The Bodie Hotel — Hotel in Hawthorne

Honestly, I loved this place. Don't be fooled by the five-star ratings I gave though - this place doesn't compare to a Marriot, a Holiday Inn, a resort in the Bahamas, or anything like that. But for what it is, it's fantastic.

So what is it? First and foremost, welcoming! As soon as I walked in the front door, I was greeted by Jeff, who owns the place with his wife. He and I got into a lengthy conversation before I had even checked in, ranging from the hotel itself to where we were from to what I'm doing on this vacation to major league baseball. He told me about what the hotel was like before he and his wife bought it, what they had done to it, the neat stuff they found while renovating it, etc. He's very passionate about his business, and seemed like a great guy.

The building itself, he explained, used to be the brothel in Bodie, which is an old pioneer town, now a ghost town turned into a State Historical Park (and the sole reason I was in the area). He kept the vibe of the hotel as close as possible to the 1800s, though of course it does have proper plumbing and electricity. And wifi. The whole place is decorated with Victorian-era furniture, wallpaper, etc. Just off the main lobby is a little sitting room with a functional pump organ (I'm not sure if that's the correct name for it). I asked if I could try it, and without hesitation, he said "sure!". Of course I sucked at it, but it was still fun. The room I stayed in had two queen beds and a bathroom, plus heat and A/C... but really nothing else. Why? Because in the 1800s, they didn't have TVs, clock radios, mini fridges, and the like in their rooms, and he's trying to recreate that vibe. But there is a communal lounge area with a big screen TV, plus a smaller lounge area with a communal fridge as well as a selection of movies on VHS (yes, I said VHS, not DVD or BluRay) and a mini TV. There's also a communal patio out back.

As for location, it depends what you're looking for. If your plan is to visit Bodie State Park, then this is a great location. The town is basically a one-street town. There's maybe three or four hotels (including this one), a couple of restaurants, a gas station, a general store, and the county courthouse.

Jeff gave me a couple of tips on things to see in the area. First, behind the courthouse is an old jail. It's open to the public - you can just walk in and wander around a bit (it's not huge). For dinner, there's a pub called Rhino's, which is where I ended up eating. There's also a couple of hot springs in the area. And they have a big celebration on the fourth of July. If I'm ever in Bridgeport again, I will stay...

I love the idea of the old world charm but this was a bit disappointing. Know that it is basically self-service. It could've been better kept inside and out but was severely lacking. For the price we expected much more. You have to bring your dirty towels to them daily and ask for new ones which you have to get yourself, you have to take out your own trash, and in 4 days Noone even offered to change bedding or clean. The toilet is clearly linked to very old plumbing which is obvious by the brightly marked clean outs in the rear of the building yet staff will try to blame any type of blockage or problems on the guests. Staff was friendly until this review was submitted and come to find out they are extremely rude and unprofessional incorrectly commenting on clothing and cleanliness and children is absolutely insane! Be careful if you stay here as they are most likely listening through the walls and watching your every move. A bit creepy if you ask me. They also tries to come after us for plumbing expenses of $250 for their old plumbing clogging up lying about us flushing baby wipes that we have never done. All because we left a negative review. Owners that do this should never be allowed to run a business. Pretty sure dude was cracked out on some type of upper as well. Just read their response to my review and tell me if you would want to stay somewhere where they treat their customers like that? At the very least I should be owed an apology if...

I love the idea of the old world charm but this was a bit disappointing. Know that it is basically self-service. It could've been better kept inside and out but was severely lacking. For the price we expected much more. You have to bring your dirty towels to them daily and ask for new ones which you have to get yourself, you have to take out your own trash, and in 4 days Noone even offered to change bedding or clean. The toilet is clearly linked to very old plumbing which is obvious by the brightly marked clean outs in the rear of the building yet staff will try to blame any type of blockage or problems on the guests. Staff was friendly until this review was submitted and come to find out they are extremely rude and unprofessional incorrectly commenting on clothing and cleanliness and children is absolutely insane! Be careful if you stay here as they are most likely listening through the walls and watching your every move. A bit creepy if you ask me. They also tries to come after us for plumbing expenses of $250 for their old plumbing clogging up lying about us flushing baby wipes that we have never done. All because we left a negative review. Owners that do this should never be allowed to run a business. Pretty sure dude was cracked out on some type of upper as well. Just read their response to my review and tell me if you would want to stay somewhere where they treat their customers like that? At the very least I should be owed an apology if...