Delta King Hotel on the Water

My driver pulled into Old Sacramento and dropped me off in front of the Old Railroad station, which is still functional. Behind me, small wooden buildings were packed tightly together in a row along a narrow cobblestone street. I stepped over the tracks, pulling my small suitcase behind me onto the riverboat. I felt like I was walking straight into a Western picture onto the Delta King Hotel.

About the Delta King Hotel

The Delta King was originally a 285-foot riverboat that voyaged between San Francisco and Sacramento in the 1920s. According to the hotel literature:

At 6pm each evening, the grand ladies of the Delta left their docks for the 10.5 hour trip that included prohibition era drinking, jazz bands, gambling and fine dining. A stateroom was $3.50 but “for a dollar and ‘…your own blanket’ the night could be spent on the Cargo Deck.” The riverboat fell into disarray in the ’30s, but was restored in the 1980s.

The Check-in & Room

Check-in was pretty easy. The staff, though less polished than a luxury hotel, was still attentive and friendly. I found my way to my room on the upper deck, the third floor. It was a charming room with vintage furnishings, a queen sized bed, a very large bathroom with toiletries and a good wifi connection.

The Restaurant

For dinner, I made my way to the second floor restaurant on the deck and ordered fish & chips (you can skip this), Brussel sprouts (I recommend), and sparkling white wine. The food took a very long time, but I eventually enjoyed my meal while I watched locals float past the Delta King in their yachts blasting hip hop music. I could smell the salt of the Sacramento River carrying water from the Pacific at least 100 miles away. Couples holding hands strolled past me as I sipped my Prosecco.

The following morning, when I opened my door, my pitch black room was filled with rich morning light and a beautiful river view. A friendly custodian cleaning the deck commented on a sea-lion, that the team had named George, who was enjoying his breakfast of fish and river critters. I made my way to the lower deck where free breakfast was served for hotel guests. Breakfast, which consisted of two eggs, meat, a muffin, coffee and juice, was quite nourishing.

I made my way back to my room, finished packing, and double checked my itinerary. The train to my next stop was leaving in 20 minutes! I wanted to slap myself! What was wrong with me! I rushed out the door, checked out (I left my headphones at the restaurant but they left them for me at the front desk) and called a Lyft to the train station, which was luckily only five minutes away…. I found myself running, barefoot — because my flats flew off — to the Amtrak train. I made it with one minute to spare.