Chico Hotels: Where to Stay in California

Hotels in Chico, California cover a wide range, from a restored 1904 downtown hotel to chain properties and budget motels. This guide lists the Chico lodging we could confirm, shows where each one sits, and flags every detail we could not verify. Addresses and phone numbers come from the properties and from local tourism sources. Rates change daily, so we do not quote them. One important update: the Bidwell Mansion tour has been closed since a December 2024 fire, so plan your trip around other sights.

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Where to Stay in Chico, California

Hotel Diamond in Downtown Chico

Hotel Diamond is the best known boutique choice among Chico hotels. The hotel stands at 220 West 4th Street, Chico, CA 95928. Call 530-893-3100 or email guestservices@hoteldiamondchico.com.

The building dates to 1904. The hotel site says James Franklin Morehead built the original structure with the Diamond Cafe. A restoration reopened the building as a hotel in 2005. The Butte County tourism guide calls the property an elegantly restored 1904 building.

The hotel lists more than 16 room types. Choices range from standard rooms to junior suites, a Honeymoon Suite, and two penthouses. Accessible rooms exist. The site also lists a restaurant called The Grill, bar service, on-site spa services, a continental breakfast, a 24-hour front desk, an elevator, baggage storage, and banquet rooms. Guests also receive fitness center passes.

The site does not state check-in and check-out times. Ask when you book. Choose Hotel Diamond if you want to stay downtown near shops, dining, and California State University, Chico.

Hotel Katerina and Other Boutique Stays

The Butte County tourism guide lists Hotel Katerina as a modern upscale hotel with a rooftop bar and the Rancher’s Daughter restaurant. The guide also lists Hotel James, a hybrid of a boutique hotel and a bed and breakfast with keyless PIN access.

We could not open the official sites for either property. We found no address, phone number, or policy list from a second source. Treat both as single-source listings and confirm details by phone before you book.

Chain Hotels in Chico, CA

Chico has a solid group of national brands. The Butte County tourism guide lists these hotels in its flagship group: Courtyard by Marriott Chico, DoubleTree by Hilton Chico, Hampton Inn and Suites Chico, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Chico, and Residence Inn by Marriott Chico. The same guide lists Oxford Suites Chico among its independent choices. We confirmed more detail on only one of them.

The guide places Courtyard by Marriott near the Chico State campus, Hampton Inn and Suites near the Chico Marketplace shopping area, and Holiday Inn Express and Suites close to the Meriam Park neighborhood. Residence Inn is an all-suite extended-stay hotel with full kitchens. Oxford Suites uses a design inspired by local almond orchards and Bidwell Park.

DoubleTree by Hilton Chico

DoubleTree stands at 685 Manzanita Court, Chico, CA 95926. A hotel listing gives the phone as 855-282-1325. The Butte County guide calls the hotel LEED certified and places the hotel off the Golden State Highway.

The listing names free Wi-Fi, free parking, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a hot tub, a business center, and electric vehicle charging. The same listing says the hotel welcomes pets and runs a free shuttle to Chico Municipal Airport. Commercial flights at the airport ended in 2014, so confirm what the shuttle serves before you count on the shuttle. We could not verify check-in times or pet fees. Call the front desk to ask.

A hotel listing places the DoubleTree 1.8 miles from Bidwell Mansion. Use a map for a current drive time.

Motels in Chico and Budget Hotels

Budget travelers have many choices in Chico. The Butte County tourism guide lists these budget properties: America’s Best Value Inn Chico, Best Western Heritage Inn, Days Inn by Wyndham Chico, Grace Light Inn, Haven Inn of Chico, Motel 6 Chico, Quality Inn Near Chico State, Safari Inn Chico, Super 8 by Wyndham Chico, Sycamore Inn, Town House Motel, and Regency Inn.

The guide gives no addresses or phone numbers for these motels in Chico. We confirmed details for one of them, which appears below. For the others, search the name on a map, read the current brand on the listing, and call the front desk before you pay.

America’s Best Value Inn Chico

America’s Best Value Inn stands at 740 Broadway Street, Chico, CA 95928. The brand site lists the phone as 530-343-3286. Check-in starts at 3:00 PM and check-out ends at 11:00 AM.

The listing names rooms with a microwave and a mini-fridge, a free daily breakfast, Wi-Fi, cable television with HBO, and non-smoking rooms. Children aged 11 and younger stay free with parents who use the existing bedding. The listing says the outdoor pool is currently closed, so do not plan on a swim.

The listing places Bidwell Park, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and local restaurants within 1.6 miles. The listing also describes walking distance to Chico State and downtown shopping. The listing gives no pet policy, so ask before you bring an animal.

