Sierra Mountain Inn, Grass Valley || A One Night Stay

Here I show you the quaint little hideaway that is the Sierra Mountain Inn. I was fortunate enough to stay here due to my tagging along to a family trip that my partner takes yearly with his parents. The trip itself was a wonderful experience that I will treasure for many years to come. Free advice: Road trips are best spent holding the hand of someone you love and reading a cheesy book of love and loss (Me Before You - not as sad as I thought.).

Staying only one night in a place can make for a difficult review. On one hand, initial impressions count, But on the other, can you really get to know a place by solely sleeping in it's bed? It's a pickle, but due to my overall experience of this little hideaway, I figured an in-depth review may be somewhat helpful for anyone who is looking to stay somewhere in the area. 

Straight off the bat.. The staff were friendly and the rooms were clean, two of the most important things you take from a stay. So I'll get that out of the way now before delving deeper than your average Trip Advisor review.

 Um. Okay, time to get more thorough. That was quick.

Firstly, the location of the inn is great - easy to find, and a 10ish minute walk from the centre of town. You could of course drive (the inn offers free parking, just FYI), but in the evenings you may find it difficult - if not impossible - to get a parking spot in town without driving around in circles. So I suggest that if the weather is good, you take the walk to and from the Inn. The houses on the strip are beautiful and although the walk is semi up hill, it isn't overly exhausting. A slow pace and a few stops will see you through, if you find it difficult to get around.

The rooms are generously spacious with a lot of helpful nooks and crannies to prevent a luggage explosion on the floor. You could move freely without getting under each others feet - unlike a lot of other affordable motels/inns. The bed was super comfortable with the added bonus of buttery soft sheets, however the pillows did let it down. You know those cheapo pillows you get from the value section of certain homeware stores that you have to continuously fluff up to prevent your head from resting on a crepe instead of a American style pancake? Yeah, that (Food analogies for the win.). It's just a small factor in the overall experience, but a tad bit of a nuisance. I still don't understand why places don't offer a variety of soft and firm pillows, as you can easily find both at an affordable price. Anyhoo, in the Sierra Mountain Inn's defence, there was a spare pillow and blanket in the drawers which aided in our comfort. (And my warmth. More on that later.)

In your room, there is a tray that offers a variety of hot drinks and even a refrigerator and microwave - which I personally thought was really cool. In the UK at least, it is rare to find an affordable room that offers kitchen appliances which is a darn shame as I imagine if you're travelling on a budget, it'd be helpful to have the option of tucking into a micro meal/fresh crispy salad some days, instead of spending an arm and a leg on a basic sandwich in a cafe. Or you know, cold wine.

The bathroom was beautiful. Roomy with a satisfying shower and sink area. The mirror sat large and proud on the wall which gave the space a luxurious feel, though saying that, if you're of the non-tall community, you may have to hop up onto the counter to properly see your face whilst painting on some slap. I felt semi like a child trying to see themselves in their parents bathroom. 

As you've probably picked on, I liked the place. The only downside of our stay was 100% the heating. In the room there is a semi ancient (reeeeeallyyyy loud) radiator, imagine the one in Home Alone, that you can both get hot air from and air conditioning. It worked a treat at heating the space up, but it felt as though the moment you turned the thing off, Jack Frost took a run through the room. It was icily cold, especially in the bathroom. Thin walls, too much marble, or a ghost. We'll never know. But perhaps pack cosy pj's if you're like me and naturally cold. 

All in all, the place was great for the price and I would be happy to stay in the Sierra Mountain Inn again. Would I be able to withstand the cold for more than one night though? I'm torn on that one. 

- Anne x

PS: I have to mention (sorry, boyfriend)... The TV was in a really weird place. It literally touched the ceiling. So confusing. So weird.