prepare them (yummy!), and in case they forget, be sure and ask for the incredibly delicious (and complimentary) breakfast breads when you order breakfast. The hotel is close to I-5 (about 1/2 mile), and within walking distance to the State Capital. All this and they are pet friendly, with no additional fee (we bring our Corgi here, where they offer a treat at check-in). It is a downtown city hotel and it's across from a park, so when we self park in the parking garage or walk our dog in the park, we stay aware, but we have never had any problems in this regard . . . and we appreciate that there always seems to be 1-2 staff in front of the hotel should we want their help for anything, including valet or bellhop services. We have always had excellent customer service from every single person who works at the Citizen. We have stayed at many different hotels in the Sacramento area and this is our absolute favorite.