Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown - Arena by IHG — Hotel in Sacramento

This is an older hotel in a fairly convenient location right off the 5 freeway in downtown Sacramento. I should start by saying that the hotel was clean, the staff friendly, and I was able to check in when I arrived just before 3 PM.

The first thing you notice is that the hotel is severely dated; think 1990s Carnival Cruise tacky orange decor throughout. The hotel offers very limited outdoor parking in front or access to a public garage about 100 feet away. There is a small park between the garage and the hotel with quite a few sketchy people who made noise late into the night. I didn’t find them scary, but I wouldn’t have let my wife walk alone outside after dark.

I was in town for business, and the organization I was working with made my reservation and arranged to pay the bill…or so we thought. The clerk told me I needed to pay and that the org had only used a card to make the reservation. I checked with them and was told that they had sent a credit card authorization about two weeks prior. There was no record of it being received and posted to my room, but when the helpful clerk went back through old emails they found it. The next morning the same clerk argued with me about the number of cars I had parked there. She couldn’t seem to understand that someone else had made the reservation, even though we went through the arrangement in detail just a few hours before! Because that someone had a different name, we obviously had two cars. Even if we were both in the room, (we weren’t; I was alone) wouldn’t it be possible for two people with different names to arrive in one car?

The room itself was roomy and spotless, though dated, and did not have a refrigerator. This seems to be standard issue in most hotels these days, so I was a little surprised. Oh well, I’ll just get some ice from the machine right next to my third floor room. Or would have, if it worked. Up to four I go, then to five when the fourth floor machine was also broken. Good grief. The bed and pillows were fairly awful, and the bath supplies were Dove.

So here’s the thing…this room was $350. They also charged $20 for the very standard hotel buffet breakfast that featured a limited selection. The cost was way too much for my hassle, the down-trodden condition and Target level bath products. I’m glad it wasn’t my money, and you should spend yours...

Overall, I had a good stay. It’s next to DOCO/Golden 1, so I imagine it gets lively during a game. And there’s a good variety of food options. Lastly, I like that there’s a path to Old Sacramento, though it’s probably not safe to walk there at night.

I found the staff to be really friendly. The woman who assisted me was dealing with someone who was halfway to being a Karen. When it came time to assist me, she didn’t let the previous interaction affect ours and she was incredibly kind and helpful. Having worked in retail myself, I commend her being able to reset your frame of mind for the next customer. It’s hard to do!

The location is convenient. It’s right next to the freeway (though getting to the parking lot from the off ramp can be really confusing and difficult). As I stated earlier, it’s in between DOCO and Old Sac. And a few blocks down on K Street, there are more restaurants, though it’s pretty empty on a weeknight. Perhaps it’s more lively on game days… I’ve been in the area on the weekend (no game) and it was still empty. But that was a little over a year ago so hopefully that’s changed. To me, it’s not a far walk to the Capitol. Perhaps it maybe a far walk for some who want to venture Midtown, but there’s public transit nearby. Speaking of which, Amtrak is only 2 blocks away so being able to walk there was really convenient.

Now for the large king bed room I booked… really outdated. And dark even with all the lights turned on. And I couldn’t open the curtains because the sun would’ve made the room too hot. I’m not a fan of carpet in hotel rooms, but I know it does mute the sound for the floor below. The mini fridge worked at least. The closet was tiny.. I luckily didn’t have too many clothes to hang.

The bathroom was spacious. Lots of counter space and well lit. I wish the vent worked better. Water pressure was fine. I also appreciate the refillable amenities. Some of the tiles on the floor were cracked.

Overall the room felt clean and it is spacious. The bed was comfy and I like that it came with lots of pillows of varying firmness. The AC unit worked, but it did make the air dry so I suggest bringing a travel humidifier.

I was here for a business trip and my company had blocked rooms at this hotel. And I wouldn’t mind staying here again if they chose this hotel for...

Overall, I had a good stay. It’s next to DOCO/Golden 1, so I imagine it gets lively during a game. And there’s a good variety of food options. Lastly, I like that there’s a path to Old Sacramento, though it’s probably not safe to walk there at night.

I found the staff to be really friendly. The woman who assisted me was dealing with someone who was halfway to being a Karen. When it came time to assist me, she didn’t let the previous interaction affect ours and she was incredibly kind and helpful. Having worked in retail myself, I commend her being able to reset your frame of mind for the next customer. It’s hard to do!

The location is convenient. It’s right next to the freeway (though getting to the parking lot from the off ramp can be really confusing and difficult). As I stated earlier, it’s in between DOCO and Old Sac. And a few blocks down on K Street, there are more restaurants, though it’s pretty empty on a weeknight. Perhaps it’s more lively on game days… I’ve been in the area on the weekend (no game) and it was still empty. But that was a little over a year ago so hopefully that’s changed. To me, it’s not a far walk to the Capitol. Perhaps it maybe a far walk for some who want to venture Midtown, but there’s public transit nearby. Speaking of which, Amtrak is only 2 blocks away so being able to walk there was really convenient.

Now for the large king bed room I booked… really outdated. And dark even with all the lights turned on. And I couldn’t open the curtains because the sun would’ve made the room too hot. I’m not a fan of carpet in hotel rooms, but I know it does mute the sound for the floor below. The mini fridge worked at least. The closet was tiny.. I luckily didn’t have too many clothes to hang.

The bathroom was spacious. Lots of counter space and well lit. I wish the vent worked better. Water pressure was fine. I also appreciate the refillable amenities. Some of the tiles on the floor were cracked.

Overall the room felt clean and it is spacious. The bed was comfy and I like that it came with lots of pillows of varying firmness. The AC unit worked, but it did make the air dry so I suggest bringing a travel humidifier.

I was here for a business trip and my company had blocked rooms at this hotel. And I wouldn’t mind staying here again if they chose this hotel for...