Mystery Critic

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort

Resort URL 

Published Internet Rate (for the same days): $199 / Special Weekday Website Rate (excl. tax and fees): $149

Constructed 1897 / Renovated 2004

Orbitz Rating: 3 Stars / MC Rating: 

Cleanness and Comfort
Location and Parking
Noise and Privacy
Service Efficiency and Attitude
Recreation and Amenities
Value (based on discounted rate)

GENERAL

I've been to this resort just for hot spring before and it was fun.  It's outdoors so it's particularly fun when it's a bit cold outside.  So this time as we planned to drive to LA, we decided to stop here one night to soak ourselves well.  It was worth the money and a nice break between the long drive - but you didn't read it wrong, the resort first started 110 years ago and only PART of it was renovated recently.  And we stayed in the wing that was probably renovated back on their 50th anniversary.....

GOOD

The resort is ALL about the hot springs.  It's a nice mineral spring with a moderate sulfur smell.  It's adequately hot, so you can slowly raise the temperature as your body gets used to the water.  It's super relaxing - especially when the hot spring is right in your room and in a private setting (ie no one expect hidden webcam can see you).  This amenity is unbeatable!  With a family of four, you'll pay $60 for a two-hour hot springs soak, so paying $149 for an all-day, any time hot spring soak is an amazing value.

The location is also great - at least for those of us who travel between SF and LA frequently.  It's kind of between San Jose and Los Angeles, so it's a convenient place to take a break and also regenerate your skin at the same time.  In the morning, the air was super fresh and oxygen-packed so just taking a walk outside was amazing refreshing.

BAD

You have to understand that pictures ARE deceiving.  You would think that this is a pretty nice, not luxurious, hotel with moderately dated rooms, but what you'll get is a rather mediocre motel with extremely dated rooms.  It reminds me of old hotels in the tropics that I often stayed in as a child.  There are too many things that need to be fixed up and polished.  Bathroom is definitely a big problem but it's not the only one.  The carpet is very sticky - but I can't really blame them for that one because people would walk in and out from the hot spring jacuzzi so the carpet will never get a break.  The mattress and bedding HAVE TO go - they are worse than those in Motel 6.

Overall hotel site is nice and comfortable to walk around, but the signs are not clear and roads are tricky to navigate for city people.  You would think that after all these years and very good business, they could at least widen the alleys a bit and make parking slightly less challenging.  Alright maybe I'm just spoiled by suburban America.....   Anyways, you get my point.  Stay in the recently renovated wing (for more money and less privacy in the outdoor tub) if you can't stand an old and moldy (figuratively speaking) hotel room.

OVERALL

If you want to stay in a place where you can step out to the balcony and enjoy hot springs ten times a day, this IS your place.  I would go there again with the understanding that I'll be disappointed with the rooms AGAIN - but the hot spring is simply too tempting.

BTW, if you choose to stay in newly-renovated rooms, you'll probably enjoy the rooms a lot better, BUT the hot spring jacuzzi would not be completely private.  I don't know what it means by "semi-private" - to my wife, any loss of privacy is bad when she's completed undressed and bathed in water.....

Finally, their website consistently offers better rates than Orbitz or other travel site.  Check out the special and enjoy a hot soak!!