I have been using this resort for lodging and food ever since it opened in 2008, after decades of skiing here and using lodging in Winter Park. It is wonderful to stay onsite and the accommodations are luxurious. We have stayed here mostly in the winter but we did come for a summer getaway one August. The resort has become a wedding destination and in the summer it appears that most of the rooms are booked for these events. But in the winter, they still book quite a few skiers, from all over the country/world as well as Colorado. The staff is very helpful, the rooms elegant/rustic if there is such a style. Our only complaint is that no matter what room we stay in, there is never enough light. Whether it is in the room for reading or in the bathroom for "styling" they are just too "ecological" which I have mentioned to staff repeatedly. In the past is was often on the cool side too, especially the common areas, but the heat seems to be turned up this winter and it was appreciated. Beautiful stone showers and huge soaking tubs in the rooms. Very nice bedding. No TV, which adds ambiance, but they do have free wifi. Some of the rooms/suites have fireplaces. Even though it is pricey, there are often deals during the winter for non-holiday periods, for instance, book 2 nights, get the third free, if you have a flexible schedule. There is a restaurant/bar, a coffee shop/cafe, a spa, a movie theater room, and a small gift shop in addition to the Nordic/XC Center (separate review.) They seem to be recruiting Happy Hour patrons this year from the greater Winter Park area which livened up the bar/restaurant (Heck's) over previous seasons laid back approach (see my separate review.) This is a real asset to the WInter Park area, though it is a few miles north of town, on the way to Granby. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Bunkhouse room - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

Easily the most pretentious restaurant I've ever eaten in. The waiter tried to seriously upsell the beef. The steak was very good, but we've had much better. None of us have ever seen a menu that charges by the ounce. The charcuterie board had 4 small bites of cheese and a few slices of meat. The best thing we ordered was the Waygu beef stew, but it was more sauce than meat. Extremely disappointing and certainly was not worth $100 per person without alcohol. read more

Beautiful ... but GROSSLY overpriced for the COVID season. We are paying a LOT to be here for a special occasion. It would have been nice if they had told us (when making a reservation or even on their website) that everything is HIGHLY limited due to COVID. Spa? "We can do a facial, but you have to wear a mask the whole time. It will be great for your forehead and neck." (wtf?) Dinner? "We have one restaurant open and reservations are full. We can give you styrofoam takeout and you can eat upstairs, if you want." (Um, is the menu discounted or do I just not tip you?) We are on night 1 of a 3 night stay. If anything improves, I'll update my post. And while it is beautiful, stay away until after the 2020 election when COVID is magically cured. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

Came here for cross country skiing and rentals. The rentals and access pass were reasonably priced. The trails were well maintained and groomed. Beautiful surroundings and kind staff, really had a great experience. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Great views! - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

Attended a weekend wedding event at the property. The property is beautiful and the hotel rooms and cabins were all tastefully decorated and very clean. The food at the restaurants and wedding events were excellent and staff was very accommodating. read more

This is a spectacular resort nestled into the Rockies at nearly 9000 feet. The views are breathtaking and the facilities are as good as you will find almost anywhere. We took our family there for three days just before Christmas and rented a large cabin on the property. We arrived with a one year old, four millennials, two 60 something parent(s), and two dogs. We all had a blast! The front desk and bell service was the best - friendly, funny, and helpful. From cross country skiing to snowshoeing to just kicking back and relaxing, all was good. The outdoor facilities are top rated and the staff is so friendly. I went cross country skiing for the first time and my instructor, Bill, was wonderful. I learned so much from him in just a one hour lesson. So let's look at the one negative in my opinion at Devil's Thumb, dining. There are three places for food on the ranch, a coffee shop which was great but small with limited offerings, a tavern and a fancy dining room. The ranch raises its own Wagyu beef so be prepared for a meat coma if you order it. It's delicious and well prepared. They also offer elk and some seafood. Vegans and vegetarians can be accommodated as well with limited offerings. The fancy restaurant was fine with delicious preparation but very pricey and heavy meals. (At 9000 feet a heavy meal goes down like eating a gold brick so beware if you aren't acclimated.). The tavern is more informal but the food prep was unacceptable in my opinion. Orders were incorrectly prepared, took too long, and were badly prepared in the kitchen. This happened during two of our three visits. Not acceptable, full stop. They need some training and work on the dining end. A lighter fare in the main dining room should also be considered. Sloppy kitchen prep is the culprit. Get it together if you want 5 stars which you deserve! read more

