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National Hotel
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Restaurants Hotels, Restaurants [Edit]
211 Broad StNevada City, CA 95959
(530) 265-4551
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for National Hotel
Review Highlights
"The lobby and second-floor veranda are wonderful places to..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Karaoke is offered on Friday and Saturday nights."
(in 4 reviews)
"Daneen, the bartender, hooked a sister and a brother UP."
(in 5 reviews)
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Insensitive M.
Emeryville, CA
9/25/2011 11 photos
This is a review of the HOTEL and the BAR (but not the restaurant)
We stayed at the Washington Hotel recently. You ever been there? It's in the tiny little town of Washington, CA. Great place. Hotel is above the bar/cafe. Shared bathrooms (that's right.. you share a bathroom and 2 showers with a TON of other guests. The room we stayed in was tiny. Like walk in, step 2 feet, and BAM! There's the bed. And that's the room.
Everything is OLD OLD OLD and the room is tiny and hot. When you walk down the hall in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, you can hear the snoring and 'sleep breathing' of everyone else, because the walls are thin and there is no glass in the 'window' above the hotel room doors.
Oh yeah, and it's LOUD. Because it's above a bar.
And it's DIRTY. FILTHY.
ANYWAY.... the Yelp reviews for the Washington Hotel? GREAT.
Ever been to the Burlington Hotel in Port Costa? Rooms are old and moldy.. another shared bathroom situation, and even though the place is across the road from (instead of above) the Warehouse Bar.. the place is LOUD.. because people go to the bar, drink, and then keep partying at the Burlington Hotel. The place is filthy.. stained wallpaper.. moldy smelling rooms.. .. but once again.. most of the yelp reviews are GREAT.
Blah blah blah blah blah.. what's the point to this story?
THE NATIONAL IS NICER. Bathrooms (and showers) IN YOUR ROOM (well if you have a bigger room). You could even end up with A/C! Our room was a decent size. We even had a fake fireplace. The windows all opened, I love the veranda with tons of seating (and hey, you could even BYOB). The bartenders were friendly and helpful when we asked about swimming holes in the area... and there's a (small) pool out back.
This is not a chain hotel. This is not a bed and breakfast. This is a historic OLD ASS gold country hotel. It is EXACTLY what I expected (but was nicer than the other two that I mentioned). The employees were friendly and helpful.
But yes. Everything is old. It's not super clean. And it's above a BAR.. so it can get LOUD and stay loud fairly late.
I would stay here again, because I love the old weird hotels like this that California has to offer. I think the reviews would be much better if it wasn't on such a touristy strip of town.
And really? People complain about the TV in their room? The other 2 hotels I mentioned; NO TVs (and zero internet at the Washington). Sorry.. but sometimes you get stuck having to talk to the people you're with.
Anyway: If you like old dirty hotels with plenty of history and character, come check it out.
But if you hate this place, word of advice: steer clear of the Washington or Burlington hotels. You would HATE THEM.
(But like the other two locations mentioned.. I love the Clamper plaques everywhere ECV!) -
Review from Scott C.
Gilroy, CA
11/15/2011
"The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be"......
Over the years the National Hotel has just seemed to have run out of steam. But it sure could use a deep steam cleaning. Maid service would also had been nice but the front desk did offer to have clean towels availalbe that we could stop by and pick up.
It really is sad that it has just about become a flop house again. If you like Occupy protesters crashing out in some of the rooms and outside then this place is for you.
Maybe someday someone will restore it and the service to the grand old days.
Until then you might want to pass on staying here. -
Review from Joanne C.
Morgan Hill, CA
11/13/2011
My husband and I wanted to get away for a short weekend trip and were heading to Nevada City. We thought it would be fun to stay here just for the experience.
The exterior of the hotel is cool -- you can kind of imagine the town during the Gold Rush era. That was the extent of the good -- our room was a decent size, but very worn out and outdated. It had a few "modern" conveniences like a shower stall but the rest left a lot to be desired. They seriously need to give the place a deep cleaning! I realize that times are tough but the place seriously needs an update.
It was very noisy between 2-3 am when all the bars closed. Super obnoxious! Save your money and stay at one of the local B&Bs. -
Review from Jay M.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
Never stay at the National. It fails as both a historic hotel and a regular hotel.
