My second stay at Larkspur was as satisfying as my first. Cleanliness of room, comfort of bed, good wireless connectivity, very satisfactory breakfast buffet (with excellent coffee), attentiveness and friendliness of staff......specifically evidenced by their contacting me about some papers I had left in the room and then arranging for them to be airshipped overnight to me. I travel to Sacramento at least once per year, and Larkspur will continue to be my hotel of choice. Good reasonably quiet location, and within easy walking distance of "Mel's", a retro diner serving good food in a welcoming atmosphere.

The first room we were placed in had a broken air conditioner, which wouldn't do since it was August. We were moved to a second room, which happened to be a handicapped room, and not the most convenient since the sink had no counter beneath it to place toiletries and such. The air conditioner in this room, though minimally functioning, did a terrible job of cooling the bedroom, while the living room/kitchen area was sufficiently air conditioned. We had to rely on the ceiling fan to cool us. A few minutes after we climbed into bed we heard a strange shuddering/knocking noise. We got up and turned off the icemaker in the freezer, thinking that would be the end of the noise. Needless to say, it was not, and the sound continued throughout the night approximately every five minutes, which resulted in our being terribly tired the next day. When we checked out I told the desk clerk of the problem so that it could be repaired before anyone else would be checked in to that room, but, astonishingly, her reply was "Well, did you try pulling out the refrigerator and unplugging it?" That nearly left me speechless, though the thought running through my mind was...no, desk clerk, I do not routinely make it a habit of unplugging full-sized appliances during my hotel stays. Last time for that hotel and probably the entire chain for that matter. Good riddance!

I slept very well while staying here, which is the most important thing. The room and the bed were nice and very comfortable and the staff was excellent. My only minor complaints are about the breakfast, smallish lobby and exercise room. Breakfast was good, but it was a bit crowded in the morning as it is served in a bit of a nook, and a bit more variety of breakfast options would be nice, but the bagels, muffins, and cereal and fruit were good. As I was there for part of a workshop a large lobby/lounge area to visit it would have been beneficial, but what they have is very nice, just a bit small. Finally, the exercise room only has dumbbells, one elliptical trainer, one treadmill, and one older exercise bike. Enough to use, but not much selection and the room feels a bit cramped. those are my only minor complaints, otherwise an excellent hotel.

The check-in process was quick and painless. The room was much more than I had expected. When there was something that I could not figure out with the shower, Jillian at the front desk was prompt with an answer and did not make me feel stupid for not knowing. The fitness center had nice and usable equipment. I look forward to staying here in the future.