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Casa Madrona Hotel
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Parking:
- Street, Valet, Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
31 reviews for Casa Madrona Hotel
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6/15/2009
4/17/2009
5/31/2009
9/14/2009
2/3/2009
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10/31/2007
5/2/2005
One of Casa Madrona Hotel's Favorite Reviews What's This?
We enjoyed our stay here at the Casa Madrona. when I booked the hotel room, I booked the room in the Victorian house. If you been there, you know that u have to walk outside to the stairs to make your way up to their Victorian house and no elevator available. When we got there, the front desk guy said he doesn't think its a good idea for me to climb up those stairs to our room because I was 7 months pregnant. We told him it's fine, I am willing to walk since all preggies need their exercises, right? So, he said if it gets too tough to climb, let him know and he will give us a free upgrade to their suite in the newer part of the hotel. We thought it was very nice of him to offer. Anyway, we started walking and boy, he wasn't kidding about the stairs. By the time I got to the Victorian house, I was out of breath and my back literally was at the breaking point . The Victorian house was very cute, but the room is old. I told my husband that I don't think I can walk up and down those stair on a daily basis. If I do, I might go into labor early. So, we dragged our luggage down to the front desk and got our free upgrade to the suite. Thankfully, we were able to take the elevator up to our room. The room was very clean, large and modern. Their bathroom is huge compared to the standards. We had a jet tub and walk in shower stall. I wish I could have enjoyed laying in the comfy bed longer, but my belly was telling me otherwise. Overall the experience we had was a pleasant one and the front desk was very helpful.
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Had the most wonderful experience at the Casa Madrona. Room had the most beautiful view of the bay from the balcony and working fireplace, very romantic.... Valet services were great and even suggested a great place for breakfast. Also, I suggest eating at the Italian restaurant right next to the hotel. It was delicious and we sat with a view of the bay as well...
Although the hotel is a bit old (there are newly renovated rooms at a more expensive rate) the ambiance is perfect for a romantic getaway...
Wanna find out what happens when the entire staff takes a holiday leaving the custodial crew in charge?! Well take a weekend trip to Casa Madrona and find out what happens on this wacky weekend getaway!
My wife and I recently got married in Livermore and planned to take a mini-honeymoon to Sausalito. I did some research and decided that Casa Madrona looked like the place for us. I loved how their cottages looked on the internet and found that if I prepay via internet I could book the room ahead of time and save a bit. I did just that, got my confirmation number and checked this off the wedding "to do" list.
After some time had passed, my wife and I decided to change our check in day because we knew that we would not be able to drive there on the night we originally wanted. "No problem" according to the lady on the phone. She gave a new confirmation number and I rechecked this off my list.
A few days had passed and my gut told me to call, and confirm that they knew the stay was prepaid still and that the old reservation was voided. I called- no answer. Called again - voice mail.
"The fuh?!"- I thought. Eventually I got a hold of someone and they had no records of my changed reservation. I spent time again changing the reservation, I confirmed that the reservation was now changed, she assured me that it was- yeah effing right!
I got the gut feeling that the reservation was still not changed. Once again after calling several times trying to get a live person on the phone, I made contact to find out that it had not been changed! I was furious, but remained cool and made the changes AGAIN!
The day finally came, and we checked in. Whattya know?! No reservation for us. Just an old one saying that we were a no show After much debate with the front desk, he eventually found our new reservation. I asked if our cottage was available, and he mumbled something I couldn't understand. Well, when the bellhop showed us our room it was no cottage. It turned out to be a regular hotel suite. Don't get me wrong- it was nice, just not what I thought we had booked.
NOTE: if you plan on doing the "honeymoon thing" which often involves spending alot of time in your room, you will be disappointed to know that they hotel room comes with a crappy tiny TV that has 5 basic channels that recycle themselves all the way up to 200 or so. Yeah, I know TV isn't why you come to a nice hotel, but C'MON! A 20" tube TV with only 5 channels is pretty weak!