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These people are absolutely terrible. I recommend reading some of their 1 star reviews. Having been to this ranch multiple times (we've gotten our hopes up each time because we really wanted to have a great experience), I can attest to their customer service being absolutely awful. They could not care less if you have a poor experience. It's a lot of money and it's your vacation. You want to know they will take care of you and ensure you have a great trip. These are not those people. Crystal (reservations manager) is terribly unwelcoming, passive aggressive and rude. read more

Restaurant is fantastic. They raise American Wagyu cattle. The steaks and preparation of them are fantastic. The views are beautiful

My wife and I walked into the ranch house and the person at the front desk didn't even great us . We went to Heck's and they have stopped serving non-quests? I've been there to ski and for the spa and noticed that the staff was always aloof but I never really noticed how bad it is until yesterday. If you go to the spa you can't have lunch on site. Made to feel less than welcome by the staff. Rude. Overpriced. Sad because my wife and I liked to ski there and eat lunch. I went there as a kid prior to the current ownership. Beautiful place. Too bad the current owner doesn't care about the level of hospitality. I get the feeling the owner just wants a trophy and not willing and doesn't need to work it. read more

Beautiful location...horrible service. Were there on vacation and hurt myself-hotel was completely unable to help or offer any support. Sent us to wrong urgent care. We honestly expected more. Called manager to let him know and he never called us. Too bad. Amazing wait staff at the restaurant though but did not have the overall best experience. read more

Buyer Beware. The worst meal the 4 of us ever had! I got food posioning, and the others couldn't eat their food. I was hosting our friends from Tabernash, Co. The 1 star refers to the service which was fine. The Ranch Steak House must be relying on their past reputation. I have been waiting 10 days for Lisa one of the managers to get back to me regarding my complaint. No response. This place needs new management, and instructions on how to treat their patrons. Find anyother place, don't take a chance! read more

Beautiful location and facilities. The food was very good and the staff was friendly but the waiter rushed us through the dinner. She was taking plates away while we were still eating the food. read more

Didn't even want to give *one* star - had the absolute worst experience. Staff was not attentive and rude, also seemed very unaware of how to treat customers. I will NEVER return and prices were so ridiculously high for a really bad product. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT GO. read more

We have made a family trip here for 4 years, the last was in 2/2023 and it still holds a special place in our hearts. It's definitely not a full service hotel, you unload your own bags and bring everything to your room. The staff at the front desk is hit or miss, sometimes they are super attentive and friendly and sometimes the desk is unmanned for long periods of time. Other than a small gift shop with some fancy popcorn and candy bars there isn't anything to eat after the restaurants close. And this year there was still significant lack of housekeeping due to Covid, though I think the truth is that labor shortages have hit the area hard. This was also felt in the restaurants with some really slow service and long waits. There is no laundry service, we drive into town to use the laundromat since we don't pack 5 or 6 sets of skiing under layers and no one wants to ski in sweaty ones. When we first arrived late at night 7 years ago we dragged all of our luggage and ski equipment from our car in, waited a solid hour to be checked in and then learned there was no food options for our then 4 and 6 year olds. So why have we continued to come back? The views surrounding the ranch in the winter are magical. My kids love the horses and the activities offered at the barn and the proximity to Winter Park is great. Eating s'mores around the outdoor fire pit under the stars is a memory we will have forever and despite all of the issues noted above, for us the pros continue to outweigh the cons. read more

It's hard to imagine a setting more magical, romantic, and glorious than Devil's Thumb Ranch. From the meditative lake to the sweeping mountain vistas which envelop the property, DTR is a deep breath of fresh air. I've had the pleasure of photographing a variety of events here over the years and am always just as impressed by the warm attentiveness of the staff and the luxurious caliber of the amenities as we are by those breathtaking views. I cannot say enough good things about the setting, the restaurant and event spaces, and the dedicated team who make it all happen behind the scenes! read more

