This review is mainly for the bar experience at the Washington Hotel. This bar totally rocks! It is so bogus that this place gets a low rating on Yelp. Perhaps, it's because we are different and have certain standards and expectations. I love this old and small American bar in a super small American town. I appreciate the fact that there was mining business many years ago so we now get to drive on these mining roads to visit old mining towns. We were traveling on fresh snow, off roading from south Yuba river, passing Bloomfield, Relief, then making our way to Washington on Relief Hill road after 12 miles. There's no traffic as we were totally alone enjoying the beautiful snow scenery along the off road. There were many falling trees and lots of tree wells. Tree well is a void or area of loose snow around the trunk of a tree enveloped in deep snow. It's known as "spruce traps", these voids present danger to any vehicles which potentially slide into them. We arrived late in Washington, exhausted, but our eyes lit up as we saw this bar, at the Washington Hotel. The place is warm so it's such a treat from being in the cold all day. At this visit, there were both locals and visitors. I enjoy all the artifacts on the wall and the fun ambiance here. Our bar attender, Mickey is such a special and sweet lady who made our visit at the bar perfect. My drink selection was the Hazy IPA, served super cold in a cold glass and tasted yummy. Mickey told me to put my phone away and walk to the back of the bar. Oh whoh, there's a marvelous and close view of the beautiful Yuba river. It's totally a treat to enjoy such gorgeous scenery, especially when there was nobody around. We were also thrilled to learn about a grey wolf traveling 600 miles from Oregon in a local newspaper that Mickey shared with us. There was no internet or phone signal in this town but who needs it when you can have a yummy drink, in the coolest bar in America! There is a clean bathroom with toilet paper and paper towel. We were in a hurry to get to our camping site so we had to leave, and missed trying out the food that my fellow Yelpers raved about. Highly recommend this bar! It's such a happy place with beautiful scenery. I definitely will visit again. So stop by, and explore the magic! read more

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What a wonderful hotel! The views were spectacular, the owners were busy busy busy but still had time to chat with their guests. The glasses were being washed, shelves stocked and prepped for the upcoming weekend and I even smelled fresh cut lawn from the sitting area downstairs while I enjoyed the patio and the fresh air. The decor is rustic and very much meets the time period. The rooms are simple and the restrooms upstairs were clean and private. The upstairs honeymoon suite is spacious and even has a private deck off to the left and a shared deck off to the right. The views from the each deck are breathtakingly beautiful. Don't expect granite counter tops, fancy refrigerators and a mini bar. This hotel is straight and simple and to be honest, there is so much to do outside that this is a place to lay your head. You won't get a signal or connect to WiFi but that means you will need to reconnect with the humans you are with and even meet new ones. We met some locals and had a great time sharing stories and laughs. The last thing I wanted to say about this hotel is obviously being saved for the last as it is the best... the best Bloody Mary I have ever had pass my lips. Each one is made with care and is garnished with locally pickled vegetables. Green beans, carrot, garlic, olives and a pickled green tomato. That's the vegetarian version. What I bet you didn't know is it gets even better! Add a little more $ to that drink price and you get a beef stick with it. Until we meet again Washington Hotel and you delicious Bloody Mary. I can't wait! read more

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Love this place! Good food. Drinking is fun here, great live music. Interesting place to stay - if you don't mind communal bathroom and showers, it's pretty dang awesome. read more

Was planning a trip to the Yuba river and needed a hotel in the area. Was originally checking places in Nevada City, Sacramento, etc.. but then the old ball and chain found this one on the interweb. Old hotel that sits on top of a bar/cafe Tiny little town. Middle of nowhere. Sign me up! Checked out the pictures and came up with a list of rooms we wanted. Called to reserve.. spoke to the super nice bartender who told us to come down early check out late.. as long as nobody else was checking in the next day (or staying the night before) it was completely casual. The hotel reminded me of Port Costa..shared bathrooms.. shared showers, etc. Our room was tiny, but that's fine. All i wanted was a place to sleep. When i come back, I'll probably bring a small fan for extra ventilation. Everyone was super nice. The cafe had really good food (the porkchop special was huge! we had to split it!) No cell phone or internet service.. but who cares? You're getting back to nature, so turn that stuff off. Wish I had read up on the history of the town before we wandered around it the next day. I love all of the Clamper plaques on the various buildings. Thanks you guys for making sure others are aware of the history of these awesome towns. read more