Back to my story-
Check out time came and went down ahead of time just in case it was going to be an ordeal. (good thinking on my part) When I checked to make sure that it was prepaid, the guy told me "No." I told him he needed to check his records again and he told me that there was no record of me prepaying. He was very short, very rude and very non engaging, giving me no eye contact. I asked for a PC so that I may print out my records for him. He pointed to a door marked "employees." I showed myself the way, printed off the records and came back out.
By that time, he changed his attitude and some how "magically" found my records. They royally screwed up on my billing, charging me for days I had not stayed, but were able to rectify it there after much back and forth.
All in all it could have been a good stay if they crew had their kit together, but they did not. I would not recommend this place, and I would highly recommend you not prepay.
There is a place not to far from Casa Madrona called The Inn Above the Tide that got awesome reviews. I have not personally stayed there, but I will definitely stay there next time I am in Sausilito.
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I didn't stay here, but I spent a bit of time here while visiting friends of mine that stayed here last weekend. Lovely courtyard space with comfortable furniture, fantastic vistas, and cellular service (forget it while indoors here). The room my friends had was strangely situated, with a small space on the lower level with a window-front desk and a couple of chairs (no TV) and a loft-like upper story with one big bed and a bathroom with windows that opened/closed from the *outside*. I figure it might be decent for a romantic play-date or honeymoon, but pretty much inconvenient otherwise. Still, a lovely hotel overall.
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All class. This place is the way to go for an [off-peak season] affordable weekend getaway. The romance package is 100% worth it...perfect!
We arrived at the spa for a couples massage where we received the royal treatment. After our session we were shown to our room which was beautifully decorated with rose petals, candles, chocolates, and a hot bubble bath. The fire in the fireplace set the mood off perfectly. We got ready for dinner and were able to just walk from the hotel to the restaurant. This place is so conveniently located. We didn't have to get our car once the entire time.
The bed was as comfortable as my own and the sheets even more so. I felt like queen for a day and slept like a baby! In the morning I took a walk down to the hotel's restaurant, Poggio, where I ordered an Americano and a bowl of their homemade granola with yogurt and fresh berries. I sat at an outdoor table, listening to the Italian music and watching cyclists zoom by while basking in the beautiful morning sun. The hotel is on a main street, just across from the marina. So there is lots to see while sipping your morning coffee.
The valet service is pricey, but it's optional and so worth it. The valets are friendly and remembered me from the last time I was there! Such sweethearts.
All in all I'd say this trip was perfect and the friendly staff, impeccable service, and unbeatable location of Casa Madrona is what made that happen.
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I booked a week at Casa Madrona at http://hotels.com for $114/night. I thought I was getting a deal because the prior week I had stayed at the fabulous Gables Inn for $130/night. Boy was I wrong!! I wish that the Gables Inn had vacancies because I definitely would have preferred to stay there again. Casa Madrona charges $24/night for valet parking and breakfast is not included, so in the end it is more expensive than The Gables Inn. I'm sure I got the $114/night rate because it's January and there aren't many people vacationing at this time. I saw from the other reviews that the hotel charges $300-$450/night at times. That is total highway robbery. This place could never be worth that price.
The first night I hadn't noticed the sign saying that the valet parking service cost $24/night, so I had my car valeted. The second night as the valet was getting into my car, I asked if there was any self parking. He responded that I could "try to park on the street". I took a quick look around and didn't see any spots. I asked about the half-empty parking lots I saw near my room and he said that those are only for staff... THe first morning the valet brought me my car right away. The second morning, I waited 15 minutes before my car was brought to me! Slowest valet EVER. The third night, I found street parking right across the street from the hotel and read the sign stating that I could park there for free from 6pm - 9am. I just got ripped off for the last two days!! And why can't I park near my room if the lot is half-empty?!
