We give this place a 3.5. Bonuses: great value for the money, comfortable rooms, and close proximity to Apple Hill orchards. Check-in was a breeze. At just over $100 for two nights in a California king room, you can't lose. Bed was very comfortable. Drawbacks: a few. When we asked for two more bath towels (the ones they give you are so small), we were given major attitude by the cleaning woman. She wanted us to exchange the two "used" towels before we got two new fresh ones. Also - checkout is listed as 11 am, and she was knocking on our door at 10:30 am, wanting to know when she could get in to clean the room. We were staying two nights, so we were not under any pressure to get out. I realize it's a small motel (approximately 20 rooms), but she knocked again before 11 am and told us we were "the last room". We were getting ready to leave for Apple Hill, and told her we'd be out in about 5 minutes. When we left, she was literally standing outside our door, waiting for us to leave. We stayed at the National 9 Inn down the road last year for our annual trip to Apple Hill, and while the room was bigger, the bathroom was not as nice, and the price was $89/night. Overall, a good experience at the Mother Lode. We'll likely return. read more

Horrible place, advertises pool, There is none. No air cond. owner is extremely rude Years ago it wasn't bad. But now, stay away, stay far away. read more

Affordable, but, you get what you pay for!! Quiet and very nice owners. If you stay here, try to get rooms 3-7.... They're much bigger rooms. If you want a very basic stay, this is your place. read more

This place is absolutely atrocious! Disgusting and terrible customer service. Not only are the rooms not well taken care of but the staff is rude and terribly money hungry. We had gum stuck to our ceilings. Old used razors in our shower. And then we're told that we were going to be hit with a completely bogus smoking charge of $350 because I was smoking in my car and the owner said he smelled smoke when he walked by my room. I will never stay here again and will recommend everyone else to not stay here as well. read more

Mother Lode Motel - Gum stuck to ceiling. Old razors in shower. - Hotels Near Me - Placerville, California

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So, we check in at 315pm. There are no towels in or room except a floor mat and a facecloth. It is just after 730, we ask for towels at the desk. Normal check out hours are 11am and check in the 3pm according to booking.com. my husband goes into the office and let's the lady know we needed towels. She asked if we were sure and he said yes. We have a floor mat and face cloth. Her husband brings towels as we get out of our vehicle at our room. Holy hell, we get into the room and someone came in when we were gone and left towels. Called to complain and we were told that we checked in upon check out hours??? He'll no!! One night $138. Never again. read more

Stayed here on my way to South lake. Did the trick. Basically what you'd expect from a motel on the side of 50.

I am sitting in motel room, now... To tell you the truth this place is nice inside and out and for the price of 42.00 a night I thought cool we are coming out here to find a home and do some interviews so this trip was planed motel was called very nice on the phone told me it would be 42.00 booked and came went in to check in and was charged 68.00 plus 10.00 a night for my dog. The charge for my dog was ok but I was told 42.00 a night so I was talking to the lady and asked about the charges... I know I shouldn't have done that they both got very rude with me I just drove 4hours from work to get here and it was snowing so I was tired finally said ok and went to my room and the next day (which is today) I call to get a fitted sheet because they had a flat sheet that just kept coming off I first was accused of lieing then called stupid because they knew the house keeper put one on I tried so hard to explain that i was not upset and I had a sheet but I was checking to see if it would be possible for me to get a fitted shit didn't get one just came to find out that "you think stupid" so I guess I think stupid lol o well Last but not least I was laying in bed with my wife and kids and all of the sudden two people walk in... They book our room twice... I didn't at this point want to express my concern of someone else having a key to our door. Well all in all nice rooms nice location but very disrespectful owners and all the hidden fees and raise in the price I don't know about all that I would not come back because I feel its more important to receive respect as a customer.... I would rather pay 50 more bucks to stay where myself my wife and my kids will be respected read more

Stay away! Dark, dirty, run down and the manager actually hung up on me when I called for a reservation and asked if I could get a late check out! It was one of those...."OMG I can't believe he did that" moments. Not getting my money here! read more

If you compare this to a W or a Mandarin Oriental - no, it's not 4 stars. But for a cheap roadside motel off a tourist strip, it's great -- and I've stayed in a lot of cheap motels. The room was small, but clean. Microwave and refrigerator provided. The bathroom was surprisingly nice, with recently-installed fixtures. And the proprietor gave us an unexpected discount because she had accidentally quoted the wrong price to us on the phone. Score! Also, it's the only motel in Placerville (so far as I could tell) with free (if somewhat flaky) wifi. Totally what you want and need on a budget road trip to the Gold Country. Look for the kitschy red neon sign on the hillside as you drive down Broadway -- that's the one. read more