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Don't go at the end of the season. I dragged 7 friends up there for a lackluster meal. The waiter didn't know what sides came with the meal, so I ordered mushrooms in addition to what came with the elk... ended up getting mushrooms on the plate and a side of mushrooms. The real problem was the actual elk loin. Dry, over cooked, with no flavor. I took one bite, and didn't touch it for the rest of the night. The waiter didn't even notice as he took it away. A few friends got the wagyu sampler for $200/piece, and neither thought it was worth the price. Mashed potatoes were horrible as well. We paid $1200 for garbage. Too bad, as I've had a few good experiences there, but won't be going back. read more

Beautiful trails and vistas of the Continental Divide. Staff was very helpful with ski rental and figuring out a loop suitable for my skill level. Not crowded as it was a Monday. I would definitely go back! read more

Came here for a work function and I'm so glad I was invited to this magnificent ranch. Visiting from the east coast you almost forget the what the rest of the country has to offer. The scenery is just breathtaking. Staff , activities and ranch are just amazing. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

Gross and unsanitary everything is overpriced for the quality that is actually served. their plain flavorless over cooked $28 burger is a great example. it only have chz and lettuce read more

I had a great time trying out the cross county ski there. The ranch was absolutely beautiful. They offer many routes with different difficulty levels. I heard they also host cross country ski competitions there. Although I spent most of my time at winter park for the downhill ski, this was still definitely a great place to explore. The ranch lodge looked very nice too, in the main lobby they have a huge fireplace (as pictured). I heard the owner designed this as a replica of a famous large fireplace in Oregon. The staff were very friendly, helped me find my sunglasses that I left there by accident. So thank you and hopefully I will get to visit the place again soon. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Cross country ski - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

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Horrible service and nice facilities. We arrived at 1pm and were treated like we were not supposed to be there at all. They took my credit card and told me to come back at 4pm or they would text me. Even at Motel 6 someone would tell you how to spend time nearby before check in time. I was treated better at the DMV in NY than here. I have to admit your Ranch Creek Suite is nice, but doesn't make up for the post office service you received us with. read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

On February 12, 2021 we were rejected to have lunch at the Devil Thumbs restaurant for my birthday. Manager Dan said the restaurant are for lodgers only but when fact the website stated that Non-lodgers are welcome to hike, stay, dine in, and other recreational activities. We felt very unwelcome due to our race. There were only 1 couple sitting in the entire restaurant (to the left side of the restaurant as you were walking in, they could of accommodate us. We spoke to Dan that it was my birthday, looking forward to enjoying our lunch and an amazing experience at Devil's Thumb. We strongly feel that we don't recommend this place to anyone especially non-Caucasian race to support their business. We hope this message reach everyone from readers including all employees who work for this company. In order to change this restaurant to have a better reputation, it must start by firing the leading operator named Dan (manager) I hope to see the owners take the initiative to look deep into this situation. We STRONGLY believe this situation was race profiling and we were the victims. We are extremely upset and disappointed and we hope once again that the owners correct their management approach. Thank you. read more

With out a doubt one of the best places to have a vacation, wedding or team building event. There's horse back ridding, fishing, white water rafting, archery, zip lining, or just relax at spa or pool. All the meat is raised on the ranch. 8,000 acres of pure beauty. The service at restaurants is very poor, however the quality of food and views make it bearable. You can order stuff to be sent to pool however it takes forever and order was screwed up twice out of three orders the afternoon we were there. The rooms and cabins are first class. Beds are comfy, sheets are five star. Bathrooms are very modern too. All of the guides were awesome. They really loved what they do. The zip line instructors, horse guides were really world class. As you can see from the pictures it's truly a vacation of a lifetime..... read more