The room I booked online was a "VIctorian". When I arrived, I found that the Victorian mansion portion of the hotel is up 5 floors via elevator and then 2-3 steep sets of outdoor stairs. I have really bad knees, so on the second day I requested another room, but the girl at the front desk refused to switch me to a lower level room unless I paid more as those rooms go for a higher rate. This is ridiculous! (Last week the Gables Inn offered to upgrade me at no additional cost TWICE! Stay there!)
The room I stayed in was the "Wicker Room". It is HEINOUS. Covered in green ivy and flower wall paper, seafoam green carpet, and all the furniture is made of old-ass wicker painted white. The ONLY thing I like about this place is that the bed is comfortable. The television is probably 22" and is stored in a dinky, fugly wicker cabinet. The windows are adorned with broken shutters rather than blinds. It takes about 5 minutes for the sink to produce WARM water. I wasn't patient enough to see how long it took to get hot. There are a refrigerator and coffee maker IN THE CLOSET. The closet is pretty big, but there is no light. How do you expect me to make coffee in a dark closet? The refrigerator is full of non-alcoholic beverages and is accompanied by an "honor bar" price list. As is customary, the prices are sky high.
The bathroom is just big enough to fit a toilet and a large shower/tub. Yes, the sink is in the bedroom, not the bathroom.
Additionally , every night I have arrived from work to find that the housekeepers have opened the shutters and left the lights on!! Great! Now everyone who walks by can see all of my belongings through the window.
Before my stay, I visited the Casa Madrona website to see that listed under "Amenities" is... wait for it... smoke alarms. hahaha. Are you kidding me? Since when are smoke alarms amenities? Thanks for the laugh, Casa Madrona.
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Why you should not support a badly run hotel, even if it has a great location.
What do you get when you combine a decently decorated hotel with a world-class location and lousy staff: an unfulfilling experience.
I grew up in Marin and the Casa Madrona is well known for being one of the swankiest hotels in Marin. After staying there this past December, I have no idea why. Here are three reasons why you should be really careful before staying at this place:
1. The staff seems not to care. We were the only ones at the check in desk at 9:00 p.m. There were three staff members in the lobby. Why, then, did it take us 20 minutes to get checked in? I'm not a formal guy, but there were two valets at the front door. Why did none of them open the door when they saw guests coming in or out? I encountered a few staff members in the hallways during our stay. None made eye contact. Hello? Am I a guest here?
2. The rooms are nice, but the attention to detail is lousy. We had a room directly across from Richardson Bay. The balcony was nice, but it was windy, and the clang-clang-clang of the improperly tied down American Flag outside went from "charmingly patriotic" to "please drill a hole in my head and put me out of my misery" annoying in a matter of minutes. The counter in the bathroom wasn't clean when we got there. The in-room coffee maker had no coffee with it. The alarm was set on the clock radio for 6 a.m. (fortunattely, I caught this before we went to sleep).
3. Their accounting system is a nightmare. Wow. I picture a nine-hundred year old man in the back room wearing a green visor, pouring over the books and scratching his head over these newfangled "credit card thingies." How else to explain the fact that we were registered under the wrong rate (confirmed in writing), double billed while we were there, and then billed AGAIN after the original mistakes were corrected. When we were double charged at the end of our stay, why did it take them hours to solve the problem?
(UPDATE: Still dealing with credit card problems with this hotel)
4th of July weekend at Casa Madrona was great! I have read a true mixed bag of reviews on the hotel and was a little apprehensive but wanted a quick family two night get away. We booked the non-view contemporary room with King Bed and we loved it! We took the elevator up to the 4th floor and walked down the hallway to a door that opened onto a new terrace...great light and outdoor couches...sweet. Our room was off of this terrace..#555...and when we opened the door we found a two story loft style room...nice!
