Kevin''s family live in some of the smaller towns and cities to the north of Sacramento so we make this trip quite regularly. We normally stay at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Rancho Cordova on the northern edge of Sacramento. Some of the newer hotels in the Courtyard chain have gone back to the traditional high-rise block of rooms model, but the original Courtyard plan was for one or two floors built around (surprise) a central courtyard. Naturally in California said courtyard contains a swimming pool which, in Sacramento, is a good thing.
"One never sees Summer-clothing or mosquitoes in San Francisco--but they can be found in Sacramento. Not always and unvaryingly, but about one hundred and forty-three months out of twelve years, perhaps." - Mark Twain (Roughing It).
There is a little artistic licence in that. Either that or Kevin and I have been very unlucky. On this trip there was a particularly nasty storm passing through and as a consequence some of my photos are rather dull. I will try to replace them when I go back on more normal weekends.
But to get back to the hotel, the Courtyard encapsulates everything I think is good about American hotels. It is relatively cheap, the rooms are large, clean and comfortable, they charge by the room, not by the person, and you are not charged for a breakfast you don''t want. Yes, it is quite souless, although the courtyard does add a bit of charm to the building and encourages guests to mingle. Also the air conditioning units can be quite noisy. But I have stayed in quite enough British hotels that have heaps of period charm and in most cases I would happily trade them for some value for money and decent service.
Also on the plus side, the hotel has a gym, a hot tub, and coffee makers in every room. The latter is unusual. Whereas almost every British hotel has a kettle in the room, the inability of the wimpy American electricity system to boil water in any reasonable time period has resulted in most US hotels not providing any in-room drinks. Thank you Marriott, this is a real lifesaver if you don''t have time for breakfast.
Rancho Cordova itself is something of a business ghetto. There are several low-priced hotels on the same intersection as the Courtyard, and many large office blocks. There isn''t much else. What facilities exist on nearby road cater primarily for business customers. Restaurants tend to close at 9:00 pm. If you want an evening meal, send out for a pizza or take the car. You will need to go into central Sacramento, or head for Folsom.
The rate quoted was the AAA discounted rate for that weekend. Room rates vary considerably; check hotel web site for more details.