O'ANNE AND O'DAVE HOTEL RATINGS

How we rate restaurants and hotels:		General total score :
We walk in with zero points and an open mind. If an aspect is not remarkable, it gets zero points. If any aspect is remarkable, it gets one point, either way. Add up the points. Simple.		- = we will not return 0 = We won't return unless we are desperate 1 = We will return if in the area 2 = We will go out of our way to return 3 = We plan entire trips to return

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Baechtel Creek Inn
101 Gregory Lane, Willits, CA 95490 / 707.459.9063 - website

* The best place to stay in Willits, bar none. A tad pricey for the area but you get what you pay for. The rooms are spacious and gracious, amenities plentiful. The staff is like family. There is a small swimming pool and a hot tub with massages available. It doesn't get any better in the backwoods of California, the rooms are closer to our 'perfect room' than any other, any where.

It is hard to stay with only three points because of the room furnishings, a table and two chairs, desk and chair, and a bench for your luggage, two nightstands and two side lamps. Microwave, refrigerator, large bathroom counter outside the tub and toilet area, hair dryer, ceramic coffee cups, thin but plentiful towels. The bed is a king (negative point) and the duvet cover has no closure so you spend all night not knowing what piece of fabric to pull up around your shoulders. Please take note; this is the ONLY negative issue, but David needs to bring his own pillow next trip. The shower is like a waterfall, heavy and hot. Plus, plus, plus. Oh, no closed caption on the tv was a small minus.

Best Western Inn
777 South Main St (Hwy 101), Willits, CA 95490 / 707.459.5800
* We had stopped by to peek at the hotel last time we were in Willits. Baechtel Inn is absolutely lovely but if we had to stay a week, it gets a bit pricey. Best Western appears to be a good solid choice, and a third less at $89 before tax, licence and drive out fees.

Good points: Room is a good size, frig, micro, hair dryer, standard super amenities, furnishings are nice, very clean room, modern light switches, wide bathroom counter in the room (I am liking this more and more as I can be fussing while David is showering) The room is on the same level as the parking and I believe there is a hot tub across the parking lot!

Bad points: There are not two end tables for each of the beds, and only an upside down garbage can would fit between the wall and the bed. This bothers me more than it bothers David, thank goodness the problem was on his side. The bathroom door sticks out into the hallway, a tad awkward. Remember, I am picky. Getting in and out of the hotel can be a challenge. The driveway is steep, I could not walk it if I needed to, and turning left onto Highway 101 can be a problem at times.

Blue Spruce Motel and Townhouses
710 State Road (Route 3A), Plymouth, MA 02360 / 800.370.7080 - website
* The motel is actually in Manomet, just 6 minutes south of downtown Plymouth. This was a good stay and caused me to take a look at exactly what makes a good room. There are two story townhouses, and two wings full of rooms that remind you of a motel from the fifties, not a bad thing. Tom, the owner, waited up for us through 5:00 Province traffic delays, bless his heart, and knew exactly who we were, greeting us by first names, and went out of his way for whatever we needed. The room is large and roomy, comfy, two extra long beds, and hard enough for those spoiled by tempurpedic beds. The bathroom could have used some counter space, but the shower was heavenly. Hot water was instant, water pressure was glorious. Only one night stand stood between the two beds, but two chairs and a table were very handy. Extra blankets would have been nice, but all in all it all we needed. We were there five nights, and would return if we are in the area.

Bodega Harbor Inn
1345 Bodega Ave, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 - 707.875.3594 - website
* I thought this had some less than wonderful reviews so we were skeptical at first, but once we got there, it was like driving into a separate little community. The side street to access the place is off the windy, slender road through town and on a curve, so it is easy to miss. Hotels are generally either upscale and classy (modern, fancy and expensive), a workingman's place (bascially cheap, no extras yet functionable), chains (moderately priced, perfectly acceptable, reliable) or cottagy, quaint, cute, lovely, delightful, independent places just like Bodega Harbor Inn. The rooms and houses are decorated so sweetly, perfectly and in my favorite mellow colours, lol! They are clean, perhaps a bit tight in some cases, every extra has been thought of, (a clock is needed in the single house with the hot tub) there are two bed side tables (a big thing for us, we both read, and rare to find) extra tables and chairs, just as homey as you can make it away from home.

You almost don't want to rate it for fear it will become so popular you can't get a room!! Totally awesome experience, and thanks to the ladies, Nickey and Lisa. I don't think it would be the same without them. We would make a point of returning to the area to stay here!