Highlights:
*Good price on a non-view newer room
* Wonderful bathroom with DEEP soaking tub...my daughter felt like she was swimming in it
* Very comfy king bed...soft sheets
* Love the back terrace of the hotel
* Two story room...kinda fun
* Very nice lady at the reception desk and every housekeeper we ran across was very very pleasant and helpful
Lowlights:
* Carpets need a bit of a cleaning
* ...that's all I have!
So moral of the story is pick the right room...try to research a decently priced time of year or website...and enjoy!
I have a special place in my heart for Madrona because A. it was our first Valentine's day and B. it was my first spa experience. Otherwise it might be more of a 3-star deal.
Anyway, we had a nice room- but the best part was the balcony overlooking the bay. We had the most beautiful view! The room was clean and had a really nice and spacious bathroom with a full jacuzzi tub, which seems hard to come by these days. Lately it seems bathtubs in general are becoming obsolete.
The spa... that was awesome. Everything went smoothly. It was all very relaxing. Cucumber water, zen music, that whole thing. We got a couples massage, which was a lot of fun. We walked down this path into this tent with two tables and we each got massages side by side.
That night we ordered room service. The food was not bad. Though all I can remember is the delicious chocolate cake we had for dessert!
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This hotel is the worst hotel I have ever stayed at.
I reserved 4 rooms for 3 nights for our wedding in Sasulito. We spent several thousand dollars on this, and expected excellent service and time for us and our families who came from outside of country for our wedding. However, staying at this hotel was the worst choice and experience.
First, none of four rooms were ready on time, at 3:00pm... Since my familes came from outside of country with 10-hour flight just before
wedding day, I wanted them to have enough rest for big day. That's why I chose this "luxury" hotel. However, they did not even prepare for any rooms.
Five minutes later, they just got one room for us, and all 6 of us went to that room. But carpet had just been cleaned, and was not dried out yet and a chair was put on the bed!
So, we complained it to the front desk, and they gave us another room. And after that, we had to wait for other 3 rooms to be ready in a room with 6 people for over one hour! Of course, my family and relatives were exhausted..It was very frustrating and disappointing. The hotel failed at the very basic task of having the correct number of rooms ready and available at check-in time.
Second, the hotel manager came to us to apologize as we were starting our rehearsal dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. What bad timing!!! I don't know when it's ever acceptable to interrupt a customer's meal. The manager's offer of compensation was very disappointing considering the rates being charged and the lack of service to that point.
Third, our room was upgraded to "nicer room and view", however, the room was small and had an insect problem and mold in the shower. But, at that time, we already tired, so we just stayed
at the room..
Four, my parents room's shower did not work one night, but they did not try to fix asap. Since my parents can't speak English, they did not try to complain hard, and then hotel did not try to fix hard, too.. so, my parents could not use shower until next morning. What a poor service..
To the hotel's credit, they did compensate part of our stay -- but we had to argue with the general manager before he would even admit there was a problem, and even then the compensation was underwhelming. We had made a series of complaints, which should have been documented, and had to escalate to the general manager before they were addressed. By that time, the experience at the Casa Madrona Hotel had already been ruined.
With all these bad experience, we never ever stay at this hotel, and never ever recommend to anybody. The impression we left Casa Madrona with was clear: they do not care about their customers. The management of this hotel needs to take a serious look at the guest experience.
Fortunately, we did not have our wedding in this hotel, because we did not get back from them to our inquiry about hosting wedding!
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Casa Madrona is "ok". The room was VERY SMALL and not at all worth the price! Pictures on their website are misleading. We had a "harbor view" room. Our view was more of the street, a parking lot, and dumpsters with a little bit of water in the back ground. Barely any space in the room to enjoy it, with even less to do around us. A rate of $284 per night was a complete rip off for this place and would have been much better spent elsewhere.
My wife and I recently stayed in the "Artist's Loft" for 2 nights (Saturday and Sunday). The view is lovely.