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How has no one reviewed this place yet? I can't say enough about how beautiful it is here. It is everything you expect in a luxury log cabin. There is so much attention to detail here from the distressed leather chairs (all different) to the staff calling you by name. They always made us feel like we were the most important people there (we've stayed 3x). The food in the Ranch House (the fancier one) is bar none. Chef Ken is amazing. I have loved everything I've eaten there. He even made a special "goose" dinner for our wedding reception (German Christmas tradition). Heck's tavern is more casual and family oriented and occasionally we had a bad waitress. I've had worse but the bad ones stand out fast when everyone else is amazing. The cabins- all of them are awesome and unique. We've stayed in two of the offsite cabins and burned "real" wood in the fireplace all night long. It is a small hike to these cabins but can be daunting in freezing conditions if you aren't in the best shape. The rooms connected to the lodge are also breathtaking. Try to get a room with the continental divide view. But honestly, if you love clean, heated floors, rustic, spacious rooms then any of them will do. They also offer a complimentary shuttle pick up from the train station. Most of us came that way. Having a wedding here in the summer or winter is truly unbeatable. A totally different feel with each season but still priceless in my humble opinion. My only gripe with my wedding day was that someone spelled my last name wrong on the wedding dinner menus. Kind of traumatic but they corrected it on the spot. P.S I'm kind of reluctant to post this because I feel like this is one of those hidden gems that once found out about prices will rise and occupancy will cease to exist but what the heck. The photographer was Brinton Studios and wedding planner Jessica Adler all HIGHLY recommended. read more

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We went there for thanksgiving diner 2019. 4 members of our group were poisoned by their food. Its not worth going here, stay away. I did not plan to spend 24 hours on the toilet. My vacation time is valuable I work hard so I can have time off. This is not how I wanted to spend my vacation. Also need to add that we requested no plastic. The young adults at our table age 13 to 21 all received their soda's in plastic cups. I am sure they are old enough to handle a glass reusable. If this is a self sustaining ranch they need to be doing more for the environment. read more

Incredible landscape and xcountry skiing. Nightmare customer service. They booked us for the wrong month, so our reservation was missing when we checked in and then had to stay in a room different from what we wanted. This place used to be cool and casual back in the day. Now it's really for weddings and corporate events. I think that needs to be made clear for folks. Waiting in line for a coffee while an entire bridal party orders isn't what i was hoping for. At least separate the resort? Plus we didn't get to sit by the fireplace because it was packed w corporate event. I had some weird allergic reaction so we had to leave early to go to ER. They wouldn't credit us and actually overcharged us. Won't ever stay there again- what a drag it used to be a gem. read more