Broad Street Inn
517 West Broad Street, Nevada City, CA 95959 - 530.265.2239 - website
* The only complaint, in any way, is that the room, the last one available on a fair weekend, was a tad small. It was a last minute decision to lengthen our stay, we had checked out of our other hotel, and the town was booked. The stay? Amazing. The attention to detail was incredible, nothing was lacking in any way, shape or form, the rooms are, well, sparkly, super clean, super pretty. If I were to open a B&B, this would be the way to do it. Top class.

Buena Vista Motor Inn, 1599 Lombard at Gough, San Francisco
* We were on a search for a new hotel since the break in at the Queen Anne, and, the QA had become totally non-smoking. I went on a quest, listed all that I could find (here), pondered, threw dice and chose the Buena Vista. In one sentence, we will not be back.
The appearance is nice, quiet, pastels, pleasant sitting areas on each floor, large but typical no frill rooms, ice machines on every floor, coffee makers and hair dryers, king sized beds (a detriment to us, we prefer to sleep side by side without 'searching' for each other through out the night) and promise of a tolerable but affordable place diminished with every passing hour.
The heater broke (it's February in the city) so they brought us an extra blanket and reduced the price of our room by a few dollars. Whoop-de-do. The door didn't shut or latch unless bolted and the light from the hallway shone through all night. There were ants in the bathroom, peeling wallpaper, ripped shower curtain, a one inch shower head, rough toilet paper and tissue, the toilet refused to flush on several occasions, the elevator is slower than a snail, the furniture is the barest minimum and we should have reserved the room through Orbitz who promises to let you know if your hotel is under going contruction, or painting in the room next door. The promise of a price reduction to make up for the broken heater did not apply to both nights, I guess, and we left the hotel quite put out and disappointed. We even asked a passing guest how their stay was, and the response was "very bad." What a shame.

Never have we given any establishment such a low rating.

Room
Atmosphere
Amenities
Shower		-1
Details		-1
Heater		-1
Ants		-1
Price		-1
Total		-5

Cayucos Beach Inn
333 S Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA 93430 / 805.335.2828 - website
* It was a truly nice place, home away from home. The pet friendly motel was a horseshoe arrangement of fourty units with a central common area: parking, grass areas, patios, barbecue grills, and a pet center including a purple fire hydrant and dog bath. A chuckle was to see the normal peep hole in each room's door, then to spot the one twelve inches from the ground, and the hand painted paw print  around it on the inside of the door! There was a long bathroom counter with two sinks, a kitchen counter that included a frig, microwave, sink, dish towels, hot pad and a twelve cup coffee maker! The beds were just right, a bit short on pillows, but a lantern with an 'in case of loss of electricity 'note was interesting.

Comfort Inn By the Bay
2775 Van Ness at Lombard, San Francisco, CA - Marina/Cow Hollow / 415.928.5000
* Basic, clean, friendly, nothing special except they have secured parking, coffee in the rooms, hairdryer, smoking rooms, fast elevator. A double bed is not a double, it is a single and a half. One chair, two people. An extra coffee packet costs a dollar. View of the neighbor's roof top. No extras besides a safe, and I would have preferred a frig or a chair. $119 room ends up at $170 after occupancy and parking taxes. We will keep looking for another place.

Comfort Inn South San Francisco
121 E Grand Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080 / 465.589.7100

We needed a city fix, and could not find a room under $230 a night. We thought of this place, and got three nights for about $530 directly with the hotel. Before tax, license and drive-out fees. Hotel dot com might have looked cheaper but the total wasn't. We can drive into the city for less than the price difference! The room was a good room, you could have gotten lost in the bathroom, but the king was still a king, and the one next to the telly was a bit worn. The bed next to the telly gets all the action, you'd think they would switch beds from time to time? Three tables but only two lights fixed to the wall. If I want to read after David has gone to sleep, I have to get out of bed or bring a flashlight. Not that big of a deal. The ice bucket has a lid that does't fit and the ice melts fairly quickly. I called for a replacement (they brought me a new bottom, new design, no top, it has the same problem) and I called back to find out they are designed that way. In a word, why? Oh, and the shower was warm. Not even close to hot. Smokers in the hallways, cigar smoker in the hot tub. I am COPD and cannot tolerate smoke. Silly me bought a suit for the stay and used it for five minutes due to the smoker. Charging for parking is a bit on the greedy side considering the size of their private parking lot, and it is interesting how the check out time can not be found any where in the room.

