Just got back from a trip to the Mound House ranches and thought I would share reviews on the three places I stayed.
Hotel 2 of 3: Gold Hill Hotel, Gold Hill, NV (2 miles from Virginia City)
Web site:
http://goldhillhotel.net/general-info/Pros: Historic, quaint, reasonable rates, quiet, mountain scenery, close to Mound House ranches and Virginia City
Cons: The "historic" rooms are anything but soundproof. Inability to control room temperature.
Overall rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Would I stay again: Possibly
Comments: The Gold Hill Hotel is billed as one of the oldest hotels in Nevada. A plaque on the saloon wall states, "This building is the original stone and brick edifice erected on the site of the first recorded claim on what became the Comstock Lode, May 1, 1859." The structure has been added on to over the years, so that now it is an agglomeration of dark brown wood and brick. Built into the sloping side of the mountain only two miles from Virginia City, there is a very nice view of the surrounding ranges to the south. The hotel is quite close to the Gold Hill depot - the stop for tourist train runs to and from Virginia City when in season. A couple of rooms on the property are billed as "possibly haunted" and popular with paranormal investigators, if that's your thing.
The hotel lists rooms that are more modern and those that are "historic": meaning they more closely resemble the way the rooms looked decades ago. There can be quite a difference in price, so look over the web site carefully. (Caution - site design and user experience is a little sub-par, IMO.) I chose one of the "historic" rooms for personal interest but mostly for price. Upon being shown into the room, I could see why the pricing was lower! A double bed took up most of the room. Not really enough room to place a large piece of luggage. If two people were staying here, they could easily find the available space insufficient. A doorway led to the bathroom, where the coffee maker sat on a dresser. The shower was back in a corner, more dimly lit, and with a single soap dish mounted quite high on the wall - someone shorter than me (I'm 5'10") might have trouble reaching it. The floors sloped. The wooden door did look like it dated from the turn of the 20th century. It was locked with a deadbolt and a hasp on the inside. The room was clean and the bed was decently comfortable - no objections.
The room I stayed it was at the head of the stairs that led down to the great room, which was attached to the saloon. Do NOT try to go to bed early here, at least in this part of the hotel - the noise of many conversations is like being upstairs in a private home during a party. Footsteps are plainly audible a few inches outside your door. The good news is that the saloon does not stay open later than about 9 pm. And at night, Gold Hill is quiet - dead quiet. Although Route 342 is right outside, there is hardly any traffic between 11 pm and 6 am.
Temperature - there is baseboard heating. Upon entry I found the room cold and the thermostat turned all the way down. I turned it up to about 75, unpacked, and left. When I returned several hours later, the room was uncomfortably hot - probably upper eighties. I turned the thermostat all the way down, but the room took so long to cool that I ended up opening the window for the night. The windows are historic, too: they are heavy to lift and the sashes do not stay up on their own - there are hasps that secure the sash in an open position. No screens on them, at least in the winter. With this arrangement I was able to sleep. When I woke the room was still about 70 degrees. I spoke with the proprietor about it and was told that he was aware of the problem and that they were working on it. I have to dock him points, however, for failing to tell me beforehand.
The hotel is conveniently located a few miles from the Mound House ranches. I enjoy the Comstock for its history, so I wasn't completely displeased with the room or the hotel - you get what you pay for.
I did not eat or drink at the saloon, nor did I see any ghosts. ;-)