Here are The Top 10 Reasons I'll Never Be Back:
10. All the watercolor paints that come with the "Artist's Loft" were dried out and useless. (Great idea; terrible execution.)
9. Ants in the bathroom. (It happens.)
8. Upon arrival on Saturday at 4pm, the stairs were being power-washed; it didn't stop until 5:30pm. (Am I wrong to want a nap?)
7. The guests next door decided to sit on the deck and make a ruckus at 2am. (It happens.)
6. The staff starts making noise before 8am. (Am I wrong to want to sleep in?)
5. Housekeeping didn't make up the room on Sunday, even though we had the sign on the doorknob for 6 hours. (Turndown service remembered the chocolates though.)
4. Dried toothpaste -- not mine! -- in the sink. (Gross!)
3. Ants in the bed. (And they bite.)
2. The manager was too busy to see us on Monday morning at check-out. (It happens.)
1. After we got home, we called and left a message for the manager -- and we've never heard back! (No excuse!)
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They used to be a 'Rockresorts' hotel but they were recently bought by someone else and are now under different management... The newer wing is pretty nice but do not, by any means, stay on the 'older half' of the resort. The rooms there are old, furniture and fixtures are pretty run down- and definitely not worth the $200/night you'll spend for that side of the hotel. It's in pretty huge need of repairs (the older wing) though the new wing is pretty nice with huge bathtubs and beautiful views from the veranda... It is a great place to be for the weekend if you're looking for a relaxing weekend in Sausalito- gateway to the wine country- service generally is OK and we didn't actually dine at Poggio so I can't speak for the restaurant, though we DID have amazing sushi at that Sushi place on Caledonia (that small road a few blocks away...) (I think it was called 'sushi ran' ..)
Their bathtubs are luxurious and soooo comfortable, in the newer wing... I could live in that bathroom!
Do not even bother staying in the old wing- it's cold, drafty, and really not worth it..
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Edit (May 15, 2007): Ok they refunded my room, after I totally freaked on them repeatedly. Word to the wise, I paid here with cash and someone, SOMEONE, pocketed the cash and then charged my card. Perhaps they were hoping I wouldn't notice? Long story, I'm glad they made it up to me for this, but I felt that I was being challenged on my story repeatedly and, well, someone that works the front desk here is less than honest. I hope they figure out who, and soon.
Edit (May 9, 2007): Guess WHAT?! If you want to be charged TWICE for your room and have a graceless and rude hotel accountant basically suggest that you are lying, STAY HERE!!!!!
Go ahead, I dare you.
Original Review: We popped in here last Friday night at 6 pm wondering if we could get a room! We were lead to a lovely courtyard room, newly remodeled for $199.00/night. They made us reservations for a 7 pm dinner at the restaurant Poggio downstairs, and we leisurely got ready and strolled over! Our room was lovely with a huge king size bed, soft sheets and was extremely clean.
Cons: the tub for two is lovely, but the water pressure is so low that it takes about 35 minutes to fill out, fine if you are staying in, but if you want a quick dip forget about it. Also, the in room fire place purported to light with a flip of a switch, didn't work, good thing it was hot as balls! And finally, no movie selections?! What if we wanted to watch the latest craptastic Cameron Diaz film or, heaven forbid, b-rated porn?! No pay-per-view movies! Gasp!
All in all a pleasant stay with complimentary staff, nice amenities and the loveliness that is Sausalito.
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Get a Modern room. During the week, this is a great deal, and a great way to see Marin and Sausalito. Huge room. Great Bed. Fireplace. Great street life.
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Nice but ordinary hotel with good service -- really great spa.
We were "upgraded" to a room with a view on the older side of the hotel. I agree that side needs upgrades, but it was quaint and we enjoyed the fireplace both nights. It certainly wasn't lousy, though it hadn't been updated in many years. However, we were upgraded out of the soaking tub that had caught my wife's eye in the first place. So it's hard to say whether we'd have been more pleased with the original room--we don't care about a great view because we weren't planning to sit around the hotel room a lot.
