Holiday Inn Auburn by IHG
120 Grass Valley Hwy, Auburn, CA 95603, Auburn Lake Trails, United States
3-star hotel
Guest rating: 4.5 / 5
Overview
Holiday Inn Auburn by IHG is an unpretentious, 3-star hotel just off Interstate 80 in Auburn, California, within the Auburn Lake Trails area. It offers a warm, relaxed atmosphere with a homey lobby lounge built around a fireplace, making it a comfortable base for both leisure travelers and those passing through Gold Country. The property sits close to Auburn's historic Old Town, giving it a small-town, unfussy character rather than a polished resort feel.
Rooms
Guest rooms are described as warm and relaxed, equipped with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, desks, and coffeemakers for both leisure and business stays. Upgraded rooms add a sitting area with a sofa, offering extra space for families or longer stays. Room service is available for guests who prefer to dine in.
Dining
The on-site restaurant and bar, known to guests as Max's Restaurant, features a wood-beamed ceiling and has earned repeated praise, including specific mentions of its chicken pot pie. A breakfast buffet with eggs, sausage, and fruit is served on-site, and guests frequently cite the food and restaurant staff as a highlight of their stay.
Amenities & Recreation
The hotel offers an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a garden patio with an evening fire pit area, along with an exercise room for guests who want to stay active. Practical amenities include coin-operated laundry facilities, a business center, and free parking. A conference room is also available and has been used informally by groups for gatherings.
Location
The hotel is about a mile from the Gold Country Museum and Old Town Auburn's shops and galleries, including the Placer County Museum, Bernhard Museum, and Auburn Old Town Gallery, all within roughly a kilometer. Outdoor destinations such as Lake Clementine, the Lake Clementine Trail, and No Hands Bridge are a few miles away, while Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Folsom Lake, and Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park are within a 15-20 kilometer drive, and Mt. Vernon Winery and Wise Villa Winery & Restaurant offer nearby wine-country options.
Best for
This hotel suits families gathering for reunions or multi-generational trips, thanks to its pool, hot tub, fire pit patio, on-site restaurant, and available conference/meeting space for group use. It also works well for outdoor-oriented travelers exploring Gold Country attractions like Lake Clementine, No Hands Bridge, and the Auburn State Recreation Area, and for road-trippers off I-80 who want free parking and easy highway access. Repeat business travelers appreciate the desks, Wi-Fi, and business center for practical stays.
Travel tips
Being just off Interstate 80, the hotel is convenient for road-trip stopovers between Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada, and free on-site parking simplifies arrival. Old Town Auburn's museums and galleries are all within about a kilometer, making them easily walkable, while Lake Clementine and No Hands Bridge are a short drive away for hiking or river access. Because the on-site restaurant and breakfast buffet are popular with guests, arriving early or reserving ahead during busy periods may help avoid a wait.
What guests say
Guests consistently praise the on-site restaurant, singling out dishes like the chicken pot pie and describing the food and restaurant staff as excellent. Friendly, accommodating staff are a recurring theme, with specific mentions of team members going out of their way for repeat guests and family groups. The pool and hot tub area, along with an evening fire pit, are frequently called out as enjoyable amenities, and several reviewers note clean rooms and a peaceful, convenient location. The one mildly mixed note concerns the breakfast buffet, which some guests describe as merely average despite the otherwise strong dining reputation.
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