The worst of the trip was when on the second night, I am checking my email (the wifi is S N A I L S L O W) when something bit my ankle. It WASN'T my imagination last night!! Then my calf. I can't see anything, but I am itching until 3 am. Both legs. Joy. In the morning, I ask they vacuum the room well, something is biting me. A nice, polite, uninterested response. David has checked the bed, all appears ok. When we returned, the windows curtains were wife open. Gee, there is my computer, my luggage, my jewelry box. Are we serious here? Again, why? Sure enough, later when I am sitting down, holding still in my nightie, trying to read email, David is almost asleep, munch, munch. This time I called downstairs, fairly angry. (If they vacuumed so carefully, why was there a tiny price plastic end still on the carpet?) They volunteered to move us, I said we are already in bed, the damage (bites) has already happened, you can't turn that back. They offer a 25% discount, and I am furious, say say "Fine!" and hang up, scratch, scratch.

When David checked out, he made it clear we would be complaining, and told them to do what they wanted with the bill. Did we see a discount? Not yet. Their room brochure advertises if you have a problem, call the front desk,they are really super happy to take care of it. We do not agree.

Wed update: yes, they gave us a measly 25% discount for one night. I was bitten for THREE nights. We will NOT be back. Beware, BUGS here!!!

Thurs update: We did get a form letter that said, "Sorry we did not exceed your expectations, apologies on behalf of the team, your feedback is important, please consider staying with us again." I do not believe so. (Did anyone really read my reveiw? I think not.)

Double Tree Hilton, South San Francisco (aka Brisbane) CA
5000 Sierra Point Pkwy, Brisbane, CA 94005 / 415.467.4400

* Perhaps we have gotten spoiled, because this is a nice room, frig, micro, coffee, hairdryer, etc. I believe they had glass glasses, too, a very nice touch. One big complaint is the way the bathroom door opens into the hallway and blocks your exit from the room. Again, we are spoiled. The service is good, they go out of the way to be cordial and helpful. We were able to leave our vehicle there for our trips, their shuttle took us to the airport and picked us up as well, for much less than airport parking and much better security! They did forget to set our wakeup call (thank GOD I woke up!) but they gave us an emergency taxi ride for free.

Hilton Garden Inn
10741 North Wolfe Road, Cupertino  408.777.8787
* We had a great deal of trouble rating this hotel. Out of all our travels, we have never encountered such a room, but to be honest, we had to give this hotel an unprecedented rating never before accomplished. We searched high and low for a negative aspect and finally counted up three: a king sized bed, the opened bathroom door blocks the entire entry hallway and a broken hair dryer. Thank goodness I brought my own, although a quick call produced another one immediately. Normally three negative points would kill a hotel for us, but the delights were so many, we will be staying here any time we are in the area.
Besides the price ($89 in Sept) the highlights of room 223 included: a delightful room in general, an incredible shower head and plenty of very hot water, a truly tasteful decor, real ceramic coffee cups and plentiful accoutrements, Wolfgang Puck coffee, TWO chairs, TWO ashtrays without asking, a HUGE bathroom counter, microwave,  refrigerator, 'kitchen' counter, flat screen tv and keyboard and high speed internet, adjustable and truly comfy bed, an intriguing ergonomic chair, two phones, an upgrade alarm clock, Neurtogena bathroom supplies and an overload of towels. The hotel also has a highly professional charm, pool and jacuzzi and discount Winchester tickets. I never heard another tenant.

La Luna Inn
2599 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123 415.346.4664
* We were grateful to be able to get their last room on the America Cup weekend after Marina Motel lost our reservations. Third floor (with lift) at the end of the outdoor corridor (good weather, whew) to a HUGE room. Basic amenities, views of the bridge, full sized desk, full bath, not a bad deal. The price was reasonable, but in 2014, it jumped to $350! Jiminy Christmas.

Lighthouse Lodge
1150 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 /  831.372.0503
* This hotel came under heavy scrutiny right from the start, and we truly tried to be fair.
We even searched for positive points because of all the negative points. Maybe it was a bad weekend for them?

