AlexSomLa
Google
This hotel has a few things going for it- including its commitment to the environment and helping others- but also things going against it. First, the staff are extremely friendly, and the vibe in the lobby/community area is hip and relaxed. The commitment to being eco friendly and such is evident. But, at its core, this hotel is a spiffed up motor lodge with a huge but sparsely equipped gym, a windowless, somewhat soulless yoga area (though appreciated!), and clean pool constantly surrounded by traffic noise. In general, this place makes me happy for the 5 min I’m in the lobby and sad the rest of the time. ||The room: we stayed in a room on the “300” level in the old motor lodge section (I’m calling it that without actually knowing if that’s the case). It faces east so the blackout shades on the only two windows were very helpful and did their job. But those were the only window coverings. So, in the morning if you want natural light, you also have to expose yourself and your room to the world. Some sort of additional translucent curtain or shade is needed. ||The room has no rug (I prefer that) but given the stucco walls and the way it’s decorated, the lack of a rug makes it feel more sad. (My husband does not feel the same way- he likes the room). There is a good amount of space to spread your stuff out and there are shelves to put things on. There are only three hangers to hang clothing. There’s a fridge. Lighting is adequate to read by. The bed seemed clean but the box springs are exposed and looked a bit dingy. It was mostly comfortable; the mattress pad was a bit lumpy. The pillows are not standard or king sized- they’re square! Super strange choice. It is easy to control the temp in the room using the climate controls. There are unlined garbage and recycling bins. But, there’s no plastic-bag-lined bin in the bathroom for waste like sanitary products. I’m all for reducing plastic waste. And yet, this bothers me. ||The bathroom is the big issue for me. There’s no fan!! And the door opens inward and you cannot open it all the way so it blocks access to the tub/shower when open. (Most room photos I could find on Trip Advisor show the sliding barn-type door. Ours did not have this.) The shower is fine- good pressure and temp- but feels like it’s out of the 80s with the countertop-like siding they put into it (shown in photos). The counter space on the sink is good, but it takes up so much space that the whole bathroom makes me claustrophobic. ||Breakfast was maybe my biggest issue. For a health- and eco-conscious place, having only carbs and sugar for breakfast is frustrating especially before going out to hike. The pastries are mediocre and there’s no protein! When I was there, most of the bananas were not ripe and they only had red delicious apples (not my favorite). They have breakfast burritos for purchase, but I would’ve appreciated a hard boiled egg. Coffee was good, though, so that’s a plus. And they compost. Sprout Market is near by car- stock up on bars and such there. ||I appreciated the water bottle filling station. But I would not prefer to stay here again.