This place is pretty cool. I started coming up to Washington, Ca in 2006. The Hotel/Bar/restaurant is an interesting place. Lots of old mining tools decorate the walls and ceiling. Micki, one of the bartenders makes a killer Bloody Mary with all the fresh veggies.... Mmm They serve food as well. I suggest the blasting powder burger if you like a little spice. Why I really wanted to write this review is because you have to check out the view on the back patio. It's amazing... read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. It's a dirty, dingy old hotel that probably doesn't look much different than it did 100 years ago when it was built. I personally find that kind of charming. The views from the back deck are amazing. The burgers and the service in the cafe were good. But the whole time I was there I felt like I was at my grandmothers house and grandma doesn't like company. Grandma in this case is the lady behind the bar. She yelled at us when one of the pool cues accidentally fell over onto the floor. She yelled at us for playing rock music on the jukebox and then stopping the song I paid for. (why put rock on the jukebox if you don't want to hear it???) She was generally just an irritable woman and after a few hours I was ready to get the heck out of there. I didn't even bother to check out the rooms. A buddy who was staying the weekend said he refused 3 rooms because they had wasps flying around in them before settling on the fourth. This place could be a really cool tourist attraction, but it's super run down and I just felt like they really don't like visitors all that much. read more

There is a Foucauldian idea that I like that involves drawing a distinction between pastoral and policing modes of exercise of power. An oversimplified version of this distinction would say that in the pastoral mode, the exercise of power is personalized, contingent, and discriminatory, while in the policing mode, the exercise of power is impersonal, codified, and rigid. There are definite benefits and drawbacks to being the object of either mode. I think that Washington in general and the hotel in particular are trying to sell a small-town experience, and in particular one that is explicitly pastoral. That's part of the whole small-town experience, small-town hospitality, etc. So this is a long-winded and pretentious prologue to the following. I totally get the idea of restaurants not allowing outside food in. It's not always convenient but it makes sense. Why would you even go to a restaurant if you didn't want to eat there? But I expect something a little different from a hotel bar, even if the hotel also has a restaurant. In particular, if your hotel restaurant has zero vegan entrees, and I've already ordered beers and vegan sides and had them out back of the bar, I think it would be reasonable, though not required, to let me eat a little outside food out back with my friends. Being rigid about this rule is certainly not the small-town pastoral exercise of power that I expect from a joint like this. But what really sticks in my craw, what I can't let go of, is the attitude. Maybe the bartender isn't an owner but just an employee who doesn't want to get in trouble. I can get that. But then show the smallest amount of human compassion. Tell me "That sucks, I'm totally sorry, but the boss would be mad." Tell me SOMETHING. Be human. Don't just repeat the rule to me over and over. What a dismal disappointment after Washington seemed so cute. read more

Quick summary: this is a dingy old hotel in the middle of nowhere that has gold rush era charm and great swimming holes nearby. If you go on the weekend call first and ask about special events because this town gets wild. Full story: I came through Washington on my first visit during the week. They have some great swimming holes on the Yuba. I checked out this hotel and thought it was kind of dingy and old, but saw it had a gold rush charm and it's inexpensive. A few weeks later, while heading home to the Bay from Nevada I got super tired and decided I'd stop here and spend the night and refresh in the river the next day. I really wanted a good night's sleep. It was a Saturday. I called ahead to ask if rooms were available and they said yes. I knew there was a bar on the first floor, and anticipated some noise and had my ear plugs in tow, but when I arrived there was a full on band playing and the place was PACKED. Like I have no idea where all of these people even came from. The rooms are on the second floor of a very old building with no sound proofing. It was just as loud in the room as it was in the bar and the party went late. Moral of the story: this town is in the middle of nowhere where you'd expect quiet, but if you want to actually sleep in the hotel you should probably ask if there are any events happening first, especially on the weekend. I ended up leaving the hotel and sleeping in my van parked outside since it was late, I was exhausted, and I was at least 45 minutes drive to the next hotel. I wish they had mentioned the band when I called to ask for a room. Also, FYI, they have shared bathrooms and instead of air conditioning or ventilation, the space above the door it open to the hallway so privacy is limited and noise travels freely. read more

This review is for getting a room in the upstairs hotel: just don't. Four days earlier I called and asked for a quiet room and we were stuck above the jukebox. What would have been great would to have been told "Saturday night? There will not be a quiet room". Instead, we came back from hanging at a friend's campfire at about 11:30 pm and tossed and turned, suffering through the loud jukebox and some dude playing guitar for a crowd in side yard for over two hours. Finally, at 1:15am, we decided to give up and drive home to Oakland. I wish we'd brought a tent, van, motorhome, anything else, or - yes- maybe just been warned when we asked for a "quiet room", that such a thing doesn't exist there on a Saturday night. That aside, the food is mediocre, the back deck is great, the ambience can be quirky and amusing, and the bar is obviously quite popular. Just avoid trying to sleep there. read more