It failed as a historic hotel by having a tub and sink like something a cheap landlord installed after something broke. Nothing in the bathroom was historic, unless 1970 was historic. Visualize a shower lined with big, yellow tiles.
When I took a shower, the steam set off the smoke detector. There wasn't even a note about it on the door saying, "Please close the bathroom door when showering."
The tub had a crust of old soap and other people's dirt on it that looked years old. Basic housekeeping was totally lacking. The bed linens were dusty.
The National is probably kept in business by unsuspecting fools like me who want to stay someplace that Mark Twain stayed. But if Mark Twain had stayed in my room, he would post the following review on Yelp:
"My spirits were low. I thought they were the lowest thing on Earth, until I lay on my bed at the National Hotel. The bed sagged lower."
If you're visiting Nevada City for the history, then look around the lobby (on the second floor). All the historic stuff is in the lobby. In my room, there wasn't a single old photograph hanging on the wall, or even a copy of an old photograph.
Give the lobby 15 minutes, but don't give the hotel your money. -
Review from Julie C.
Oakland, CA
9/2/2011
I think I'm rating the overall experience here, which forces me to average things out. I was here for a wedding, which made it a really fun time. The reception was in the restaurant, we partied the night before in the bar (which by itself I'd give 4 or 5 stars), and hell, the fact that this is an old-timey hotel with old-timey stuff in it is charming.
Knowing what I know, would I stay here of my own accord, on a romantic vacation or any other time I wanted to have a nice, dreamy sleep, a hot shower, and feel comfy and pampered? Hell no.
The room wasn't all that dirty, but wasn't all that clean, either. I didn't want to walk barefoot on the old, shag carpeting. The bathroom was pretty gross - I snapped shots of the rusty, barely functioning sink to send to my friend, who freaked out. And in the morning the shower had NO hot water. I complained to the front desk, but there wasn't much I could do. All I could think about was the bride possibly not having hot water, and the breakdown I'd have if I were her. I did go back and get some hot water after a while. Of course the towels were tiny and stiff.
Oh, and the staff were actually pretty friendly, unlike what I read in some of the reviews here.
I guess I was cool with everything because it was such a great weekend in cute-ass Gold Country. -
Review from J K.
Philadelphia, PA
7/21/2011
*bar only review*
This place is bomb. Bloody mary's are amazing. Dance parties at night are even better. Drinks too a bit too long to get but whatever, still a good ol time. -
Review from Sally L.
Auburn, CA
12/8/2011
This is a review of Hoover restaurant in the National Hotel: If you have two or three hours to waste, and if you like frozen sourdough bread that is partially microwaved, an if you like tomato-basil soup that tastes like it was reheated DelMonte chopped tomotoes from a can, and if you like cold chicken atop linguini with no sauce, then this IS the place for you! We sat down at 5:20pm, and ordered the soup and a stuffed potabella mushroom entree. The server came back and said that they were out of the mushrooms, so we ordered the linguini chicken. Over ONE HOUR later we were served cold chicken sitting on tasteless pasta with some semi-warm veggies throw in. No sauce, no garlic or herb flavoring, just cold food. For the hour that we waited, they fed us fluffy white sourdough bread, and when we stated that some of it was actually frozen in the middle, they brought us fluffy white dinner rolls. WooHoo! This place needs to get a REAL chef, or at the very least, have the cooks tune into Rachel Ray daily to learn how to cook. PLEASE don't waste you hard earned dollars at this place! - Sally, Auburn, CA
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Review from natalie l.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2011
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
While I can very much appreciate antiques and history, this place is disguisting!!! Disguisting! I knew when we booked the room it was not going to be super clean or have a brand new bed with a ploofy comforter. I mean, this hotel has been around since the late 1800s. Yes, I knew we would see a lot of character and mixed antiques that might be a bit dusty. I knew it was old as dirt! BUT, it was gross, smelly, old, lifeless, ignored, stained, moldy, uneven, expensive, hot, loud, uncomfortable..truly just a piece of shit!