The Mother Lode Motel is a wonderful place to stay in Placerville. The first time I saw it online, I was sorely tempted to skip it. From the outside, it looks like one of those strip motels you see in pictures from the 40s and 50s. But the price was right, and the reviews on other websites were, for the most part, positive, so we decided to take the plunge and try the Mother Lode Motel for our visit to Apple Hill. We were very pleasantly surprised. As the other reviewer said, if you're looking for a W, Four Seasons, Hyatt or Westin - keep driving (you'll have to drive a long way because there is nothing like that in Placerville). But if you're looking for an inexpensive, convenient, quiet place to stay - this is the place. The rooms are spartan and small, consisting of a bed, nightstand, combo tv stand/dresser, and bathroom. But they are oh, so exceptionally clean!!! They have cable TV and phones. The pool is the cleanest I have ever seen at any hotel or motel. It's not heated, but on a 100+ degree day in Placerville, it's perfectly fine. Microwave, fridge and coffee maker are in each room. The shower has plenty of hot water and water pressure! And the shower head is high enough - even for taller folks. It is very, very quiet. We've never been disturbed while staying there. But, hands down, the best thing about the Mother Lode is the proprietors. It's run by an Indian couple - Deepak and Divvya, I believe - who are the sweetest, kindest, most eager to please business owners I think I have ever met. They let us look at the available rooms and choose the one we want, they welcome special requests and they are obviously intent on making sure that their guests are as comfortable as possible. They even gave us a discount for being repeat customers! While we used to visit Placerville maybe once every 5 years or so, now we go up there at least twice a year (or more if possible) because the Mother Lode makes a quick weekend getaway completely affordable. And the bonus is that it's close to Sweetie Pie's restaurant (check out the reviews on that place!) The owners of the Mother Lode also own the motel next door (I can't remember what it's called). It's been newly renovated and a king bedded room goes for only $48 - it's way less expensive than even the Mother Lode because the landscaping isn't done and there is no pool. But, hey, you can walk next door and use the pool at the Mother Lode. So, if you're looking to save some serious money you can try either of these properties. read more

These people also own Gold Trail Motor Lodge and we booked a stay for 3 days at this second location. When we checked in and were taken to the room, it was apparent lack of maintenance is an understatement. We felt we could endure for just three nights. It was early afternoon when we checked in, left our belongings and went out. We returned around 11:00 pm, when we turned on the lights several cockroaches scampered across the filthy kitchen counter. Immediately we gathered our belongings and headed for the office, we informed the owners of our findings and were met with argument and hostility. When we demanded our money back, they refused to refund, even though the only use of the room was for storage of our belongings. So if you are into bedding with cockroaches this is your place. read more

The owners are so nice It's a great place I really like this place Beautiful garden Nice pool Reasonable priced The people that work here are really nice too read more

The managers are a lovely couple. The rooms were very clean, but badly in need of repairs.

This place is a affordable little gem just on the out skirts of town. It doesn't look like much much from the outside, but don't let that fool ya! The clerk at the front desk checked us in quickly. No computer here, old school fill out the little slip of paper, run ur credit card and off ya go. The rooms are well maintained and clean. Little on the small side, but the king size bed took up most of the room. But for $58 bucks I ain't complaning at all. The shower was nice. Had an old school box tv, but did have Comcast with alotbof channels. Overall Im having a great experience at the motel. I will definitely stay here again. read more

We had the most perfect time at this place. It is a great value for sure and the pool and everything was extremely well maintained. What I particularly liked is that the place is just north of the town where you don't feel like you're in the city. The owners were very nice and laid back. I would always stay here the next time I return to Placerville. read more

One can tell that a few years ago the Mother Lode saw some improvements like a new roof, stucco and a nice stacked stone wall around the pool deck. However, it seems the owner hasn't kept up as of late. The driveway has huge potholes, the stone wall around the pool is falling apart, and the interior state of the rooms is very dated. The place was full the Saturday we stayed in October, as this is very close to apple hill. It's sad the owners don't reinvest there revenue to care for this place and thereby the guests. read more

Mother Lode Motel - Old hotel furniture left outside and sad garden. - Hotels Near Me - Placerville, California

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Great place to stay! We had two trucks with trailers so there's a perfect parking area to accommodate large vehicles. The pool area is super nice and the rooms were very clean and comfy! Even being next to the highway it was very quiet. read more

If I could choose NO star I would. This hotel withheld my deposit. When there was no too, there was no damage done to there property. I checked out & there room was in the same condition as when I checked in. Hotel management will rip you off! read more

This motel is horrible. If I could give it a negative review I would. It was very unclean, the bathroom didn't have a workable light, the bedding was dirty and the owner or manager over charged me after I checked out. Avoid this place and find a more friendly sanitary place to stay. Check your credit card bill when you can. I was shocked to find that he charged me $30 extra and it wasn't for cleaning. He's a real creep. read more

It's a terrible place to stay. People party until late at night or early morning. My wife and I were bitten by BED BUGS all night ... The Internet was spotty if not UNAVAILABLE... They could do nothin about it. I like my NETFLIX so that was out ... The TV's are the old style tube type so forget about using Apple TV. Worse the refrigerator did not work so warm beer sure did suck. The next night we stayed at Quality Inn in Cameron Park. What a difference... read more

Stayed here a couple nights with my girlfriend. We loved it. Decent price, room was clean, quiet area. Will stay here again...

