The Citizen Hotel

Up the hierarchy. Hotelier Chip Conley developed the Joie de Vivre hotel chain based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and goal of self-actualization. He wrote the book "How Great Companies get their Mojo from Maslow."

The Citizen Hotel helped move me a bit up the pyramid, but being in Sacramento couldn't fully bring me to self-actualization. Oh well, can't have everything.

It's an old downtown bank turned boutique hotel with dark reds and blacks and great drawings and political cartoons along the wall. The best is the black and white pic of a young buff Arnold Schwarzenegger, shirtless and in speedos, flexing with a group of bridesmaids in the women's bathroom in the parlor.

The room was spacious, swanky, sophisticated. Dripping with old school charm and modern day luxuries. An Apple-lovers haven -- iPhone docks, macs in the business center. Dual shower heads, decent products, sitting room with a second flat screen TV (although I learned I had the "ADA room"). Steamer instead of an iron (LOVE), roomy, cozy, great bed, decent mini-bar.

If you are stuck in Sacramento on business or whatever, this hotel is an excellent selection.…