It's summer; it's hot! They old ass window air conditioner never cooled the place off. The bar across the street offered loud drunks easily heard till past 2 am through the old rickety windows. The wallpaper was stained and hideous. As you walk up the stairs you are greeted by a huge stains and water damage leading from the ceiling to the wall -- that's your introduction to this place!
The "coffee bar" (it's a coffee pot on a warmer) in the lobby is sad and moldy. There was actually mold in the styrofoam ice chests behind the bar. I know this because there was so much crud it was visible when walking up the stairs and peering down.
The mattress was unbelievably bad. The sheets were mixed-matched and paper thin, thinner than paper thin. The carpet was stained -- the carpet in the bathroom was dusty, it actually had piles of dust on it.
I ignored the bad reviews and i'm SO SORRY I did. I thought it would be comparable to a small town B & B and it would be a old and a little dirty. I cannot believe they can charge people to stay here. It gives the town a bad name! -
Review from Anthony G.
Columbia, SC
12/6/2010
---Bar review only-----
This place was a ton of fun. We came here after dinner and it was packed but still enough room to be comfortable. The bartender and waitress were pushing 70 years old but were on top of everything and my drinks were strong! A great mix between locals and visitors all there to have a good time. Good for all drinking ages 21-100!!!! -
Review from Marianne A.
Alameda, CA
1/3/2011
+++ Bar Only ++++
When we first walked in, we were struck by the overwhelming sense that we had stepped into some sort of strange place where line dancers and bingo players go to die, or perhaps you may find the living personification of Barry Manilow's Lola perched at a dark corner of the bar. But the cold weather outside and the easy charm of Robert the bartender quickly warmed our hearts. It was Karaoke night and it was a BALL. It never got too crowded and everyone enjoyed the silly community of revelry. From Rusty, the red headed chanteuse who led the charge on microphone and the dance floor to the Hank Williams look alike with the ten gallon hat who swooned the sweet grandma bartender... this place was a joy to spend an evening. We will definitely make a point to visit again if we are ever in the area. -
Review from Sean S.
Reno, NV
3/4/2011
This was, by far, the worst hotel experience i've ever had... in my entire life.
* Terrible, dirty, old, rotten bed - Gross sheets, rickety bed... completely hideous.
* The rudest staff on earth - By far the most unforgivably rude people work here...
To top it all off, I got a call at 830 am saying I need to let repair people in to fix a broken pipe. I asked them if I get a discount on my room since I was still sleeping, the guy laughed and said "NO WAY"... I told him "then they can't come in" they continued to call and call, but refused to offer any kind of compensation. To clarify, I was looking to be compensated for: being woken up 3 hrs early, no hot water, and the invasion of my privacy... not to mention the exorbitant price I paid for the tiny old, dirty, room.
I had read the bad reviews and thought it would be different for me... Don't make the same mistake I did, look elsewhere, this place is a complete nightmare!!! -
Review from Mortimer S.
San Francisco, CA
7/9/2011
My spouse and I had a wonderful stay in this gorgeous hotel. From the many hyperbolic, negative reviews, I can only assume that those reviewers don't travel often. I travel 52 weeks per year and simply can't stand another chain hotel or den of conformity. National Hotel is unique, beautiful, and full of intrigue. The bathrooms and beds are clean and cozy; perhaps the WiFi could be strengthened, however. The lobby and second-floor veranda are wonderful places to hang out, especially at night. The staff are as friendly as they come.
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Review from Sierra S.
Nevada City, CA
9/8/2006
Walking up the staircase to the second floor reception desk and parlor is like traveling in time back to the 19th century. Unfortunately, that is the last time the rooms were upgraded, I think. I used to stay here from time to time, and the place was always under construction, but nothing ever seemed to get fixed up. "Shabby" is the word that comes to mind. If you want to experience history (I do, or I would never have stayed here), then stay here one night.
NEWS FLASH: the owner has announced he will put this hotel up for sale, after 27 years of benign neglect. The price will be in the millions, I fear.
NEWER NEWS FLASH: A drug dealer recently set up shop in the hotel. When the police arrived with a search warrant, he shot himself. The hotel owner announced that he was going to tighten up the standards for hotel guests. -
Review from Rae'esah N.
Antioch, CA
6/16/2008
Had we not stopped here on our way out of town I'd have given five stars.