My husband caught scabies here, be aware! He went to the doctor and the doctor was very adamant that about the only way he would've caught it is from the motel. Which does make sense since they never cleaned while we were there, asked the maid for clean bedding meaning... change the bedding... and was just left some sheets to make my own bed, she didn't even strip the old sheets off, she just left me "clean" ones with cigarette burns. The room smelled like a wet dog when we arrived and floor was damp and the heater on in summer, clearly they had just cleaned up after the last person's pet. We stayed here while waiting on a house to be ready. I wouldn't stay there again if my life depended on it. What a joke. The maids never cleaned anything besides vacuuming and bringing towels, that's it. It's disgusting and there's methheads and hookers around constantly. Stay at west haven in pollock over this place anyday. read more

Small accommodations, but very adequate if you just need a place to sleep & shower. Rooms are clean, service is polite (owner was very helpful when we asked about good local pubs lol). Nice clean pool, too. It was pretty quiet while we stayed there. Cost is cheap, and it was an overall nice stay :) read more

I do not drive a "jellybean on wheels" (see review from P.S. 9/3/2016), but agree with the reviewers who say that the customer service at this motel is horrible. I made a reservation through Hotel.com with a credit card payment then found out that my son had to pay when he arrived at the Motherlode. The man at the front desk (owner) charged $8 more plus tax PER NIGHT. We did not get the hotel.com rate. I called the motel to let the owner know that I was going to book a 3rd night for my son. I wanted to make sure there would not be an interruption in his stay, hoping he would not have to check out change rooms and then check in again. The man I spoke to, the owner, was very rude, said I needed to scan my credit card and drivers license and send in an email to him. When I questioned this he said all motels have different policies and then hung up on me. I'd suggest looking elsewhere! Will also be calling the Better Business Bureau read more

Decent place for the money .Seemed clean overall except one light fixture had dead bugs in it ,sliding shower door was missing a wheel.Water was cold after one shower . read more

Excellent accommodations (in the recently remodeled wings). Excellent management. Very quiet. We will return. read more

The room had musty smell and the bed was hard and uncomfortable. The guy at the desk was short with us and rude. The pool was closed. Continental breakfast was a joke. And when we got our credit card bill we found out that they charged us for four days when we only stayed three days . After calling them they told us they would credit one day to our credit card. When our next statement came we found that they didn't credit us at all. Called again numerous times and just got the run around, so we reported it as fraud to our credit card company. read more

We stayed there 3 nights the owners don't really care about there guests. They put a single women on each side of us and both ended up getting kicked out but not without police being there. One lady was complaining to the front desk that her tv didn't work and instead of giving her a different room or fixing the tv they eventually called the cops on her then kicked her out. Hard to believe. read more

The staff is rude and untrustworthy. No reason to stay here when there is a perfectly fine place down the street.

Apparently, I am required to give at least one star for a review, I would have went with nothing if I could have. Let me start off by saying, I have never physically stayed at this motel, but it doesn't make what I have to say any less relevant. I called this motel a few days ago to ask if my friend was there. I had received a phone call from him that same day from this motel. He stated in his message that he had walked out of his rehab facility, which is a state away from where he is from and I live, and he was staying in some "sleazy" motel for a few days, then he would be taking off. This is the last place I know he was for sure, and obviously I need to find him. When I called the motel, the woman on the phone wouldn't even give me the time of day, I asked her if 'so and so' was staying there, and she instantly said "no". She then proceeded to tell me that, "If my friend was there then it wasn't her problem, and she was going to call the cops on him." She then informed me that she had my phone number and was going to be calling the cops on me now, which doesn't even make sense! She concluded by saying, "B**** you need to understand me" and hung up the phone. I was very cordial with this woman the entire time over the phone, and she would hardly even let me speak! I couldn't believe it! I said nothing even slightly offensive or provoking for her to act that way, and yet, she was instantly insulted. I would obviously never stay at this hotel after this treatment, and wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE! If this is the quality of service I received over the phone, I can't imagine the sort that would be given in person. read more

we were camping in the el dorado nation forest, and needed a place to stay one night as we were arriving very late. mother lode was the perfect place since we just needed a couple hours kip to get us through to the next day. the rates are very reasonable, and better yet they allow pets for an additional $10. no frills, so don't expect the ritz carlton, but you will have a clean room and bathroom for the night. read more

