Citizen Hotel

Sacramento Has Its Classic, Landmark Hotel

Posted: 09/25/2009 10:26:23 AM PDT

Dig that view from the penthouse balcony. Is that Arnold down there? (Courtesy photo)

Remember the Underwear Gnomes' perfect business plan in "South Park"? Phase 1 was collect some goods. Phase 2 was ??. Phase 3 was profit.

When someone actually knows what Phase 2 should be -- and pulls it off so well it almost looks easy -- it's a joy to experience their success. Sacramento's Citizen Hotel is just such an example of expert hoteliering: all the ingredients to be a landmark hotel were there, but it took a certain mix of skill sets to pull it off.

The iconic downtown building, the fully restored and unique lobby, the history, the overall renovation, the grand metal staircase ... all grand pieces of a puzzle. They added a destination restaurant, Grange, where the well-heeled and the gourmands of Capital City (sometimes both) can be seen from the street. (See the entire GRANGE review here.)

Being a tree-lined, two-block walk from the Capital, the wry, subtle theme throughout the hotel has a political bent. The bar is called Scandal, for instance, replete with a "Mr Smith Goes to Sacramento" sort of cartooned storyline (it ends with him getting on the train home, post-scandal -- with not one but two women!). The Do Not Disturb doorknob hangers are "In Private Sessions" and the room numbers are adorned with a handshake of GOP and Dem cuff linked hands.

There are two lobbies. The original, soaring marble work lobby from when the building was an office tower that is doubly welcoming and officious. The working lobby is a red, white and black, book-lined room that feels more like a place for back-room deals than a luxury check in -- which fits seamlessly into the theme.

The original, marble and tile lobby was refurbished to the last detail. The working lobby is in the background. (Courtesy photo)

style="font-family: Verdana;"> Above the working lobby, on the mezzanine, is where Scandals is tucked. They do guided, happy hour wine tastings here -- free to guests. On the walls are tongue-in-cheek (or plain cheeky) scribblings on cocktail napkins from various guests, such as Denzel Washington, Martin Sheen and Maria Shriver. It's another cozy, luxe, deal-making sort of space. A grand place to park and have something in a martini glass.

Rooms have what you need with classic, but not pomp-y, interiors. (Courtesy photo)

style="font-family: Verdana;"> Inside the 198 rooms there are original political cartoons from the 1960s, including many by The Sacramento Bee's Pulitzer-prize winner Rex Babin. Others have excerpts from California's Constitution subtly printed on the lampshades. (The Kennedy-era cartoon panels made us want to encourage the hotel to do a lithograph series for guest purchase. Incremental revenue, maybe?)

The rooms range from slightly-larger-than-European on up to suite-sized. The standard ones are compact without being constraining, with everything a business or leisure traveler would need. The

Scandal bar sits cozily on the mezzanine above the lobby. A chill spot with a humorously germane political theme. (Courtesy photo)

in-room safes are a nice touch. Some come with tubs and most have nice, open-sided showers that help keep the space airy. The beds, as one would expect, are dreamy and pillow-tastic. Our HDTV was a tad spotty, but only temporarily.

Other in-room amenities include the iClock/docking station -- and it's about time a hotel realized that this is a standard guest expectation now. Too many are passing on this easy way to customize a guests experience and enable a built-in comfort zone for longer-term stays. (We streamed KCRW, for instance, through the iPhone.) As for internet, it runs around $10 for a day's access. Their network is closed, so smart phones may not update as readily as outside the hotel. And with free hot spots nearby, this is a minor inconvenience (that the hotel can easily address down the road).

Three penthouse suites have open-air terraces that fully capture the vista (did we mention the blanket of trees?). On the7th floor there is also a 3,000-sq-foot terrace that overlooks the Capitol dome -- perfect for a large wedding or other reception.

The Citizen is situated in the heart of downtown, with easy pedestrian access in any direction to touristy things to do: Capital grounds; Old Town Sac(ramento); light rail system; riverfront parks; trendy thrift stores; galleries; bars and clubs; movie houses; and the local-legend Crest Theater.

Sacramento is re-introducing itself as an urban destination, and with good cause. Situated such that it is convenient to San Francisco's east bay, Napa and Sonoma valleys, Marin County, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and even Big Sur many fly into the less-congested SAC and rent a car rather than fight the BART to the east.

And if you're heading up for a 3-5 day visit (the best leisure-time duration, we think) be sure to wrap it around the Second Saturday festivities. The Downtown Grid opens up like a street fair, with vendors, art, music, eats and crowds. Not like idiot Mardi Gras crowds, but what seems to be a true cross-mixture of all demographics. Gaggles of teen girls and clusters of family units. And dates. Lots of dates going on...

Citizen Hotel will remain a unique, comfortable landmark even as Sacramento reboots its image -- because the hotel's excellent approach to its surroundings and its guests reflects expectations of unique, eclectic and comfortable-without-stuffy. It's classic enough to remain contemporary.