We stopped here on Thursday for cocktails on our way to Camptonville to go camping.
Daneen, the bartender, hooked a sister and a brother UP. I love a one drink buzz. I even was trying to tell Daneen a story before I left but told her that I had to stop talking because I was embarrassed my words were slurring. We promised to stop by on our way out of Camptonville for more drinks.
We stop on Father's Day for highway 49 libations but Daneen was working a brunch event upstairs. Sucks to be us.
A very tall, very old, slightly sarcastic limping guy was bartending. I think he was miffed that I asked for Daneen.
Anyhow, we had a couple appetizers ( i could have made in my oven out of the box ) and two rounds. No where near the potency of Daneen's pour.
I would give them three stars but he was honest about their crab cakes being "shitty".
The decor is really nice and the hotel itself has a "naughty" past. That peaks my interest. Also, they display the worlds biggest cocktail shaker collection. That is cooler than thimbles so an extra star for that! -
Review from Kelly G.
Sacramento, CA
5/18/2010 5 photos
This is a review of the hotel, we did eat at the restaurant and had fun in the bar as well. We loved this hotel!! I was reading reviews on trip- advisor and people are nuts!! We had a suite for $125/night for this we got to stay in a room built in the late 1800's that had a front parlor with french doors leading to the veranda overlooking the entire town, our room had two fireplaces and another balcony in the bedroom with stained glass french doors.
Many of the reviews complained about the price..their rooms for a standard is $81 and $125 for the suites. Other hotels/B & B's in the area start at $249!!!
We will be making trips back to Nev. City JUST to stay here again!!!
I suggest those reviewers stay at a Holiday Inn!!! -
Review from Sandy T.
10/9/2007
I am rating the BAR and the BRUNCH only. I have not stayed at the actual hotel.
Bar/ Saloon - Once you get past the rancid smell in the bar entry way, you will find a delicious range of martinis and drinks. My fave? The Golden Ingot. I can't remember what exactly was in it, but I ended up drinking 3! They also have great bar food like sliders and some ridiculously evil onion rings that were scrumptious.
Brunch - My friend had her after wedding brunch here and overall it was pretty good. The waitress seemed a little confused by the request for mimosas but the eggs benedict and yummy apple cinnamon muffin made up for that. I honestly don't really know what the full menu prices were like because we had a pre-arranged brunch but I do know I left full, satisfied and had lots of champagne, I heard the final bill with tip and tax was about $20 per person. -
Review from Adrienne S.
Nevada City, CA
12/14/2006
Please correct:
This review is for The National Hotel Bar and Saloon not the hotel itself. I am rating this very old hotel by the feel and taste and service of its bar, I will have you know, not its sleepover worthiness. I think it would be a fun place to stay over, but provided my home is minutes away, I prefer my own personal chalet.
The bar at The National Hotel is absolutely classically vintage. And I don't mean the 1960s, ....... I mean the 1860s. There is no better place to stop in and have a homemade whiskey sour next to a Civil War re-enactor, if you know what I mean. The velvety red wallpaper dimly lit only by kerosene chandeliers makes for quite a haunted martini. I highly recommend visiting this one of a kind place on a weekday night and NOT a Friday or Saturday unless you have an itching to dance to jam bands with an older crowd, which is fine too. The classic moments however, are shared with the bar's finest asset, Al, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Al comes from L.A. He has got lots of stories, and he can make any lonely night a little more lively. Plus he has a rather timeless look. It could be any decade with Al there. He is a very smart gent, and fiery, I must say; a classic character for a classic old tyme place.
I first came to the National Hotel in Nevada City on my 21st birthday. I had never been to the little city before, and I had no idea I would be a resident later. The National Hotel absolutely haunted my soul. It possesses the perfect amount of eeriness to fall in love to. And that's exactly what I've done, plus I've gone AND gotten married. Oh, the charm.
P.S. Try to see a music show on a weeknight if you ever hear of one here. They are of a whole different atmosphere than the house band nights, and they are bewitching.Listed in: Old Gold Mining Town BIisses
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Review from Frederic B.