I made a reservation here for my friends weddings a few months back. I asked for a confirmation to be emailed since they didn't bring it up. They told me they do not do that and that I would just need to call a few days before my reservation. So shady! It sounded like a small place so I went with it. I gave them my credit card information and everything. I called today and they said they had no record of my reservation. The woman had a very distinct voice so I am positive she was the one I talked to. Their website was down for booking reservations which is why I called in the first place. Perhaps the whole system was down but they definitely should have told me that. MAKE SURE YOU GET AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION! read more

Staff was nice but office was very run down. The room was fairly clean but Small and outdated. Bed was comfortable. No smoking signs everywhere but room had very musty smoke smell. Looks a little run down but seemed pretty safe. Very quiet at night. You get what you pay for. Would return if I ever come back to Placerville. read more

Our stay was reserved for June 1st, 2019. We reserved a month in advance. Due to medical issues we considered not doing our trip. In fairness to the hotel, they advertised that the cancellation period ended two full weeks in advance rather than the usual 24 hours. When we called the hotel to cancel 4 days in advance, we were reminded of this. So we opted to keep our reservation. When we arrived, we found the entire hotel (except for the rooms) to be under extensive renovation. The driveway/parking lot was completely torn out to dirt making it difficult to manage a wheel chair across the two chained entrances to the parking lot with your luggage. The office was torn down and the sign said you had to check in at another hotel next door. Thanks and Cudos for Hotels.com. We called them and they successfully advocated for us and we were able to obtain a refund and book at a neighboring hotel. Our complaint was the Mother Lode's lack of transparency and honesty regarding the status of the hotel's renovation which was never disclosed to us. Once their renovations are complete, it may be ok. But be sure to ask about it. read more

Very nice hotel, priced just right for a place to crash. The owners are remodeling and have upgraded many features. The owners are very nice to deal with. read more

Older hotel, has a lot of regulars that stay there. Only about 20 rooms total and we had someone banging on the wall of our room just to annoy us then they came out in front of their room to stare at us. These were some of the "regulars". When we told the manager she said they wouldn't do that. We had children in the room with us who were scared and they didn't care. We told the manager we were checking out and not staying the night. She gave a massive attitude and said fine well I'm not refunding your money. We left and found a much better place to stay for our family. read more

The staff was friendly and helpful. The situations that needed addressing they cared for immediately and cheerfully. The bed was comfortable, the room (floor, drapes, walls, bathroom) quite clean. The heater was quiet and worked well. It's a solid 2 star. Given our budget we will most definitely stay here again if our travels bring us this way again. read more

We booked a room at the Mother Lode motel in Placerville, CA. over 2 months ahead of time. Somewhere along the line it was lost in translation that we had our two kids with us, and after we payed for the room, they said it was a problem. We had been driving for a long time, we came from Utah. We felt she was trying to overcharge us at that point, as they wanted $55 more dollars for the three nights, but we payed the money anyway. Then we looked at our room, and it was disgusting! There was blood on the bathroom door frame, boogers (yes, really) on the walls, pubic hair in the bed, poop (dog, I think) on the floor, poop on the toilet seat, coffee creamer (I hope) on the wall, etc... So, I called the booking agency we used and asked if there was any kind of a guarantee on the room through them, and they went ahead and called the front desk. The owner said there was nothing wrong with the room. I went and talked to her myself, and had her come and look at the room and said we just wanted it cleaned. She was very upset at us, and finally got housekeeping there (the housekeeper was very nice) and we would have been happy at that point. Then both of the owners came and told us we needed to leave, and I told them that if there was no charge at all, we would find somewhere else. I was tired of the conflict, as we had been stuffed in the car for many hours. The sad thing was we had already unloaded the car, and now had to reload it. My kids said they would rather stay in the car than that room, that's how dirty it was. I also want to add in that me and my wife are disabled, and my wife is on oxygen at night. The hotel owners were advised of this, and didn't really care. Sadly, all we wanted was the room to be clean, and it seems that it was too much for them to do for us. We ended up talking to the Super 8 Motel down the road, and they didn't have any rooms but set us up at a Motel 6 in Cameron Park. That room was very clean, and we were very happy with it. My mother in law booked a room at the Mother Lode also, for the same 3 days, and the hotel screwed up and only put it down for two, said they would take care of it, and then at the end did NOT take care of it and she had to sleep in her car on the last night. She is in her 70's. NOT a good motel. read more