But we did enjoy it -- apart from the mildly racist comments from one of the women at the front desk. What was that about? Just mild stuff, but it happened both nights. Some comment about Chinese people one night, something about Indians another night. Apart from that unpleasant and out of context oddity, the service really was great, from the desk staff to the very helpful and cheerful young valet who pointed us toward excellent coffee at Cafe DeVino.
The spa was excellent--a very nice experience all 'round. We appreciated that there was a common sitting area after we'd showered and steamed ourselves silly, so we could sit together while awaiting our massages. Beautiful setting.
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Best hotel in Marin (my favorite hotel anywhere actually) - it'll set you back some serious cash though. Depending on which room you get, you can walk up quite a bit of stairs to get there. It has awesome views & it's extremely cozy. The presidential suite was like $350 a night or so... (prices range from about $150-$399 during most of the year excluding holidays etc. but the lower priced rooms won't have a view of the bay)
I've never stayed at a place like this - extremely unique. The rooms are so amazing you just have to check it out for yourself. Whoever you bring here will be simply blown away. This place is extremely romantic and has a B&B feel to it.
Great thing is that it's across the street from the ferry and it's downtown so within walking distance of many fine shops and restaurants.
This place has been around since the 19th century and is a Suasalito landmark. The older part of the hotel is Victorian style while the newer additions are more upscale contemporary.
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The hubby and I stayed in the top floor of the victorian suites and felt like absolute royalty! We had a fire and checked out the city with the in-room telescope, and were glad that the turn-down service was clever enough to lower the shades only on the window that gets light shining from Alcatraz.
They made my sister's engagement evening a wonderful event for her, also, by having a fire going, and candles and rose petals in their large room, upon their return from dinner.
Class act!
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They need a major overhaul of furnishings, but its partially for the view and the Sausalito Vibe that one escapes to the Artists Loft for.
Pricey, but enjoyed the breakfast, view and escape. Especially in the summer or warmer days of california sunshine.
Do not recommend the cottages. All rooms kind of have a pseudo-theme to its furnishings.
We had a very weird experience at this place. To start off with, the spa is not the kind of spa I'm used to going. The quiet kind with music in the background were they offer you tea and whisper as they talk. The spa is mediocare, can DEFINATELY use an upgrade. Amidst our massage, a lost non english speaking staff member knocked on the door and asked for directions? Um..ok. After dinner we went to the hotel bar Paggios to have a drink, where on the night of my birthday, this prick DENIED me a drink. Mind you, I'm no frat boy, a lady who drinks very much in moderation, worst part, I WASN'T even slightly tipsy! He was a bitter old man, completely out of line and a part owner of the resturant. Anyway, overall...not sure how I feel about this place. I'd look into other options.
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Great location. Nice hotel and amenities. I especially love the bathroom - large soaking tub with a separate shower area - very nice and chic. The bed is comfortable and the bay view from our room was simply amazing. A bit pricey though, so if you have the money to splurge, go for it!
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We stayed in the newer part of the hotel called a Courtyard King. It was a great room with a large tub and walk-in shower. The staff was over and above helpful and nice including everyone at the spa. We had such a wonderful experience there which led to a very special weekend. We will definitely go there again!
Very very nice rooms, but my big complaint was that the advertised wireless internet did not work! Very frustrating. I agree that Poggio restaurant is excellent.
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Actually surprised by the number of rather negative reviews of this hotel. I have stayed here on off many times over the last 25 years and have found it to be wonderful. Is it a 5 star hotel, probably not. Has service been bad at times, yes. However with the new "wing" and the addition of Poggio's restaurant this place is definitely worth a stay. I recommend it to friends who come to SF for a business meeting in the city. They take the ferry in to the meeting (across the street from the hotel) and take in the full SF experience. After a few days of this most don't want to leave! For most the new wing is what you want but I actually like the old original hotel and even the "cottages" which others have said not to go for. The "Artist Loft" is one of the fun older rooms for example. The Tunnel is one of my favorite cottages.
