Steph C.
Yelp
I spent a weekend at the Fort Sutter and was both impressed and unimpressed with the hotel. I think if I were younger, maybe traveling alone or with just a partner, I would've loved the place unreservedly. It was less ideal for a trip with a young kid, when we could've used more service than you get at, say, an AirBnB.
We booked this place because the location seemed convenient, and we were definitely right on that count. The Fort Sutter is in midtown, walking distance from almost everywhere we wanted to go. If you're not in Sacramento to go to the Capitol and all the businessy stuff downtown, I get the sense that midtown is the right neighborhood for a hotel.
Our flight got in before 11 on a Friday, and I called in advance to inquire about early check-in. I was told that they'd do their best and I kind of figured we'd get it--I'd made the request a week before our stay, and was also pregnant and traveling with a toddler. When I called after we landed, it was clear there was no record of my request. It was fine, we went to lunch, but we never even got a call that our room was ready. We ended up checking in at around the guaranteed 3:00 time, and housekeeping was still getting the crib into the room.
It turns out that almost no one works at this hotel. There are two people in housekeeping and maybe two at the front desk, and usually only one at a time. Service wasn't bad, exactly--in fact, everyone was as friendly and accommodating as the circumstances allowed--but it was spread so thin that it was almost nonexistent. Not only was there no on-site parking, there was no indication whatsoever of where we were supposed to park (the public garage next door). No one helped us with our luggage. One of the overworked front desk employees (they were on the phone almost every time I saw them) made a half-hearted offer when we had already made our way through the doors with suitcases, stroller, and child. There were no coffee cups in the room (though there were a few lids?), no pen and paper, things we looked for but didn't find because management must have decided to limit the items that would have to be refilled during a visit. There was no complimentary drinking water anywhere on the premises. Housekeeping was waived by default, which I don't mind, but there was this pretense that it was for environmental reasons and not because the hotel has no employees.
Anyway, the room was great, which was more important than any of the above. We decided to get a suite since we were traveling with the kid, and I thought it was quite attractive and not overpriced. Clean, spacious, pleasantly decorated, with lots of windows and a good view of the city. The bed was comfortable, the bathrooms pristine, and there were plenty of places to sit. The suite also had a mini-fridge (apparently the regular rooms don't), which we needed, and the hotel-provided crib was sturdier than the usual pack 'n play.
I'd recommend the Fort Sutter if all you want out of a hotel is a nice place to sleep. This is probably what most people want, and it worked out for us, too, more or less. Just be warned that the place is laughably understaffed. I hope the few employees are well paid and not too overworked.
