We stayed at The Motor Lodge for one night, and would definitely stay here again.
Great Location: The Motor Lodge is about three (short) blocks from the courthouse, and we were able to walk down to Whiskey Row in about 5-10 minutes. If that's too far for you, they also had beach cruisers that you could borrow (fair warning, it's on a hill, so the bike ride back up would be more of a workout!). It seemed close enough to the action while still having the option to have a quiet retreat.
Helpful Staff: The same person helped us the whole time we were there. (I don't recall her name, but she was great.) She offered plenty of suggestions for where to eat nearby for dinner and for breakfast. She also gave helpful tips; e.g. "If you want to eat at the Gato Azul be sure to call and get a reservation so you can get in." She also recommended SueAnn's Apple Pan for breakfast along with detailed directions on how to get there. We tried it and it was excellent.
Sweet Personal Touches: Right when we arrived we were offered a complimentary beer or wine (we both opted for beer--lots of higher-end selections to choose from--I had Blue Moon and my hubs went for some Oktoberfest or other). When we left they gave us a little bag of home-baked cookies for the road, which was a sweet (get it?) send off.
The Room: The room was decorated in a cute retro style, and it had a gas fireplace that we loved. There was a little kitchen area that had a coffee pot and a sink, which was nice. We ended up brushing our teeth there because the bathroom left quite a bit to be desired (which cost the review a star). The bathroom was so small that I was able to get a picture of my husband with his shoulders touching both walls. You had to sidle around the sink to get into the little shower. There wasn't a lot of counter space to set out toiletries, either. This wasn't a deal-breaker by any means, since quirky architecture is par for the course with older places, but it definitely diminished our comfort. If you had any sort of disabilities the bathroom might have been a real problem.