The Truckee Hotel — Hotel in Truckee

What a mix of pros and cons with this place. For me, the rustic historical authenticity was wonderful. The room was very small but cute, there was a very nice lounge area and a second floor balcony. It was nicely decorated, reasonably well maintained considering the age of the place, and clean. The bathroom had a clawfoot tub and hot water was plentiful. There were coffee makers and readily available snacks in the room and next to the lounge. ||The biggest con was that there was simply no customer service at the off-peak season. The description of a "friendly and caring staff waiting for you in the lobby" was absolutely laughable. You enter via a door code and your keys are sitting on the counter, Airbnb-style. But I didn't know the door code, since they tried but failed to reach me by phone. They did phone me, but my husband answered, and they didn't give him any info but said to call back. I tried repeatedly but nobody ever picked up. I also emailed and no reply. So I arrived to a locked door and no idea how to get in. Luckily a waiter at the adjoining hotel (Moody's) was able to find someone who told me how to get in. That was the extent of my check-in interaction. ||So I went up to the room to find it uncomfortably overheated by the radiator, and I tinkered with it a little to turn it down. Went out for the evening and came back to a slightly chilly room -- the radiator was turned off. Went downstairs and had to go consult with the restaurant again to look for help as again nobody answered my call. A waiter from the restaurant was able to text somebody about the radiator. The woman he texted asked if I had touched the radiator. I said yes. Her reply: "I beg them not to touch the radiators!" Well, obviously nobody had told me anything since nobody had been there when I arrived, and there was no note in the room or ANYTHING to do with the radiators. When I said this, and the waiter texted the person again, the reply came back: "Tell her there are extra blankets in the room." So that was it for the radiator. ||Luckily it ended up that despite the overnight temp of 8 degrees F, the room stayed reasonably warm because the pipe leading to the radiator was still full of hot water and actually putting out some heat. And the main blanket on the bed was a nice comforter, and I was wearing fleece pajamas. But I have never been so blown off by a hotel manager with the completely untrue statement about being told not to touch the radiator. And also, if the room was too hot, was there nothing I could do about it? ||It's too bad, because if the service had been good -- if there had been any service at all, and the reply to my request for help had at least been apologetic and polite -- I would stay there again. As it is right...

While this hotel has a unique charm and an appealing location, I experienced significant issues with transparency around billing and overall communication. I booked a group stay with a negotiated rate and provided my card information for payment.||However, upon check-out, an unexpected nightly service fee was added ($10 a night, btw), which hadn’t been disclosed in the initial agreement. California’s new transparency law (SB 478) requires clear communication of all mandatory fees at the time of booking, and I believe this hotel’s practices are not in compliance. Even iff you book online through their site (which again, we did not), harges are lumped under "taxes and fees" without clarifying the breakdown, making it unclear what you’re actually paying for.||In total, over 45 emails were exchanged to manage what should have been a straightforward booking and to clarify these charges. Responses from management were often defensive and unhelpful, focusing primarily on justifying the charges based on the hotel’s operating costs, rather than addressing the transparency issues surrounding their fees.||If you're considering this property, I’d recommend confirming all charges in writing beforehand, as the billing experience can detract from what might otherwise be a pleasant stay. For travelers who prioritize transparent pricing and efficient service, a larger, more standardized hotel might offer a smoother experience.||Ultimately, the hotel is deeply invested in their position and sees their service fee as fair, which has possibly clouded their perspective on transparency requirements under California law. Under SB 478, the key issue is not the fee itself but how transparently it was communicated at booking,...

While this hotel has a unique charm and an appealing location, I experienced significant issues with transparency around billing and overall communication. I booked a group stay with a negotiated rate and provided my card information for payment.

However, upon check-out, an unexpected nightly service fee and tax was added ($10 a night for service, btw), which hadn’t been disclosed in the initial agreement. California’s new transparency law (SB 478) requires clear communication of all mandatory fees at the time of booking, and I believe this hotel’s practices are not in compliance. Even if you book online through their site (which again, we did not), charges are lumped under "taxes and fees" without clarifying the breakdown, making it unclear what you’re actually paying for. This is exactly what the law is meant to fix.

In total, over 45 emails were exchanged to manage what should have been a straightforward booking and to clarify these charges. Responses from management were often defensive and unhelpful, focusing primarily on justifying the charges based on the hotel’s operating costs, rather than addressing the transparency issues surrounding their fees.

If you're considering this property, I’d recommend confirming all charges in writing beforehand, as the billing experience can detract from what might otherwise be a pleasant stay. For travelers who prioritize transparent pricing and efficient service, a larger, more standardized hotel might offer a smoother experience. The rooms are also inconsistent in what they offer - some have AC, some have fans, some...