San Francisco, CA
9/5/2006
An "antique" hotel where you feel like time stopped a while back. A long while back. They have a nice deck on the first floor overlooking main street (aka Broad Street). When we trolled into the bar downstairs and asked the barman Robert if we could get drinks upstairs, he looked at us like we were crazy and mumbled something like "why? but sure, you get your drinks down here, pay for them here, and then walk up the stairs". Ok, straight forward enough.
We did not stay at the hotel, so I can comment on that per se. But a great deck to get drinks on a sunny day. -
Review from Rick J.
San Jose, CA
1/20/2009
Had brunch, it was good. Nothing exceptional.
Service was excellent and the hotel atmosphere was great.
All and all a good experience, but nothing too memorable -
Review from Weide Z.
San Jose, CA
4/25/2010
This is a karaoke (and bar) review. I kinda like the ambience of the National Hotel bar. Karaoke is offered on Friday and Saturday nights. I wandered in there after a niece's wedding Saturday night. The crowd is not large.. But they are friendly.. They encourage everybody, will jump up and dance for the right songs.. and go out of their way to say Hi to new faces..
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Review from Amy R.
Barstow, CA
7/8/2007
Ah man, I love this place. Nothing much has changed about it since the mid to late 1800's....in a good way. I love the creeky, crooked stairs, I love the musty atmosphere, I love that I can feel the ghosts.
Stay there. -
Review from Anthony W.
Los Altos, CA
Updated - 11/30/2009
We visited the restaurant and bar for the Thanksgiving weekend. The turkey dinner was excellent (they had several other meals that we did not select.) The service was pleasant and efficient.
The bar was another matter. Previously, we had visited the bar on Friday and Saturday for dancing to a band. The band was gone but they had karaoke. Generally the singing was mediocre and the patrons so loud the it was difficult to hear the singers. The DJ is leaving for another job so the future of the bar entertainment is not clear at this point.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/10/2008
This review is for the restaurant and the bar only.
We found the restaurant food and service to be… Read more »
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Review from cortez l.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2008
the following review is for the hotel only. it's such a bummer when the owner of a historic business with such great modern day potential, in such an amazing small town just doesn't care anymore. the man that owns this place doesn't pay mind to customer service, cleanliness or...brace yourself : DIRTY PANTIES IN THE BED. (http://flickr.com/phot...)
yes, we pulled down the sheets after a late night at cooper's and found dirty panties made into the bed in the room we had checked into five hours previous (see pictures). you know this essentially means that housekeeping did not change the sheets.
my friend goes downstairs to the front desk. tells the man working what we found, and...he gives us a set of new sheets to change the bed ourselves with. ouch. granted, it's 230am and grandpa is manning the phones...we aren't going to make grandpa change sex sheets.
we set the dirty sheets in the hall. stained LARGE flowery panties resting on top, which were still in the hall, visible to any guest walking by, when we left eight hours later. ew, yes, we stayed there! i know, i what the fuck was wrong with us? i dunno. we were drunk. blame it on the high elevation maybe? i used to live at 24th & bartlett, i can handle anything i suppose. excuses...
so...the morning comes, after a tortured night of 'sleep'. we want our $62 room comped. too much to ask? you bet it is! the owner isn't around until noon, so we have to go back after breakfast. he had been told what happened and kind of just...didn't care. he said something along the lines of 'it's not like your special weekend was ruined, you didn't even have a reservation'. um, excuse me? he's going to blame US on fucking DIRTY PANTIES in our bed? after haggling for a little bit, he finally agreed to refund HALF of the room rate. UNREAL.
no, we did not have reservations. yes, we got one of the last couple rooms available. but this is absolutely no excuse for non-existent housekeeping and the unsanitary conditions we experienced. i heard from a local that this place is up for sale, and until it's under new ownership, BEWARE! -
Review from charles s.