Room ceiling		+1
Atmosphere		+1
Pillows/Bed		+1
Towels and robes		+1
Shower shelf		+1
Shower curtain		-1
No Heater (it was winter)		-1
No hot water AT ALL		-1
No ashtrays		-1
Price		-1
Total		0

Little Round Top Farm
991 Taneytown Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325 - (717) 334-2100
Possibly not open all winter
Website: www.dobbinhouse.com
Email: info at dobbinhouse.com

An entire house on twelve gorgeous acres, with a lake, just east of the famous Little Round Top and Gettysburg battlefields. A completely stocked kitchen (dishes wise), laundry, five bedrooms (four full beds, one room with two twins), one and one half baths. The entire house is decorated beautifully, the dining room table seats eight. The house was built by the Weikert family in 1858, and to quote the website, "Little did they know their farm would play such a prominent role in the deadliest battle of the Civil War." A memorable stay for many reasons, one was the comfort (and unease) of the house. As Marsha wrote in the guestbook, "P.S. If you think they aren't . . . they ARE! <grin>"
For one couple, the price is the same as a rather expensive room almost anywhere. Add another couple to your journey and it becomes very reasonable. Three couples and you can't beat that price anywhere, even with just the one shower. Well worth the trip for families, history buffs and ghost watchers.

The first year we met a dead cat in the barn, we dubbed him Bill the Cat. Sometime between stay one and stay two, another guest wrote in the book that they thought thye encountered Bill. During stay two, as I slept lightly, I distinctly felt my cat, Dottie, in California, jump up on the bed between my feet and settle on any ankles. I had a wet washcloth on my face due to a headache but I asked my awake husband, he confirmed there was no cat on my feet, yet I could distinctly feel one. Bill?

Marina Motel
2576 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123 415.921.9406

* Ok, this is a hard one. The place LOOKS incredible, and we have never managed to get a room. Individual little homes strung together, stucco arches, flowers abound, art work, a tiny piece of heaven right smack dab in the middle of town. We booked a weekend after months of being unable to venture, packed, scurried, drove up, and, they lost our reservation. Actually, she heard "October" when I asked for "August." Uh-huh. On the weekend of the America Cup. That means . . you got it, no one else has a room either. Mad does not begin to describe my mood. We have tried to book again, they are always busy. It LOOKS great, must be great in that they are always full, we will keep you posted. So far, an unoffical big negative.

Room
Atmosphere
Amenities
Shower
Screwups		-1
Price
Total		-1

Motel 6, Barstow, CA
* Given the horrible circumstances, we did ok. (Our car died a violent death umpteen miles from home)

Motel Del Rogue, Grants Pass, OR
2600 Rogue River Hiway, Grants Pass, OR 97527 - 541.479.2111 - website - facebook

* We have never awarded a hotel 4 stars, so we had to come up with anything negative, and we had to dig hard for just two minor aspects; no plug in the bathroom for the hairdryer (an extension cord fixed that) and the toilet paper was terribly thin, but I suspect that is what you need to use with their septic system. This was a bit of heaven, built in th 40's maybe? So nostaglic, charming, rustic, perfect, set in the pines and quiet of south western Oregon. The owners, Kevin and Constance run on the honor system, are extremely helpful and kind, the rooms are all cozy and neat and clean, they vary in size, especially the kitchen size, but they all have everything you could need, including decks that look out over the Rogue River .You can spend hours watching the river and the geese flying past.  It was very hard to leave and we are already planning a return trip. Rates are totally reasonable. August 2019

North Cliff Hotel
1005 S Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 / 707.962.2500
* Imagine a huge room at the end of the open hallway, parking lot level (no climb). The window at the end of the room looks out over the shore and the sea. The fireplace and the jacuzzi in front of it beckon you, as does the elegant, tastefully dressed king sized bed with matching end tables and lamps. The bathroom is comfortably sized with a large counter, wall sized mirror and side lights. Behind you is a closet with mirrored doors with two thick white robes, as well as a tall cabinet that contains the refrigerator, microwave and safe. The next room houses the john and a one piece walk in space age shower with goodles of built in shelves we fell in love with. (Dash the old tile look, this would be easy to maintain!) Let's see, private balcony, huge tv on swivel, VCR player, desk and chair, coach and coffee table, wine glasses, glass drink glasses, ice bucket and a bottle opener. Add a gentle fog horn, mist, a soft wind, oh goodness. We never looked for the bible. May I stay forever? All for $189. We have spent that much in the city for a sensible room. We arrived too late to sink into the jacuzzi and watch the sun go down at 5pm, so we decided to stay another night.

