It used to be that when you traveled to Sacramento, whether on business or pleasure, you'd be destined to stay the night at some impersonal chain hotel, like a Sheraton or Marriott (which are fine for some, but let's be honest, sometimes you deserve a little pampering). However, thanks to the gradual addition of a few quality inns and B&Bs, this is no longer the case. While not yet thriving like a state capital should, at the very least, Sacramento's heart is pulsating once again.

The latest rising star to arrive on the Sacramento lodging scene is the Inn at Parkside, located just south of Sac's epicenter, which opened its doors in 2007 and has slowly garnered a devout following. When charming owners Diane Gorker and Dan Sedlock took over the 11-room hotel last summer, the place was already in pretty immaculate shape, with carefully decorated rooms and state-of-the-art amentities. Nevertheless, Gorker and Sedlock added a few personal touches of their own like flat-screen TVs (complete with DVRs! when have you ever seen that in a hotel?) and a handful of treatment rooms to the popular Spa Bloom.

All rooms, housed in two side-by-side buildings, are outfitted with televisions, DVD players, iPod docks, spa robes and complimentary wireless. Some have balconies and/or spa tubs. The inn has a well-stocked library chock full of DVDs, VHS tapes and books for your use. A nightly cheese and wine hour will give you a chance to chat with other guests while your nosh, and the shared kitchenettes in each building come in quite handy for fixing up a pot of hot chocolate or tea (especially on those chilly California nights) or storing your leftovers in the fridge. An added bonus: If you're traveling with children, a sprawling play area just across the street in Southside Park is the perfect venue for wearing out your little rugrats.

While you have your pick of lavish rooms from the ornate Passion to the spacious Happiness, with its green-and-gold palette and slanted ceilings, our favorite is Kiss--and not just because we contemplated making off with the linens and curtains (and um, oh yeah, the rug, too) for our own bedroom. A fireplace perched above the in-room Jacuzzi for two makes for a romantic rendezvous, as does the two-person spa shower with three heads, and the whimsical decor and super-soft linens will ensure that you don't leave your room all night long.

The breakfast at Parkside is also not to be taken lightly: An experience in itself, the gourmet spread is better than you might find at a high-end San Francisco brunch spot, with steaming coffee and tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, a fruit plate, pastries right out of the oven, and a hot dish like eggs benedict and country potatoes served when and where (the dining room or delivered to your own quarters) you like it.

For more information on the Inn at Parkside, visit the website or call 800-995-7275.