This is a rustic Hotel. It has a long history with a quirky town surrounding it. It's old and a little run down but clean. In will gladly stay here again. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place. If your looking for your holiday inn DONT come here. Some of these reviews are absolutely ridiculous! This is an extremely small town and the locals like it that way. So if your coming from the city and expecting some 4 star hotel, don't bother! You come here to get away from that. The hotel is rickety and old and has a ton of history. It's filled with pictures and stories dating back to when it was first built. The food is great and the people are always friendly to me. I've never had an issue. The back patio has a beautiful view overlooking the Yuba River. Don't bother bringing your kids through the bar you have to go around haha And no dogs no cell service!! But if your looking to get out of reality for a bit I'd recommend visiting the little town of Washington! read more

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RUSTIC. If you are a high end snob, don't come here! But if you like a little funk and low key, this spot is for you. Breakfast service took forever - was epically slow for 4 adults and two kids. But it was good when it got there. read more

A friend and I spent the night on Saturday night at this hotel. I must say this is the most unique experience I've ever had at a hotel. All of the locals and the people that run the place are very friendly and very hospitable. One of the local residents who lives a few doors down offered to have us bring our motorcycles into his garage so they wouldn't get dew on them overnight sitting in the parking lot. We took him up on it and it worked out just fine. There is a lot of memorabilia and history associated with this hotel. the hotel is old in the decor is very interesting. I don't think this place is for everybody but I must say I enjoyed the heck out of my stay and I definitely plan on coming back again. The views from the back deck overlooking the South Fork of the Yuba River are spectacular. The hotel was not very crowded. We ordered fish and chips in the café last night and they were very good had a traditional breakfast in the morning and it was also very good this is a little tiny town and it definitely has a small-town feel to it. There is no cell phone coverage and there was something really nice about being off the grid for a couple of days enjoying the woods. The rooms are very small and the decor is extremely simple. It is all that I needed. I slept like a baby. read more

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I'm writing this review strictly on the bar in the hotel. It's really the only bar in the entire town and it's walking distance to the campsite. I want to start off by saying the locals in this town are scary. Think the movie Deliverance. There were about 10 locals that had 9 teeth between all of them. every time I have been in there. I can't figure out if I should add a star or take one away for the toothlessness. I guess in a town of 115 people, dentists are hard to come by. This place isn't all bad, they make awesome bloody mary's and have a few microbrews on tap and the drinks are fairly cheap. They have 2 broken down pianos in a hallway and have never yelled at me for pounding on the keys and there's a view of the river from the patio. It's a bit hard to get too loud in this bar because the owner lives upstairs. He has a long white beard that drags on the ground and yells if you make too much noise. I can't give this place less than 3 stars because I will ultimately go back to it since it's the only bar in that town and my friends somehow talk me into going camping there. Plus that campsite sucks so it's a nice escape. read more

The Washington Hotel is one of those places that you are either going to love or you are going to hate. If you are the type of person who needs umbrellas in your drink, cloth napkins, and modern conveniences such as Cell Phone service, you are probably not going to care for the Hotel or the town for that matter. If on the other hand you love people who are not stamped and baked with the same cookie cutter as everyone else, If you value character over conformity, If you love old dusty Historical things, or if you are partial to tall hairy men wearing black leather - well then you will love the Washington Hotel. This is in fact one of my favorite places to go. Everyone says I am crazy - but those people have not had grill cheese sandwiches in August on the back deck of the restaurant that juts out over a deeply dredged section of the Yuba River - all this after an afternoon of swimming and jumping off granite rocks into my favorite swimming hole that is up the road. Or possibly they have never gotten an eyeful of the Biker Beefcake that can be enjoyed while you are taking care of business in the Ladies Room off the bar. It is a fact that there is no law enforcement in this town so don't act like a moron and you will get along fine. If on the other hand you abhor lawlessness and individuality please do not set foot anywhere near this gem of an Old West throw back. read more

The Washington Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Washington, California

Awwwww.... A place to reflect, relax, rewind and rethink. Seriously! Hubby and I were attending a local event at the Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. "Winter Fun Fest" is a Cal 4WD weekend festival we go to every year. Normally there is snow galore, but this year was dry. We decided to venture to Washington for an early morning drive and views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. We arrived at 10:00 am and it was freezing outside. Upon entering the hotel, we were greeted by, Mickey, who made us feel warm and welcomed. I ordered a bloody Mary which could have been breakfast. Hubby and I wandered up to the top deck of hotel where the sun glistened off the dew dropped trees and the local~ yocals shared their stories of yesterday. The Yuba River off the back deck is beautiful and surrene. The hotel has, according to Mickey, 14? rooms available, from small, bath shared, to a private suite and bath with a personal deck!! My fave!! We love The Washington Hotel and plan on booking a weekend trip soon! read more