November 2016 What an absolutely idyllic spot! This is my 2nd stay at Devil's Thumb and this time I decided to try out the autumn "shoulder" season which is the quiet time between Summer/Fall and the winter ski season. Devil's Thumb is an easy 90 minute drive from Denver (granted, you need to pay attention to traffic times) - I drove up on a Monday afternoon which was a breeze (reverse traffic). There was barely any snow so the road over Berthoud Pass was easy (again, check traffic and weather conditions before heading up) Lodging - Room 116 I stayed in The Lodge which is the the main entrance lodge - my room was 116 - one of the best spots! Room 116 is a one bedroom with a separate living room, mini kitchen and huuuuge bathroom. One feature I loved is that the WC had it's own separate space with another sink - that way you could keep your private bathroom space separate in case guests visited. Nifty, right?? The view was spectactular - it faced west towards the Continental Divide & the actual Devil's Thumb is visible from the porch and bedroom. Nothing like thumb gazing from the comfort of a poofy king size bed :D The bedroom had amaaazing views of the surrounding. Also, I'm a bit of a zombie apocalypse person and I'm constantly thinking in terms of access so I liked the fact that the room (which was on the first floor) wasn't easily accessible. Yes, my mind thinks that way. I loooooved the stand-alone copper tub and took advantage of it during my stay - very comfortable. The bathroom floors are also heated (perfect on chilly nights). The stand alone shower was ginormous. The decor in my room and throughout the entire resort is adorable and well done. Very personal and eclectic and included original photographs, fun knicknacks, baubles, even historic barb wired (which sounds odd but it was done so artisticly!) Common Areas The resort has a rich & amazing history which all of the staff are incredibly well versed on - owners Bob & Suzanne Fanch have done an amazing job with the resort and their green practices are bar none: Geothermal heat in the buildings, local vendor organic meats & produce in their restaurant, water sand filtration system for water filtration and purification, reclaimed wood in the new buildings, recycling, low phosporous cleaning products - right up my alley! The pool and hottub were fantastic - both are saltwater which was great because chlorine tends to irritate my skin. This area also includes a steam room and a dry sauna as part of the overall facilities. The Spa also has great amenities which we will definitely try next time! Speaking of Spa, we took a quick tour of the Spa and it's very soothing, fabulous and luxurious - again, for my next visit. They also have a yoga studio on the 2nd floor of the spa with amazing views - if you can't get zen there, you can't get zen anywhere! Heck's Restaurant - we ate there several times (see my separate review) and overall it was fantastic! The local ranch raises Waygu beef and it's served at the restaurant. GREAT wine and beer selection. The staff is fantastic and VERY responsive - super knowledgeable and helpful. Abby at the front desk was Ziplining - I did the single trip zipline and it was so fun! A beautiful ride up to the zipline sight (SUPER scenic). Eric and Andrew were both knowledgeable and fun and filled us in on the resort, the grounds and more. I felt very safe in their hands! They gave us great instructions & then treated us to our beverage of choice afterwards. I love how they stopped along the way for photos ops & information about the resort & the grounds. Horseback riding - another great experience! The wonderful thing about the "shoulder" season is that it's very quiet and uncrowded. Electra and the team were so much fun and took us on a great 90 minute jaunt. OH, and there was a baby calf at the barn - what a treat! This is a fantastic spot for corporate events - so many different meeting venues dotted around the property. Overall, it was a fabulously peaceful spot for an escape! Oh, and you can head into the neighboring towns very easily, in case you want to mix things up... Sept. 2016 Oh. Em. Gee. If you get a chance to visit Devil's Thumb, you'll be so happyI I attended the Rocky Mountain Driving Experience and Devils Thumb really put it all together. Combine luxury & performance car driving with the setup, rooms, dining & catering setup and I was in heaven. The catered breakfast, lunch and dinners were ON POINT. This means I had several times to experience the food and.. hands down, I was VERY impressed, full and happy. The grounds are well kept and picturesque. Anytime of year here is amazing. The room I was in was on the end on the first floor and the only drawback was that anyone walking on the past could look into the lovely setting porch off the room BUT there is very little foot traffic unless there is an event. So you not only have a large room but also a fabulous porch. read more

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Where would Baby Doe Tabor have taken her hubby Horace to his birthday dinner at the height of the bull silver market in the 1880's? If you'd said, "The Devil's Thumb Ranch Restaurant" you would of course be wrong, since the DTR wasn't developed until the late 1930's. But you would have been right in spirit. The Devil's Thumb Ranch is a stellar back country cowboy Colorado luxury resort, with services ranging from horseback riding to full spa treatments; from stellar cross country skiing on over 5,000 acres of drop dead gorgeous property to great fly fishing. But what brought us there this last weekend was my honey asked me where I wanted to have my birthday dinner and I told her the DTR Restaurant. The view from the dining room looks east to the Front Range in a spectacular setting, across open meadows and gently rising forests that frame the high mountain peaks. The place has been renovated in the last few years and has gone totally green, with off-the-grid geo-thermal heating and energy production, and aggressive recycle / sustainable policies, including the use of locally grown, and organic foods in their restaurant. The restaurant, itself, rocks. Evan Treadwell's the chef, and we had his 5 course tasting menu, with wine pairings. It was expensive ($125/pp), and it was great. The poached oysters with lardons in a saffron foam sauce were incredibly good, and the steelhead with eggplant confit and hummus was amazing, as were the elk tenderloins with currants, parsnips and Red Sea salt. They were perfectly done and couldn't have been better. So why not 5 stars instead of 4. Probably the price-to value-ratio. On Tuesday nights in Denver you can go to Charcoal and get a 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings for about $50 a person. On the weekends the price goes up, but not by 2 and 1/2 times. The DTR Restaurant is great. It's view sure beats what can be seen outside the window in the Golden Triangle neighborhood, and the remote location certainly adds additional operating costs to the bottom line. But $125 a person is a bit too high even given those considerations. Nonetheless, if you want to blow it all in a big celebration with the costs-be-damned, then there are few ways better to spend your dough than at the Devil's Thumb Ranch Restaurant (Just hope, however, that you don't end up like Horace Tabor:-). read more

