I read the bad reviews of this hotel only after my fiancee had already booked it. We were extremely concerned, since a lot of the complaints were about the lack of air conditioning, and we were staying in Sacramento in the dead of summer.
Once I arrived, the only thing I could think was that either the hotel had gone through a major refurbishment in the last few months, or those previous reviewers were just high, and mistakenly stayed at a flebag motel nearby, thinking it was this one.
This hotel bears no resemblance to the one complained about in earlier reviews. The common area is gorgeous, with a lovely skylight and ample space. The only trace I could find of the earlier complaints is that the hotel has not yet upgraded the facade of the rooms. The hotel was obviously built in the 60's, and has the old combination latch-"do-not-disturb" sign that I remember from when I was a kid. These original doors are still there, but have been retrofitted with new card locks. The effect is that the paint around the door frame is a bit aged, but from the immaculate, perfectly earth-toned feel of the remaining 99% of the room, it's obvious the doors are next in line for replacement. If this was the root of previous complaints, then this is the nit-pickiest of nit-picking.
If I were to nit-pick, I would mention that this hotel actually provided me with enough sugar for my morning coffee. Most hotels skimp on that.
The staff was extremely helpful and courteous, and our stay was as uneventful as could be.
Of particular note was the air conditioning. Again, I have no clue where previous gripers have stayed, but the AC in our room was state-of-the-art, with a single thermostat that we controlled (some earlier reviews claim that they were controlled from the front desk).
Coincidentally enough, I spent the previous weekend staying at a Holiday Inn from the same era where they were less successful in upgrading (the carpeting and bed frame were obviously old), yet both that hotel and this one are rated three stars. This one certainly deserves that star rating much, much more.
Bottom line: Ignore previously bad reviews. The owners have obviously listened, and this hotel is a clean, decent place to spend time in a vibrant downtown area for a reasonable price.