THE ALWAYS-OPEN ANCHOR OF NEVADA CITY’S DOWNTOWN
The National Exchange Hotel is not a building. One conversation with its daily drivers and that truth becomes inherently clear. It’s a cohort, a collective, led by General Manager Kate Snyder and Executive Chef Alan Gosker, both Nevada County locals, both jack-of-all-trades, both free from the constraints of corporate titles, (both uniquely passionate about potatoes), both doing what the building asks of them, in a hotel that never closes.
A three-year renovation in 2018 saw The National Exchange Hotel revitalized amidst failing conditions to establish it as the hotel-noir it is today. Dark, moody, Victorian, this historic building has housed presidents and entertainers like Hoover and Twain, holding onto its gold-rush charm by omitting stairs, elevators, and airport shuttles. “I think our devotion to history helps guests find stillness and relaxation in a very modern world,” says Kate. “This is a leisure spot, we don’t get much business travel, so the hotel is designed to allow for those analogue experiences like reading a book, taking a nap, walking down to the bar and enjoying a cocktail, dinner, or brunch.”
“There’s a lot of things to do in the area as well,” adds Alan, in his endearing Irish accent. “You don’t have to be housebound. The surrounding environment, with trails, stores, street fairs, and so-on, it’s all very nearby, very walkable.”
From the wrap-around canary-yellow couch in the grand lounge, to the veranda overlooking Broad St., to the 38 rooms dressed in various elegance, to The National Bar and Lola Dining, The National Exchange Hotel is a portal to an era synonymous with California. “It’s a powerful building,” says Kate, “and Alan and I run it like we own it, no doubt, that kind of commitment is absolutely necessary for it to continue; but even just walking the halls, you feel the history, you feel all the people that have been here before us. It’s a wild thing that still exists, and that’s still standing.”
Lola Dining, the hotel’s main dining room, features Alan and Kate’s vision for “fine-yet-playful” comfort food.” “I wanted to bring it all down a level,” says Alan, “We still practice French classical technique, but we’re not stuffy, it’s very approachable. A lot of the dishes are colorful, and we like to execute on a high level in terms of the cleanliness and presentation, but the underlying ingredients are really simple.” Simple, yet creative–– like their three different types of potatoes, from french fries to pave.
“It’s a bit of a running joke,” says Kate, laughing, “but anytime I go into the kitchen to ask him about billing or marketing, he’s always making potatoes.”
“It’s a debate over whether they should be baked or boiled,” Alan adds, in a conversation that feels like an old joke between long friends.
Open 365 days a year 24 hours a day, The National Exchange Hotel stands as a lighthouse for both guests and locals, anchoring Nevada City’s downtown into a past not easily preserved. “The building decides the day,” says Kate, “but our team of over 70 employees truly enjoy working here. Our goal is always to make sure guests can walk away with an experience that represents our town’s history.”
Oh, and as for the potatoes, they’re pure gold.
211 Broad St. Nevada City, CA
530-362-7605
