Well, we knew we had booked a "value" motel and had set our expectations accordingly but what we got when we arrived showed that the owners of this establishment (Ruby's Inn Inc) "value" very little.
Bryce View Lodge is a set of 4 barracks style buildings that share a parking lot with a beautiful, newer Best Western. We arrived and tried to check in at the Bryce View Lodge Office and my traveling companion was told in a completely apathetic way that she would have to check in at the Best Western across the parking lot because she was going to dinner at 4:26 pm. Check in is at 4pm. Weird.
So my buddy and I walk over to the Best Western to check in. BIG MISTAKE! Imagine yourself as Little Orphan Annie and you've just landed at the Warbucks Estate. Only you're not Annie, you're one of her scruffy friends that has to go back to Miss Hannigan's.
We asked if we could move to their hotel and they said that we could until 4pm. 26 minutes to late, we asked what the cost difference would be and the answer was about 3 times what we had already paid. Looking at each other we silently decided to suck it up and stay with our original reservation.
We were assigned 3 rooms. We arrive at the rooms and there are no TVs as advertised. Wait, sorry, just our room had no tv. I walk back over to the. Best Western to sort it out. After a bit of back and forth, I begin to ask questions about the amenities promised. The reservation said we could use the pool and continental breakfast at the Best Western across the street. But not here, across the street means across the highway at Ruby's Inn. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed a sign that said this hotel is owned by Ruby's Inn Inc. Now, my friends, this is where things start to get weirder. I asked them why, if Ruby's owns this and the lodge next door and the Inn across the street, why can't all of the properties use all of the amenities. I was told that Ruby's Inn Inc. owns EVERYTHING in Bryce Canyon City but all are managed by different companies. They seemed almost nervous talking about it and my marginally friendly encounter with the staff cooled perceptibly.
Wondering inwardly if we had just wandered into some sort of cult or human trafficking situation I worried that these nice young people were suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Should I corner one of them alone and pass them a note asking if they need help? Further investigation was needed.
Back at the rooms, my door was already open? Our traveling horde began settling in and discovering the realities of our situation. The bedding appeared to be clean and well kept even if the pillows were less than satisfactory. There were plenty of towels and the room itself was clean but small. Arranging our gear became a game of Tetris. But we pressed on.
The Lodge is a two floor edifice with the second floor walkway above the doors of the first floor. The support poles for the second floor walkway were recently painted but upon closer inspection were found to be riddled with fungus damage and rotted nearly through. I prayed silently for the safety of souls staying upstairs.
Travel weary and a bit funky, a shower was in order. There was plenty of water and decent pressure, I was pleased. That was until I stepped out of the shower onto a Tic Tac. We had brought no Tic Tacs. I can only assume the mint belonged to the owner of the black hair in our towels and on the floor. She must be a pleasant sort, clean and minty fresh. I inwardly hoped she was ok. Was she a victim of the Ruby's vortex? We would never know.
In need of some forgotten supplies I walked over to the now open Lodge office to ask where a pharmacy might be located. I was "greeted" and by greeted I mean she looked up at me from her pamphlet restocking. My query was answered with a curt "30 miles away in Panguitch. What do you need?" I answered her strangely personal question and was told I could find it at the general store across the highway. Ruby's General Store. My general sense of unease escalated.
I returned to the office after my trip to the General Store to ask the woman if I could borrow her scissors to open one of my purchases. After a contemplative, possibly suspicious moment, she slid the scissors slowly across the counter, blades first. Was she fearful of her safety or mine.....?
On my way back to my room, I started singing Hotel California". "You can check in but you can never leave...." I thought again about Tic Tac girl.
We stayed 2 nights in Bryce Canyon City, we ate at Ruby's buffet, shopped at Ruby's general store and slept in Ruby's lodge in between trips to Bryce Canyon where you can momentarily escape the creepy feeling of being slowly drowned in sadness and despair by reveling in the glory of nature.
On our final morning, if there were witnesses to our packing and departure they may have believed that we were on the run from the authorities. But alas, we just could't wait to get the hell out of there. read more