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I think this place is the best! Yes the locals look scary, but sit and talk with them and they are the nicest people on earth. Proves so because there is no law enforcement in the town. The owner Hank is a gem. Sue is wonderful too! They know alot of history about the town, so it is fun to sit and talk with them. And believe me you can get loud and have a great time. Most beautiful scenery from the back deck, the bartenders and waitresses are polite and fast, and they make awesome drinks and food. The drink prices are very reasonable, and they poor with a heavy hand! I always make a trip there because it is one of my favorite spots. The pool table and horse shoe tournaments just add extra fun, as well as the jukebox with great songs! And you can sit and watch the SF Giants game if you want!! Great place! read more

super awesome funky piece of California history! check it out! best view of the river from the back porch! gorgeous! read more

My boyfriend, his friends, and myself had taken a lovely day trip down to Washington yesterday afternoon. On our way in we stopped in at the bar for a shot and our experience was absolutely beautiful with the older woman bartender that was working. Now our way out was a little different...once we got there, I had to use the restroom so I rushed over to stand in line only moments later notice I'm being SCREAMED at by a new younger female bartender and a couple of patrons (very aggressively) I turned and was very rudely told by the bartender, "I tried to get your attention 3 times" at that time throwing up three fingers on her hand. She then, again quite rudely, "I need your ID." I got SCREAMED at from across the bar, PRIOR to even ordering a drink while standing with one of the same people I walked in with who had not been treated the same way. And after sitting with my boyfriend I continued to get berated by the bartender to which at that point I refused to even drink and our party left. It was disgusting. Apparently nicely trying to get someone's attention is not a thing that this bartender knows how to do in this establishment. I've worked at MULTIPLE bars before and the way I was treated by that girl was unacceptable. read more

If there was a negative star rating, I would choose it. Absolutely the WORST meal we have ever had in our entire lives, and the service too.

My wife and I had heard the Washington Hotel was a nice spot to have lunch and a adult beverage. We had a great lunch there. I had the BLT it was the best BLT I ever had. My wife enjoyed the trip tip sliders. I would highly recommend the trip there the food can't be beat. read more

On Nov 29th 2014 Myself & 3 of my friends went to stay the night at the Washington Hotel Calif to celebrate my birthday. Iv'e been there about a dozen times. Everything seemed fine until I came down stairs & asked for two glasses of water?& if she could look at the lock on the door to the room because it wasn't locking? The Bartender(Kathy) began screaming at me that "We were needed ....., called me the "C" word, called us out for a fight, UNBELIEVABLE!!! She said she was only tipped a $1.90? which wasn't true. I said if she had a problem? she could of said something & we could of talked? & made things right? or not? But to be treated in this manner was very uncalled for. We didn't feel safe there & asked for or money back & we were leaving She said NO!!!! need I say more? never again! read more

i have a house in this town and it is a great town, it does have a population of less than 200 that can blossom into a thousand in the summer months! it is true that this is not a town for everybody but those that do get to know everybody will have the time of their lives, think cheers in the old west! great parties on all the holiday weekends with live bands and lots of dancing and fun! if you don't like gold panning, swimming in a beautiful river, being in the forest with trees, birds and blue skies, meeting lots of colorful locals, dirt biking, camping, shooting, and overall enjoyment, then you won't like this town, i give it 5 stars cause it is a damn good time in little town, woot woot! read more

Been there twice and loved it! Rustic and authentic, with an interesting crowd to have a beer with on a Saturday night. Scenery around it is wonderful. Will apparently change ownership - saw a "for sale" sign. read more

Myself and three other girlfriends stayed at the hotel on Nov 28, 2014.We were celebrating one of the girls birthday. It was the worst experience of my life. The rooms were full of cob webs, very dirty and dingy but, that's not the worst of it. During the night before 9:00 PM we asked for two glasses of ice water and a little ice for an ice pack and the bartender was rude, we didn't understand why then later in the night, I went to lock my room door and it wouldn't lock so, two of my friends went and told the bartender , who was the only employee available at the time then, the bartender and some other local who was kinda drunk came upstairs to check the lock and indeed the door lock was broken. The bartender stated "why do you need your door locked anyway?" She started calling us names using vulgar profanity and tried to fight one of the girls. We were helpless no cell service it was pouring down rain and we were afraid to leave because of the time of night and the weather so we had to endure the night in that hotel from you know where. Needless to say I will never step foot in that horrible place again and neither should you. read more