I had the opportunity to stay at this family run hotel for almost 4 weeks. I was met by a wonderful…read morehuman being named Lorna who was exceptionally warm and very incredibly inviting from the start. Going through Susanville, it's particularly small with a long Main Street going through town. I had the opportunity to drive through Susanville for many years on my way to Nevada. Susanville is bitter cold during the winter and the summertime is stifling hot. I had called and talked to Lorna a couple days prior, she was extremely accommodating and willing to work with my busy schedule to meet in the evening for a late check-in.
As I pulled up on a Tuesday in my large 4-wheel drive vehicle, I parked in the driveway area directly across from the 10-room long, one story building. Walking into the lobby, it brought me back to when I was young boy, traveling with my family and staying at family run hotels/motels. The place was visually inviting and smelled of fresh flowers. The beautiful potted flowers out front streamlined to my nose immediately, bringing even more of a nostalgic feeling of visiting my Grandma in Lodi, California when I visited from Oregon as a kid.. Maybe Jasmine? Not sure, I'm not a botanist, I'm surely not good at identifying by smell alone but I thought it was a nice touch. During my lengthy stay, Lorna was always making sure that I was taking care of with excellent room service and any accommodations that might make me feel comfortable, especially their yummy snacks that they give out to everyone who stays at their place. This was a real good idea for us people working during the day and wanting a tasty treat to come back to the room to.
Lorna, a charming and lovely lady, was always positive and polite. Her husband, not as public, was always congenially polite. What a lucky guy I was to find such a warm place to stay for such a long time period. I'm a little discerning and picky about my hotel stays and usually try and find the Sheraton or Hilton. But not in Susanville, ha! Luckily, this family business understands the needs and desires of travelers who don't want to be drained of their financial means by the local Casino lodging alternative. The local Casino lodging was overpriced and unfortunately not very personable. I stayed there prior and was not at all swayed to hand over money for over priced lodging again.
Over the next four weeks, Lorna, communicated with me daily, to make sure everything was to my liking. Fortunately, I was able to see Lorna at different locations throughout town since Susanville is small. With a lovely Main Street festival that served beer and good food, I actually had something to do other than sleep and work. The Internet was sufficient for what I do on the Internet, and even though I had a small hiccup with the air conditioner in my room, Loren made sure that was taken care of immediately and was more than apologetic than she needed to be. In fact, she moved me to another room without me requesting to do so. I thought this was such a nice gesture, since it was hot during this month.
Since I stayed during the July 4th celebration, I was missing my family and all of our traditions and customary food. Without Lorna, knowing this, by any means of my communication with her, I was invited to a picnic and celebration at the hotel. Lorna and her very faithful and loyal friends and employees provided a wonderful and tasty barbecue. Her awesome employees have become her loyal friends over the years, a few of them have worked for her for decades, and their loyalty was well noted by me. And to make it even more special, Lorna was just as loyal to them. Lorna made me a take home feast that I was able to keep cold in the refrigerator for snacking throughout the week. This isn't an every day experience that a traveler is able to have, especially these days.
In conclusion, I know I could have easily summarized this in one paragraph and understand that not everybody will want to read such a long review, but I wanted to give you a little depth to my experience. If you are looking for a good run, family hotel business, this is your place. I hope everybody that stays in Susanville will have a chance to meet Lorna and her husband. Thank you, Lorna and Jay!
Miss you Lorna!!
