Comfort Inn & Suites Sacramento University Area

This 68-room value hotel is located off the Howe Avenue freeway exit off of Highway 50, a six-minute drive to Sacramento State University. The outside is painted in the familiar Comfort Inn & Suites colors of gold and cream, with large Doric columns outside the entrance. The lobby was renovated in March 2016 and has faux-hardwood floors, red and blue chenille armchairs, and a sitting area with a couch and fake fireplace. The 24-hour business center (really just two computers) is also located in the lobby, with free lemon water and coffee/tea nearby. The front desk is made of faux brown marble and the walls are decorated with pretty scenic photos of Sacramento landmarks, including the State Capitol building and the downtown Tower Bridge. 

Most of the clientele here are families visiting Sac State students. The location is not very convenient for business travelers, as it is far away from most Sacramento business locations. However, it might be a worthwhile place to look for travelers who want a cheaper hotel room and don't mind driving a bit out of their way. The Good Nite Inn next door and Motel 6 across the freeway are cheaper, but that's because their rooms are bare bones and lack a free breakfast, as well as many room amenities that the Comfort Inn & Suites has, including hairdryers, mini-fridges, and microwaves.

This hotel is located on a busy six-lane road, next to the Howe Avenue U.S.-50 freeway exit. As the hotel name suggests, the main reason for this Comfort Inn & Suites location is its proximity to California State University, Sacramento ("Sac State"). It is only a six-minute drive away from the university campus. 

Other than that, there isn't much to recommend its location. The only two restaurants within walking distance are a Wendy's (a three-minute walk) and a Chinese restaurant called the Flying Wok (a 10-minute walk), with a Starbucks a bit further down the road (a 13-minute walk or two-minute drive). Fair Oaks Boulevard is a five-minute drive north and has many more restaurants and shopping centers (chains like Peet's Coffee and Noodles & Company, as well as a terrific steakhouse called Bandera that is open late). 

The Power Inn light rail station is an eight-minute walk away and can take guests into downtown Sacramento if they prefer not to drive. The airport is a 20-minute drive away, but it can take much longer during rush hour.

This hotel has 68 rooms decorated in muted neutrals with shiny silver accents and chestnut wood headboards and desks. The carpeting is a brown-and-beige Grecian-key-inspired pattern and the midcentury armchairs and couches are all upholstered in a dark lavender. The bedding is a clean white with an olive throw at the foot. All rooms have 42-inch flat-screen TVs with HBO and free Wi-Fi. They also come with a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a coffeemaker, and lamps with electrical outlets built into the base. Suites have separate rooms for the living room/kitchen area, with a sofa bed, two armchairs, and a dining room table. There are also accessible rooms available.

The hotel was renovated in spring 2016. The only things probably not updated in the renovation were the badly scuffed clock-radios and the telephones, though guests may not care much about either now that cell phones are ubiquitous. Ask for a room on the backside of the hotel, as the traffic on Power Inn Road can be noisy. Be forewarned that the hotel requires an incidental authorization deposit ($250 as of 2016) from all guests that may be held for up to seven days. (The management explains on Trip Advisor that this is due to some guests smoking in the rooms, even though all rooms are non-smoking.)

The bathrooms are pretty basic, with beige tile floors and faux-granite sinks. They do have large mirrors and spacious countertops, however, for those who like room to spread out during their morning toilette. The free toiletries selection includes shower caps and cosmetic wipes.

The biggest draw to this hotel is probably the indoor heated pool, though it only four feet deep at its deepest point. There is also an in-ground hot tub next to it. There is a gym, but the only cardio machines are one treadmill and one exercise bike and the room that houses them is so small and cramped that the machines are practically on top of each other. 

The hotel offers a free hot breakfast buffet, but the breakfast room is small (only five tables!) and one wall is just an accordion door. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and free parking, but sometimes the parking spots can be taken up by Comcast vans and there are no shaded parking spots. There is a 24-hour business center of two computers and a 600-square-foot conference room that can seat 40. Free Wall Street Journals are delivered to rooms on weekdays.