While Poggio's is very nice I miss the old restaurant which was farther up the hill with full views. The spa is small and only so so. Location is excellent for Sausalito.
part two of proposal weekend was a nite in sausalito at the casa madrona hotel and spa. this is a fabulous little boutique hotel, just make sure you stay in the newer section of the place. we stayed in a room with a bay view and it was beautiful and worth it. the decor was warm and inviting and very california chic. i was in love with the bed-- a four poster bed that was plush and comfy with crisp linens and down pillows. very hard to get out of in the morning.
the bathroom was spacious and featured a deep soaking tub for two. it sat below a little shuttered window which made it feel really separate from the main area.
the spa is also worth a visit. i had one of the best massages of my life there. this is the perfect place for a quick, romantic getaway.
This is a place where you take your significant other for a romantic place to stay. These rooms are very BIG and the bed is large a comfortable. The bathroom is also large with a nice tub that has screens that overlook the room. One of the best romantic places to stay in the Bay Area. I would recommend this place to others.
We booked online for a last romantic night on our way home from Napa. Casa Mondrona is split into two sections. The old and the new. We booked the old rooms with the view of the bay.. The price online for the the old and new room on the bay are the same. The room we were given smelled like urine, yes pee. It looked nothing like the picture online. We asked to change rooms and an attic room with no a/c no screens on the window was offered. We asked to change to the modern section. Here is where it gets sleazy!!!. We were told that the same room in the modern section was going to be $200 more. I have since looked online and have found no room that is $480 on a weekday. We eventually got a room on the courtyard in the new section. It was clean. But had no view.
We looked at the" Inn above the tide" which looked clean and lovely. If you have no choice but to stay at 'casa mondrona" my advise is to stay in the new section and print out your online reservation.
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the staff overall was great. But, they desparately need to update their cottages. My wife, daughter and I stayed in a cottage lost in the 70s and it both looked and smelled that way. The saving grace was the view but for $300+ per night i would have expected much more. the furniture looked like it was from a garage sale. the carpet was disgusting but the view was nice. If they put 3-5k in renovations in that cottage it would make a big difference. Oh yeah, there is a dumpster outside the cottage so the nightly visits from racoons was not fun!!!!!
I have to say, this is a 2-3 star hotel with 6 star prices.
I went to stay at the Casa Madrona on my 1 year anniversary with my wife. I booked an internet special that cost $429 for one night.
I have stayed at some really nice hotels. Not many of them cost as much as this hotel cost for one Saturday night. But for that price, I expect a top of the line hotel - unless i"m in friggin Manhattan. But I'm not.
So hear are my beefs:
-I called ahead the day before to find out the check in time. They tell me 3pm. I arrive on Saturday afternoon at 4pm. I have a 5:30 reservation for dinner with my wife. Im thinking, hey, an hour after check in time, they surely must be ready. After all, this is supposed to be such a great hotel. They weren't. They tried to ameliorate the situation by telling me what a great room it was - the Artist's room - and that it was worth waiting for. To hell it is! I paid $429 specifically for that nice of a room, on time. They acted like they were doing me a big favor.
-2 minutes after we arrived at our room, there's a knock on the door. Some dude with a suitcase. I open the door - he asks me if this is my bag. I tell him 'no". I am glad I didn't give them my bag to offer to strangers.
-The "old" side of the hotel looks like crap. It is quite rustic. Definiltey insist on the new wing if you are stupid enough to ignore my review.
-The layout of the room was annoying - there was no sink in the bathroom with the toilet. It wasn't even close. It was in the bed area. Actually kind of inconvenient. But that is the least of my beefs.