Where to Stay Near Bidwell Park

Bidwell Park covers 3,670 acres and stretches nearly 11 miles through Chico. Annie Bidwell donated about 2,500 acres to the city in 1905. Wikipedia calls the park the fifth largest municipal park in California.

Lower Park has flat ground and dense tree cover along Big Chico Creek. The One Mile Recreation Area holds Sycamore Pool, a swimming facility built in the 1930s, and Caper Acres, a fairy-tale playground built in the 1950s. Upper Park climbs into the foothills. Upper Park holds the Five Mile Recreation Area, Horseshoe Lake, the Monkey Face rock formation, and swimming holes called Bear Hole and Salmon Hole. Cedar Grove holds a tree experiment farm John Bidwell planted in 1888.

Old versions of this guide said you could camp in Upper Bidwell Park. We could not confirm camping, so check with the City of Chico before you plan a tent trip. The park does not hold any lodging we could verify.

Hotels in the center of town give you the shortest trip to the lower park. Downtown choices such as Hotel Diamond and the motels near Broadway keep you close. Staying farther out gives you chain amenities but adds a daily drive.

Hotels Near Chico State and Downtown

California State University, Chico began in 1887 as the Northern Branch of the State Normal School. The university is the largest employer in the city. Campus events fill hotels fast, so book early when a move-in weekend, a commencement, or a game falls on your dates.

Quality Inn Near Chico State and Courtyard by Marriott both advertise a location near the campus in the tourism guide. Hotel Diamond sits downtown near the university. We could not confirm walking times for any of them.

What to Do Near Your Chico Hotel

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park stands at 525 The Esplanade. California State Parks reports the mansion is closed after a December 2024 arson fire. The visitor center has reopened with exhibits and a gift shop. The park listed hours of 10 AM to 3 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Call 530-895-6144 to confirm hours before you go. State Parks runs a project called Reimagine Bidwell Mansion to plan the future of the site. Dogs are not allowed in the park.

The mansion was a 26 room Victorian house museum. John and Annie Bidwell married in 1868. Notable guests included Rutherford B. Hayes, Susan B. Anthony, and John Muir. Older travel pages still sell mansion tours, so treat those pages as stale.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company opened in Chico in 1979. The brewery sits at 1075 East 20th Street. Call 530-893-3520. The Chico site lists a taproom and restaurant, brewery tours, and a gift shop. The company site gives no hours, so check the website or call.

Chico also has the Chico Art Walk and the Chico Museum, which older versions of this guide mentioned. We could not confirm current details for either, so check before you go.

Getting to Chico

Chico sits in the Sacramento Valley about 90 miles north of Sacramento. State Routes 99 and 32 meet in the city. Most visitors drive.

Chico Municipal Airport ended commercial passenger service in 2014. Amtrak runs the Coast Starlight through the Chico station with daily northbound and southbound service. Check the Amtrak schedule for current times.

How to Choose Among Chico Lodging Options

Couples and travelers who like history should start with Hotel Diamond. The restored 1904 building, the restaurant, and the downtown location give you a distinct stay.

Families and travelers with pets should call DoubleTree first. The listing names a pool, a hot tub, and a pet-friendly policy. Confirm pet rules and fees before you arrive.

Long stays point to Residence Inn by Marriott. The tourism guide calls the property an all-suite extended-stay hotel with full kitchens.

Budget travelers should compare America’s Best Value Inn with the other motels in Chico. Call each one, ask for the total with taxes and fees, and compare two booking sites.

Before you pay, confirm the name on the building, the cancellation policy, parking, breakfast hours, and the front desk hours for late arrivals. Many Chico properties change brands, so read the listing closely.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked Hotel Diamond against the hotel site, a local news review listing, and the Butte County tourism guide. We checked America’s Best Value Inn against the Sonesta brand page and the tourism guide. We checked DoubleTree against a hotel listing and the tourism guide. We took park details from Wikipedia and California State Parks.

We dropped four old entries. We found no Hyatt Place in the Butte County lodging guide, so we removed the Hyatt Place Chico listing. The University Inn did not appear in the guide. The old text also described Silver Dollar City as a nearby park, but we found no such attraction in Chico. The old text also listed camping in Upper Bidwell Park, which we could not confirm.

We could not confirm current rates, check-in times for most hotels, or full details for Hotel Katerina, Hotel James, Oxford Suites, and the budget motels. Phone numbers and policies change. Confirm every detail with the property before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Hotels in Chico, California offer a broad mix. Hotel Diamond gives you a restored downtown stay. DoubleTree gives you chain amenities. America’s Best Value Inn and the other motels give you simpler rooms. The Bidwell Mansion remains closed, but Bidwell Park and the Sierra Nevada brewery still give you plenty to do. Call ahead, confirm the current brand and policies, and book early around Chico State events.

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