Nevada City, CA
2/8/2011
10/16/2010
The most disgusting and horrible hotel I have ever stayed at in fifty years of living. REVOLTING and a rip-off. I used to live in Nevada City and returned recently on a business trip, in Sept-Oct of 2010. I first stayed at the magnificent Outside/Inn (GO THERE - it is perfection) but I had to find another hotel after a week in town. Despite locals warnings I checked into the National Hotel in Nevada City. The desk clerk who works often at the check-in was a truly nasty woman, who shall remain nameless. I like people. Even cranky, icky people. BUT..She runs the place like a prison. Like a corrupted queen in a small town Hell. After a sleepless night with paper-thin walls - sounds of drunkards having sex, fighting and vomiting all night plus freezing temps - - I told her I HAD to check out...and not spend a 2nd night there. I told her I had no shampoo. "Oh, you dirty? You want shampoo. here's yer shampoo." she said as she slammed a filthy bottle on the counter. I told her I almost froze to death. The room had no heat and no AC even though it advertised otherwise. She gave me a rancid tiny space heater. "This'll make ya reeeeeal cozy, " she sneared. In the room I looked for another sheet. The closet contained a ragged cheap bed-cover caked with someone's blood. Yes, blood. Classy Place, huh? Same desk-woman gossiped and talked badly of her co-workers loudly in the lobby on the phone during her down time, punctuating her white-trash babble with "bless yore heart." Trying to get a young male co-worker fired. No internet service....a total Hell Hole on earth. YUUGGHHH! They refused to refund me my money and despite this I checked into the Northern Queen - a simply fantastic and quaint hotel nearby run by owners with taste and class. They pitied me and gave me a GREAT special rate. The National kept the $$ for that night - but i I was happy to lose it - I'd never go there again. I was happy to have wound up somehwre safe and clean and quiet and cozy. The Northern Queen she was, thank God!
If and when the Health Inspectors come and inspect the National Hotel I pray for all those who would even dream of staying in this flea, rat and bedbug haven that it be closed forever. It may have been charming in Gold Rush days but the owners have basically taken a huge dump on what was once an enchanted jewel of the Sierras. NEVER EVER STAY HERE!!!!! The bar downstairs may be picaresque - the local pseudo-small-town "hipsters" go there but - again - the elderly bartender is a bitter, nasty blighter who makes you feel immediately unwelcome, rushed and like an outsider. A one star rating is a hundred too many for this sewer with beds. -
Review from foxy g.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2010 1 photo
I dont normally enjoy putting people down. But, to be honest, this place can really make some improvements.
My boyfriend really like its antiquity, so we had dinner here for his birthday.
There was plenty of empty tables, yet our young waitress said it was a very busy night, and 3 main entrees were sold out.
We both ended up ordering NY steaks, medium-well.
It took quite a while for the food to come out, so was the bread. It was finally served "fresh out of the oven".
My steak was ok. Looks right. But my boyfriend complained that his was totally well-done. I was skeptical. On his second complaint, we swapped. And it did turned out that his was very well done. It was hard and tasteless.
The yound lady was -- well, cute and nice. But, she was either not there or talked a bit much when around.
And there was another old lady busy busing instead of helping out with waiting. Curious.
But this sort of make up for it: I did enioyed the musician who played piano and accordion. He came close to the table and played songs requested. He was very friendly and sweet. Some songs were quite romantic. I really appreciate this nice old musician. My boyfriend loved his playing accordion. I also loved the ambiance of this historical hotel/restaurant, and the gas lanterns.
Well, there is problem with the management, for sure. The owner need to come out and see and do some serious fixes. It is not working well. -
Review from Bob M.
Menlo Park, CA
Updated - 9/29/2008
HEED THE WARNINGS - THIS PLACE IS A DUMP!!!
My wife and I stayed at the National Hotel this weekend. To sum it up it was a disaster. I don't think this place has seen a vacuum since the Donner family discovered cannibalism. When we opened the door to our room, the smell was like a punch in the face - the kind of dank smell that can only remind you of a dead body. The bar (directly beneath our room) had a band playing until 1:30 AM. The music was so loud that I couldn't fall asleep until they were done playing. I got an awful night of sleep. My most important bike race of the year was the following day in Downieville and my performance was awful. I would consider sleeping in my car on the side of the road before I would stay in a dump like this again. What is the purpose of a hotel if you can't get a good nights rest?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/13/2008
HEED THE WARNINGS - THIS PLACE IS A DUMP!!!
My wife and I stayed at the National Hotel this weekend.… Read more »
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Review from Michael H.
