Hotel ratings on review sites like TripAdvisor are usually a pretty accurate depiction of what you can expect during your stay. Good ratings and it should live up to the hype (or succumb to inflated expectations). Poor ratings… and you better be receiving a great deal on your stay to make up for the inconvenience.
This Memorial Day weekend we were faced with a challenge. Friends were in town and wanted to spend some time in Sonoma County. Most hotels in the area were sold out for the holiday weekend, so we were left with a choice: Stay at a highly rated hotel for $400+ per night or stay at one of the worst rated hotels in the area for $94/night + taxes. Or we could also stay in San Francisco in our apartment for free, but that is a lot of driving, especially when we planned to visit a few breweries in the area.
We chose the $94 hotel, which was the Hotel Petaluma. As you can see from TripAdvisor, there was a lot of risk associated with our choice.
I haven’t stayed at a 3 dot rated hotel since I learned how to read reviews on the Internet, but was willing to give this a shot. If nothing else, it would be a funny story.
Historical Hotel Petaluma Review
The hotel Petaluma was all the rage when it was built in 1923. It must have been very charming then.
Image courtesy of Hotel Petaluma website
Today? It is in the process of bringing that charm back, undergoing extensive renovation to restore the hotel under new ownership.
Add it all up and you can see why the hotel was being offered for only $94 a night on one of the busiest weekends of the year. The hotel was working through some issues but remained open for business.
Now let’s pass it over to Amanda for her review of the property.
Hotel Petaluma – the best deal in town (for now)
Having stayed here for two nights, the people leaving reviews must have absurd expectations or the new management has really turned around the quality of the Hotel. I am guessing it is probably a mixture of both.
The historic hotel is not embarrassed to be what it is: it is undergoing extensive renovations, and within a year or two it will be a gorgeous boutique hotel.
Hotel Petaluma offers affordable clean rooms with understated European style and a convenient location. And when I say affordable, I mean affordable for any budget, not just California affordable.
Here are the pro’s of the hotel, as I see them:
1. Clean minimalist rooms, think European boutique
The room was spotless even with the renovation dust. The room was a comfortable size, plenty of storage (if you like to unpack), high-quality linens and upscale toiletries (Gilchrist & Soames). The refurbished hardwood floors, new window screens, crisp white bathroom and the fresh coat of paint gave the room a craftsman home feel. It takes years to renovate a historic hotel, but the care of new management and upgraded amenities offer a preview as to what you can expect in the future.
2. Great central location
The Hotel is walking distance to historic downtown Petaluma. The historic downtown offered quaint shops and delicious restaurants. The city of Petaluma, itself, is a perfect distance from everything we wanted to do…. 45 minutes to the coastline and even quicker to wine/beer country. An hour from San Francisco on a good day. This is the perfect jumping off point to anywhere you want to go in the area. Not to mention great restaurants within walking distance.
3. Pricing takes into account the current renovations
I was able to book this room over 2015 Memorial weekend for $94 (for a private bath, queen bed). The Quality Inn in Santa Rosa was over $150 for the same nights and a comparable room. The high rated resorts, as Jeff noted, were in the $400 range. Once renovations are complete, I could see the pricing jump up to wine country boutique hotel pricing.
4. New management has addressed every single point of criticism included in the trip advisor reviews
They even provide an excuse our mess explanation letter. I wish I had kept it to show the attention to detail. The service was great, and the staff was very helpful. But, don’t expect a valet parking or bellhop to carry you, or your bags to the room.
5. Free wireless internet in the room that works, i.e., no connectivity issues
Thus, easy access for all those super important vacation connection needs (Instagram food pics, Facebook check-ins, Whatsapp convos, OpenTable reservations).
Managing Expectations
1. It is clearly under renovation, so there is construction in the lobby
However, there was no construction noise while we were there. This is not a 5-star resort on the scale of amenities offered… at least not yet (No pool, no spa, no bellhop, no restaurant, no resort fee).
2. Noise level can be above the average suburban hotel or isolated resort
There is no air conditioning (which is normal in NoCal, and is typically not needed given the cool nights). Since there is no air conditioning, guests keep their room windows open. Most people are coming back from wine tours, brewery tours, and generally having a good time. Some guests even have a good time during the day, if you know what I mean…. :) If you want peace and quiet, then go to a remote location not the downtown of a city. Also, the Hotel will fine guests if a noise complaint is lodged after a certain hour, thus addressing this point unless you go to bed at 9pm.
3. No hairdryer in the room
However, one is available at the desk. The one I used was new and work quite well. Yes, I had walk downstairs with wet hair (goddess of beauty forbid), but I could use the exercise. I politely returned the dryer after use rather than hoarding it in my room to prevent others from emerging as a beautiful butterfly for the day. Note, the staff complimented the radical improvement to my appearance upon dryer drop-off.
4. Walking up to the entrance, you will be nervous and not sure what you are going to get
As you approach, you will see the door between a tattoo parlor and a nail salon. This is eclectic NoCal. However, if this is your first time visiting, then the first impression may give you hesitation. Do not fear! Keep going! This is the charm of the Hotel. Note, the renovations will provide a new upscale lobby and entrance. For now, experience something new and just go with it.
5. There was no fridge in our room (our friends had a fridge, crisis averted we were able to chill the breakfast wine)
I guess I usually don’t expect a fridge in a hotel room, so not really a surprise to me. At Hotel Petaluma, some rooms have fridges and some rooms have shared bathrooms. Just read the room type and description before you book (or call the Hotel, I know what a strange concept these days) to avoid any confusion. The room type was clearly stated prior to making our reservation, so we did not have any issues or surprises.
Our Hotel Petaluma experience was a positive one
We loved our stay and would stay there again even before the renovations are complete. We booked through a portal to get to Hotels.com, which provided our 25% off rate. It also allowed us to earn Hotels.com rewards, which served as a quasi 10% rebate.
Best of luck with the renovations!