The hotel grounds, the views and our suite were really wonderful. The pool was great too! So why 3 stars? Because a remote ranch like this must have a great restaurant and unfortunately Heck's Tavern is an unmitigated disaster. The waiters are confused, aimlessly running around. The food is plainly terrible. The breakfast is overpriced. There are other reviews here that also advise to simply not eat at Heck's but the number of options outside is also limited given the remote nature of the hotel. Just fix this situation by hiring professional waiters and much, much better chefs and then you can easily claim to be a 5 star place. Until then, Heck's is ruining the otherwise great experience. read more

heads up for cross country skiers: if you thought you'd spend a day skiing, with a break for a nice lunch, think again. the restaurant in the lodge -- Heck's tavern -- is only available for lodge guests. We were turned away and told to go to the other restaurant on the property-- the Ranch House. But it's only open for dinner, 5 days a week. The staff in the lodge didn't know this? So no lunch, we left. the property is 5 miles from anything else. Ironically when we were turned away from Heck's (for lodge guests only!), the dining room was empty. read more

I went to a wedding here over the weekend and I honestly think this is one of the most gorgeous wedding venues in the state of Colorado that I've ever been to. Everything about it was beyond beautiful - the stage was set up with the mountains in the background and the seats were rustic, perfectly aligned, etc. The staff was super friendly, the filet was delicious and the bartenders were so on top of it and the line never got long because they were so fast. I loved that they had a fire pit outside so you could relax in between dances. If you're looking for a venue to get married at, check this place out! read more

Our company hosted our annual Producer's meeting at Devil's Thumb last week. In a word: "Wowza!" Everything about my experience was 5-star. Each of us was greeted on arrival by friendly door attendants and our rooms were ready on arrival. I very much appreciate the owners' conservation efforts, including hauling two antique barns from various parts of the country and reconstructing them onsite - absolutely stunning! Each of the meals prepared for our group were quite tasty. The meeting spaces we used accommodated our group very well. The Ranch features two restaurants, ample meeting space, a game room complete with billiards, foosball, shuffleboard, checkers, and mini-bowling, and a theater in which Guests can screen DVD movies borrowed from the front desk. They also offer a variety of seasonal outdoor activities. On Monday afternoon, our company offered us a nice selection of activities from which to choose. I opted to visit the spa and have my first-ever massage. The spa experience was superb and the massage itself got me hooked. The relaxing after-effects lasted well into the week. Every time I talked with my wife during my visit, I said, "we have to come visit sometime." I look forward to that. read more

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There is no denying the fact that this is an amazing place, but some elements are seriously lacking. However, for such an expensive place it's sadly lacking in the basics and that makes it hard to recommend. Basically, don't eat here. The restaurant was awful, and there's only one. The first night three of the things we ordered were not available and the second night we had to send back three of our meals they were so bad, plus the meal was ruined further by a singer singing so off key it was painful. We're honestly not normally complainers and will put up with a lot but this was literally the worst restaurant experience I've had. I complained but the hotel only removed the uneaten items from the bill; I was hoping they'd go further given the fact that two of our family had no dinner. If you're vegetarian you'll be eating the same meal every night. In addition, the coffee shop, which has a small menu, had half the options unavailable too. We booked a zip lining tour and they have these really cool trucks they drive you up the hill -- but our driver couldn't drive it so we had to go in a van with only one working window. Not the guide's fault but it was disappointing. I did get the impression that the guides could do with better care from their employers. The zip line guide apologized if her uniform shirt smelled because they only get one!!! Plus it was so hot but they have to wear these long sleeved shirts, she said she wished they had tank tops. Also she said the resort is understaffed so she was having to work overtime, and her room in the bunk room they live in had no window! Fancy resorts need to look after their staff! My other complaint is that every single extra costs money. The games room & the bikes for example. How cool would it be to be able to borrow bikes to explore the property? Or just to get around, as everything is pretty far apart. I recommend you ask to stay in the main lodge. The new addition is a real pain to pop back to through the day. read more