Alameda, CA
7/24/2007
This place was a real adventure. The good is that it is very centrally located, our room had air conditioning (one of those $60 window units) and it has "character." There is a wonderful veranda from which you can look down on the main street. The lobby looks like it was meant to look old fashioned back in the 1970's: you know they have the place all decked out with really old stuff, but they have a punch time card (does anybody still use these, I guess so!) and phones and stuff like I remember from my childhood.
On the down side, parts of it were pretty dirty. Fortunately the sheets were clean. Not that I care too much but the TV connection was filled with static. The advertized pool was filthy, aledgedly because of a party the previous night. We had a good time hanging out on the veranda, but some B-rad impersonator (from Malibu's Most Wanted) kept yelling at somebody in front of the saloon across the street.
And Nevada city is a really interesting place. It has lots of culture, restaurants, nice architecture and an aesthetic you would expect to find in much bigger cities. In some ways architecturally it reminded me of New Orleans with the brick facadres, steel shutters and ironwork balconies. Unfortunately it shares its culture with a handful of toothless harly rider meth addicts who like to stand around and talk about how loud they can make their motorcycles (reminding me of a town I once lived in :-(.)
As one of the other reviewers put it, try it once for the experience. I say the next night go find a nice clean place where you can take a long shower. -
Review from Bri M.
Crockett, CA
12/20/2009
We went for a late lunch because this is a place we went with our grandma back a couple of decades or so ago. Still classic looking and that's where it ends.
We waited for a table (many available-not a good sign). We were told by the hostess that they were still using the brunch menu (4:00PM?? Please) and that many people were leaving when they told them that. We should have.
The waiter seemingly had a cold. Why he was waiting tables with a flu pandemic in full stride? Why we stayed is even more of a mystery. We were stuck so here it goes. Brunch was omelets, eggs benedict and the standard breakfast fare (again this is 4:00 in the afternoon). We had a party of six (4 adults 2 young adults. 5 out of six opted for the Prime Rib French Dip sandwiches, one went for Eggs Benedict with sauce on the side.
We had asked what kind of complimentary champagne was being served and the only answer we could get out of this waiter was Brut. For some reason we all got orange juice and the Adults got Champagne (even after we opted to skip these and ordered drinks. FYI the "Brut" mystery sparkler was terrible!!! One sip from each and the glasses sat.
Now how to ruin a "Prime Rib" French Dip. Dry out the meat, soggy up the bun and deliver it with cold limp fries. Oh and although 2 of us shared a sandwich and the waiter did bring us an extra plate that didn't help the mediocrity we shared. We ordered extra fries which were forgotten. The silver lining was when the waiter remembered he said the kitchen had to cook up a fresh batch.
Everyone at the table was hoping for a Christmas Miracle that we would be able to share a hot, fresh, crispy order of shoe string fries. Our Christmas miracle never happened. The fries he had the gall to bring out were half cold, half tepid. I questioned our waiter on how that could be possible and he said the kitchen staff may have hid them from him, as he reported that he diligently brings out orders as soon as they come up.
We gave him that "what are you talking about" look and assumed this charge would be removed from the bill Not so without demanding it. He finally acquiesced.
There were so many restaurants in a exceptionally beautiful town. We should have tried one. When you are in Nevada City next trip, skip the National Hotel for food. We did not stay that so no review on the accommodations. -
Review from blair k.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2008
the bar is great and empty, the hotel is old and with a lil bit of flavor but the service... ohmygawd!!! terrible!! i reserved a room here for my wedding night...called off the wedding and they would not send me my deposit back... i cancelled these reservations 2 months in advance, talked to soo many different people, nobody would call me back!! shady business people!!! finally my mom had to step in and help with the calls and threats.. i got a check a year later!!!!!! do yourself a favor and go to another hotel!! i went into grassvalley and the Holbrooke was a lot nicer and had people who were professional working there.
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Review from hatchador v.
Nevada City, CA
Updated - 7/12/2009
returned to the National to meet some friends and see if their week-end entertainment had improved. Indeed, they had a great karaoke show going on, with a fellow named Doug who really got the crowd involved and who can sing beautifully. The bartender and waitress were very friendly. Unfortunately I gather the karaoke is a hit and miss affair and that he doesn't perform there on a regular basis, too bad!
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10/26/2008
Our last visit to the bar was a complete disaster! Some old guy, who's probably been there since… Read more »
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