The hotel is your typical Holiday Inn. However, the hotel gets five stars for 1) location and 2) its staff. As other reviewers have noted, you have direct access to the tunnel to Old Town and the Westfield Shopping Center (Starbucks, Macy's, etc). 5 Blocks away, you have the CA capitol at your feet, which is nice this time of year because the Christmas Tree. However, don't be walking around downtown at night by yourself. It's pretty desolate.

Now, if you are here the first weekend of December, most likely you are in town to run the CIM (California International Marathon). There are other hotels that are Marathon hotels; however, I recommend the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. First, they asked at check-in if I would need a late-check out (for a four hour long-distance runner this is awesome). I really just needed about 45 minutes, but they gave me 2 hours. Nice. My friend who stayed at the headquarter hotel told me her hotel was charging $25/hour for a late check out. Not so nice. The bus shuttle to the start was perfect from this hotel. I got on the bus quickly. My friend at the other hotel had to wait 20 minutes outside in the cold and dark before getting on a bus. Lastly, the staff were overall accommodating and making sure that my stay was a restful one. For the amount I paid for that night, I got away with a great deal.

We booked the railway package with the hotel directly and spent Labor Day weekend at Old Sacramento for the Gold Rush Days. The hotel location is convenient, just outside the side entrance is the walkway into Old Sacramento. Turn the other way and you find the entrance to Westfield Shopping Center.

We were given a room on the 15th floor. However, the key card didn't work and we were assigned another room on the same floor. We were able to see a little bit of Old Sacramento from our window. The room had two comfortable double beds and we were offered a choice of pillow types. The rooms look like they were renovated recently.

The staff are very friendly.

We had take out from the Cypress Grille for dinner which was ok. We had breakfast (which was better) in the dining room and unfortunately, the restaurant was understaffed. On Sunday, they offer a breakfast buffet and the regular menu. Had we known they were understaffed, we would have went the buffet route. Nevertheless, the waitstaff tried their best to serve their customers.

We would stay here again.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn because my husband was at a conference there.
It was a nice hotel, you expect a reasonable quality from Holiday Inn, but it did lack anything special. I think they should rename it "Business Inn", as there was not much to make it a holiday.... which is odd as they must cater for a lot of wives who are there because their husband is on business!! There really wasn't anywhere nice to sit and while away a moment with a cup of tea and a book... just the reception area or the pool.
The rooms were spacious, brilliantly clean, and the bed was very comfortable. There was some road noise from the highway..
The restaurant looked a bit formal, though there was a nice outdoor seating area. I did not try the restauant... it did not look really very inviting.
I had looked forward to relaxing by the pool, but it is hidden away on the 2nd floor, and is small, rectangular, and freezing cold. There are some loungers and chairs, but usually I was the only person up there. It felt an unloved area. Sunshine would be the only reason to go up there!!
The great thing about this hotel is that it is just a moment's walk away from Old Sacramento and the river in one direction, and Westfield mall, with Macy's and a handy Starbucks, in the other direction.
Old Sacramento is charming, dating back to the gold rush, and has wide boardwalks. There is a great restaurant with either a classy indoor area or a lovely outdoor area overlooking the river, with umbrellas to keep the evening sun off. Just lovely.
If we went again I probably wouldn't bother to rent a car... after driving from the airport, you hardly need to take the car out of the garage. You can walk to the Capitol building, the shops, Old Sac and the river. And you can take the train to San Francisco. But if we went again, I think I'd rather choose a hotel I liked and drive to the conference!!
The hotel has so much going for it, but just did not feel like a holiday.

Needed a hotel to use as an overnight stop on the way to Lake Tahoe. Landed in San Francisco at 2pm, collected rental car and off we went.

Hotel is only 90 miles from SFO but due to roadworks in downtown San Francisco, journey took us 3 hours.

Anyway, hotel is easy to find, you can see it as you come off slip road from Interstate. Has valet and self parking - both at reasonable rates. Self parking garage is very close to hotel.

Check in was a breeze - usual HI politeness and professionalism. Rooms nice size and overlooked Downtown Plaza mall - Macys etc. Walked to mall for dinner in Hard Rock Cafe - literally 5 minutes walk. In the morning, quick check out, straight in the car and straight onto Interstate towards Tahoe.

Room cost 179 USD through hotel website - for covenience, service and location, think it would be hard to beat. Did see the pool but didnt get chance to use it.