A Nevada City historic icon worth visiting

Editor’s note: Amy Copperman was a guest of The National Exchange Hotel, which paid for her room and her meals. All opinions expressed below are entirely hers and were not subject to review by the hotel. 

Nevada City is four-hour, non-stop flight from Houston, but the town’s National Exchange Hotel (often just called the National Hotel) will make you feel as if you’ve time-traveled to the Gold Rush — only trade covered wagons for plush beds and gold miners for bohemian locals and stylish travelers.

Keep reading to learn more about the history of this fascinating spot, what you can expect during a visit and why it deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.

The hotel’s gilded Victorian opulence and Wild West charm isn’t a matter of touristy kitsch; this Nevada City hotel is reportedly the oldest continuously operating hotel in California (some claim the oldest continuously operating west of the Mississippi). The hotel, originally known as the Bicknell Block when it opened in 1856, according to the hotel’s staff, holds a prominent place in the history of Nevada City. In the 1880s, under the ownership of the Rector brothers, the National Exchange Hotel became the bustling center of transportation, commerce and communication in the area at the height of the Gold Rush. It was the site of Northern California’s first telegraph and later a post office. 

Throughout its storied past, the National Hotel has hosted an impressive array of notable guests, from esteemed politicians and entrepreneurs to famous entertainers and artists. The hotel’s guest books date back to its earliest beginnings; when you visit, you can even request to flip through it. Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain and Jack London are just a few of the celebrities who have reportedly graced the premises. In its early heyday, the structure stretched to 100 rooms and included an annex building connected to the main structure via a “sky bridge.” The annex was demolished in the 1960s, coinciding with the construction of Highway 49 that sliced through Nevada City, but nods to it can be found in a smaller sky bridge to one of the hotel’s original turrets in the back of the building.

Now under the management of Acme Hospitality, pieces of history have been thoughtfully preserved even as the hotel underwent a three-year renovation, which began in 2018, that saved it from being condemned; even today, the hotel is delightfully topsy-turvy with slanted floors and slightly crooked stairwells. Its current incarnation features 38 guest rooms, an ornate terrace overlooking Nevada City’s historic downtown, more than 400 pieces of art, and a food and beverage program that feels more California than Wild West. Oh, and did we mention the hotel is pet-friendly?

Victorian touches and gilded glamor mingles with contemporary luxury and maximalist decor. You could spend an entire afternoon exploring the hotel’s original artworks and historical artifacts set against elaborately patterned wallpaper. 

The hotel is reportedly haunted (just ask anyone who works there, or watch Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures,” which investigated the hotel’s paranormal activity during its sixth season). But don’t worry — most ghosts are friendly. Look out for rocking chairs that seem to move on their own and see if you can spot a whisper of a face in the original hallway mirrors.

No two rooms are alike at the National Exchange Hotel, but each one offers curated vintage furniture that lends a sense of authenticity to the otherwise modern amenities. Some even come with opulent seating areas. Request a room on the second floor off the hotel’s veranda to enjoy a front-row view of Broad Street.

Fun fact: Room 209 was rediscovered during the renovations. It had previously been walled off in one of the building’s many early transformations. 

Generally when I travel to a country town, I like to find saloons and roadhouses that feel a world away. And for that, you’re going to want to visit The Willo Steakhouse or one of the many other saloons in Nevada City’s historic downtown. But when your taste buds and aesthetic crave a city vibe, the National Exchange Hotel’s Lola delivers. Floor-to-ceiling front windows flood the dining room in light during the restaurant’s brunch service, while antique chandeliers make a feminine architectural statement and cast the spot in a romantic glow come sundown. Plush teal-tufted booths bisect the restaurant, creating a communal and convivial atmosphere. 

The name and decor are an homage to Lola Montez, who resided in Grass Valley for a brief but illustrious time. The Ireland-born pioneer woman was renowned as a dancer, actress, courtesan, mistress, author, activist and lecturer. She was loved (and sometimes reviled) for her “Spider Dance” and was known to carry a whip. And according to Lola’s lead bartender Travis Parsley, she even had a pet bear. Look out for a small photograph of Lola that presides over the dining room towards the back.

I enjoyed a meal in the connected hotel bar, the National Bar, rumored to be among the oldest continuously running watering holes west of the Mississippi. “The Nash,” as its lovingly called, takes on a darker speakeasy feel than Lola, but it’s just as carefully designed. The hotel’s original, ornate radiators have been cleverly repurposed under the bar and add to the feast for the eyes. Take a moment to peruse the photographs of famous pioneer women that line the walls before sliding up to the bar or taking a seat at one of the cabaret tables.

The menu is full of hearty American comfort food, like the popular fried chicken and braised greens and the enough-for-two ribeye, while the appetizers play with global flavors. (The crab appetizer that comes atop brioche and is dressed in yuzu kosho.) All dishes use local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients and are prepared with a European flare. When I was there, the menu made gorgeous use of a particularly bountiful peach season, with the fruit making an appearance in salads and atop the double-cut grilled pork chop.

The cocktail menu is its own adventure and also changes seasonally, but always reflects the bartenders’ impressive historical knowledge of saloon culture. A favorite is the Mizpah, a complex yet balanced blend of mezcal, Carpano Antica, Dolin Génépy le Chamois Liqueur, grapefruit bitters and black pepper. The menu also has an impressive selection of lower alcohol concoctions, along with several beers on tap and thoughtfully curated wines. 

The summer cocktail program is inspired by the Victorian use of spirits to cure or treat common ailments. Each cocktail is named for a historical remedy and uses ingredients that may support healing, or at least reflects the many ways the Victorians used booze to treat everything from general malaise to old age. I don’t know if the Hamlin’s Wizard Oil, made with St. George Green Pepper Vodka, Dolin Blanc, fire bitters, chili oil and habanero, is keeping wrinkles and gray hairs at bay, but the martini-style drink is refreshing and packs a spicy punch that definitely woke me up out of heat-induced malaise. I’ll dream of it on every hot day. 

Beyond being a historic hotel, the National Hotel has woven itself into the fabric of Nevada City’s current cultural identity. Every third Wednesday, the National Bar returns to its bawdy roots thanks to Drag Queen Bingo. During the summer, on a few select Wednesdays, the National vibrates with even more life thanks to Nevada City’s Summer Nights streets fair, which transforms the downtown into a hippie California version of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. You can even get a cocktail to go from the hotel’s bar. 

Wednesdays aren’t the only poppin’ nights at the hotel — keep an eye on the calendar for happenings, such as Celtic sessions from local and traveling Irish musicians and live music every Friday night from Grammy Award winner Tommy Coster. 

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.