-On the wing we were in, there was a wedding going on, which was roudy and rambunctious throughout the night. Sound travels quite well in the hotel.
-There was an easel, paints, and paper in the room - it was the artist's cabin - i thought wow, that's kind of cool. Then I see the big sign that says that if you use the stuff, make sure you clean it all up. I understand, to an extent, that paintbrushes must be properly maintained - not left for paint to dry on them. But jeesh - at least offer to clean the stuff up if we call the desk or something. I just paid 400 for one night stay.
-The massages are definitely no where near as good as I have had. They are among the most expensive, tho. Not to say they are BAD - they are OK - but again, this is consistent with my theme that for the money, they should at least do as well as a holiday inn. They don't do service as well as a holiday in. They smile a lot and act goofy and attempt to "handle" you, but really, they are just trying to convince you that you're not getting screwed.
-I am used to hotels nickling and diming you. But I couldn't believe the $30 service fee FOR A MASSAGE. Are you f&cking kidding me? It IS a service. So your charging me a service fee for providing a service. I certainly didn't notice this on the price list. Then I had to add tip. My wife got a 90 minute reflexology massage, I got a 60 min massage and a 30 min reflexology. All together, it cost $430 with tip and fees. I sh&t you not.
-WIRELESS DOES NOT WORK F&cking AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SO MAD. I WAS COUNTING ON BEING ABLE TO MONITOR WORK E-MAIL, LIKE EVERY OTHER DAM* HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED AT IN MY DAM* LIFE!!! For $429 a night, you can certainly afford to install a signal amplifier or another $40 wireless router OR SOMETHING!!
-I'd say the valet was understaffed. There was one guy at checkout time on sunday morning, and he wasn't at the stand when I got there. Some other dude - not in uniform - was trying to be helpful, getting keys and stuff. However, this primarily made me concerned that he was just some random dude about ready to steal mine or someone elses car.
Based on pure service, if this place was $200, I'd probably give it three stars. But for $429 - and that's not even at full prices in peak season - I say stay just about anywhere else, it's better value for the money.
Stay at Le Meridan in downtown san fran. It doesn't have a spa, but its sh*tloads nicer, and simialrly priced. Service is far better as well.
These people suck.
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Avoid this hotel. If I could give it ZERO STARS, I would.
I booked my room on the website. When I plugged the dates of my stay into the calendar, I was quoted one price. When I hit the confirmation button to confirm my stay (which also indicates that the deposit is nonrefundable after hitting the confirmation button), I was charged another HIGHER price. When I complained to management, the only response was, "Yes, we are aware of the problems with our website." as if the hotel has no liability for the content of its site and no obligation to its patrons for providing correct quotes.
When I arrived at the hotel, well after 3pm on the first day of my stay, my room was not ready. In fact, three other couples were waiting for rooms in the cramped lobby area. The attendant at the front desk said to me, "How important is it to you that you have a balcony?" I said, "not terribly important, why?" She said she had another room that was ready and that the only difference was that it didn't have a balcony. I told her I'd take the room. When I got to the room, it was up 7 flights of stairs, NOT air conditioned and NOT the same size as the room I'd booked. I immediately returned to the attendant. Before I even opened my mouth to complain, she told me that they would adjust the rate so that I wouldn't have to pay as much as for the room I'd originally booked. I had to insist that she physically turn on her computer and adjust the rate (she only attempted to make a tiny note on my receipt). ALL of the attendants at the front desk -- and there were three at the desk on the day I arrived -- were incredibly rude to me (and to other patrons, I noticed) from the moment I arrived. Unbelievable.
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Book you in-laws here - out of sight and out of mind. This was once a mansion that was converted to a hotel in downtown Sausalito. If you have out of town guests, particularly the in laws, this is a cozy place for them to relax with out being mobbed by the city's pan handlers. They can walk down Bridgeway and walk about the various shops and galleries. The restaurant, Poggio (down stairs), is very good.
