A six-room hotel with three pet-friendly cottage suites nearby, Amador City’s historic Imperial Hotel reopened in spring 2023 after extensive renovations transformed it into a modern-yet-vintage space befitting a boutique property. Built in 1879, the inn still has exposed brick walls and original wood floors, but it’s all been spiffed up. Each of its guestrooms are individually decorated. They come with luxury linens, stacks of pillows, gooseneck electric kettles and vintage artwork. The on-site restaurant has a seasonal menu of chef-inspired cuisine, where guests might find, for example, sea scallops with vegetables in yellow coconut curry, or a bowl of clam chowder, thick with cream and bacon. Visitors who haven’t seen the Imperial in awhile will be happily surprised by the improvements owners Kevin Carter and Cassie Davis have brought to this property. It’s a significant refresh.

Photo: Courtesy of @imperialhotelamador on Facebook