Outside Inn
575 E Broad Street, Nevada City, CA 95959 530.265.2233 - Website
* Please keep in mind I am the pickiest client any hotel will ever have. Hard to decide between 4 or 5 stars. We had the River room. Good points? Atmosphere, settings, scenic gardens, little connected cottages (but very sound proof!) friendly staff, very reasonable prices, excellent parking, swimming pool (we're in our 60's, not likely to use it), standard excellent amenities, good beds, clean all around, very roomy rooms. And super points for a nightstand on both sides of the bed AND two, independent bed lights, albeit they are overhead and your partner can't sleep if one of them is on. Ok, not so wonderful points, remember about the picky, and our age? The lights and switches are odd, not bad, not good, just odd. The worse is the lack of a bathroom counter. There are shelves, but something I really, really like is a large bath counter. No fussing with the travel bag that has to live on the floor. Ouch to constantly bend over. A weird loud hum from the heater woke me at 5:25 am, not fun. Wish more places had closed caption, too. A grand, updated shower stall, but the final vote will be determined after our showers. Oh, and nice, nice towels! No wonder they are always fully booked!

Red Castle Inn,, 109 Prospect St, Nevada City, CA 95959 / 530.265.5135 - website
* This is a historical mansion, absolutely lovely. My grandmother moved here, with her best friend's family, the Craigs, in 1902, so you know I had to go. I do know which bedroom she was in, too. The owners are lovely, my mother and Mary Louise would have gotten on famously as mother decorated her B&B indentically to this one, all the way to the picture placement on the walls. The price is a tad steep, the garden cat, Bob, is a delight, the no tea in the morning as promised was a huge disappointment as we can't drink coffee. The shower is grand, the rooms are to swoon for, amenties perfect. We don't need to return, but am terribly glad we went at long last.

Royal Pacific Motor Inn, 61 Broadway, Chinatown, San Francisco
* Standard faire, neat 50's atmosphere. We were leaving the rating at a zero until we checked out and dealt with a serious attitude. A second trip was much better; real coffee cups, a sufficiently hard bed, bathroom counter, covered private parking, the shower was grand, there were many towels and the only downsides were a light, light blanket (in winter) one bedside table and no wifi. They gave us a room without a shower head but moved us quickly. $106 in March 2011.

Visits		#1		#2
Room		+1		+1
Amenities				+1
Atmosphere
Shower
Price		-1
Bad clerk attitude		-1
Total		-1		+2

Scotia Inn, 100 Main Street, Scotia, CA 95565 / 707.764.5338
* This will be hard to rate for several reasons. We were there for a family wedding, so you would not want to insult any issue having to do with the bride's choices.

It was reportedly haunted, so that made it a great place to be, despite the fact no one would let us in the haunted areas. History lurks behind every intriguing corner and doorway. But, what you see is what you get. There are no extra amenities in the rooms, period, including an extreme shortage of electrical plugs that weren't above the baseboard heater or the bathroom sink, neither location being a good spot for charging equipment. On the picky side, no CC, few channels, fair to poor bed, absolute minimum breakfast foods, tepid hot water for tea, although the minstrel's balcony above the lobby was a sweet place to eat and mingle with other guests. I do not know what the standard price would be, but I fear it would be dear.

The rooms, and the hotel, are beautiful. You could not ask for a nicer, lovelier setting in the redwoods. A full bar in the basement, a huge ballroom for the dinner, each room has lovely antiques and personal touches, ours was quite large and roomy. For a lovely stop in the redwoods, (bring your own hair dryer and tea pot) this is a grand place. Ah, and just a general store across the street, but with a large selection of quick foods.

Our second stay, room 1406? was rather bad. Same circus decor, reasonable rate, but from home, upon my request, they said they could furnish a coffee pot for our room. Once there, and after no pot was to be seen despite their assurance there was one, they reluctantly admitted we would need cups, too. Coffee? Heaven forbid, why would we want that? "I'm trying to tell you madam, we dont have any that size." And I am trying to tell the rude concierge that if the truth had been known before we left home, we would have stayed elsewhere. The parking fee was $50 a night. Ridiculous.

Visit	#1		#2
Room	+1
Room decor	-1
Amenities (robes)	+1		+1
Coffee fiasco			-1
Atmosphere			+1
Shower
Parking fee			-1
Bathroom door			-1
Price
Total	+1		-1

Westerner, Williams, CO
Strange room decor and atmosphere. We are getting spoiled, expecting coffee pots and hair dryers in all our rooms. Great shower, hard bed. Outdoor atmosphere.

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