Such a beautiful wedding venue in Colorado - arguably the most stunning for destination weddings or Denverites wanting to feel like they're having a destination wedding. Can't beat the views! read more

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If you believe most adventures should begin and end within walking distance of a well-stocked bar, you'll find a lot to like about Devil's Thumb Ranch. Step away from your Old Fashioned, its materials promise, and you'll discover,"5,000 acres of raw Colorado." And if that has you interested, then you'll also appreciate the bajillion-square-foot spa, the miles of cross-country skiing trails, the stables and the general lack of cell-phone service. Don't expect to check e-mail on the go. This is the experience Devil's Thumb offers. The decor is "raw" and "Coloradan" inasmuch as any four-star resort hotel can be either of those things. Wood abounds. Dark stains impart a closeness in an otherwise enormous building, and a central stone fireplace soars three stories. Cowboy hats hang from every vertical surface, but mercifully, no one has yet thought to include a bear carved out of a stump. For everyone's sake, I hope it remains so. Checking into your room, you may or may not find a TV, a fireplace, a bathtub or a chair that fits a normal-sized adult. This is also raw, in the sense that you, like the pioneers who first explored these parts, will never know quite what to expect from your environs. You can, however, count on a bedside document detailing just how "green" Devil's Thumb has made your visit. I don't remember the exact language of the card but it goes something like, "At Devil's Thumb, the way we figger it, bein' green ain't just for kicks; it makes plain good sense." So they cut a hole out of the center of your soap to prove the point. And trucked a Civil-War-era barn from Virginia to Colorado so they wouldn't have to build a new one. This does not make sense, plain good or otherwise, but you don't come to Devil's thumb to ask questions. You do come for the overall effect, which is as you'd expect: rustic and relaxing. Absent the go-go mentality of a ski resort, Devil's Thumb offers something more along the lines of bucolic bliss. You can feed the horses if you want. You can snowshoe. And at any given time, you'll rarely see more than a few other people. It's that kind of place, set sometimes literally in the shadow of the Indian Peaks, where no matter what you're doing, you feel you've arrived, and that you're no longer obligated to do anything else. It's about being there to be there--not about spending the night and moving on. I sense it's this quality that makes the place something of a wedding factory throughout the year. Well, that and the two bars. If you want to go elsewhere, though, Winter Park is a completely reasonable drive, and the town of Fraser offers several more dining options. But I imagine that if you've picked Devil's Thumb, you're not about to leave until your stay is over. Why would you want to? The Deets: Cost: You'll spend at least $300/night on a room in the lodge. There is (or was) a "bunkhouse" down the road which sounds a lot like a hostel and goes for about $100 + tax. Activities: Spa, cross country skiing including rentals and lessons, snowshoeing, horseback riding, biking, hiking, game rooming, marrying, drinking, cigar smoking Eat and drink: Two restaurants, both pricey. Two bars with a decent selection of wine and beer. Reasonably-priced coffee shop. read more

We had an amazing room and view in the main lodge. However, the wifi is very slow. The breakfast buffet for $35 a person is not worth it. The waitress was no where to be found with three tables. We had to get our own sugar from another table, and we had nothing to stir our coffees. Again this is a $70 breakfast! The breakfast is not worth it at all. There was nothing on the 4th of July for the 4th of July. When we went to the pool on the Fourth of July there were mainly children in the pool and paper products on the bottom. There were no chairs available and no clean towels. Normally I would say whatever, but this place is not worth the price tag, and it's definitely not a five star resort like it claims to be. It's worth maybe $300 a night for the view and room, not near $500. I understand it was a holiday, but again it's supposed to be five stars and top of the line. It's really not either of those things. This review is a response to an earlier follow-up by management to my review for over the Fourth of July 2021 because I find that they showed the worst customer service I've ever experienced. "The bottom of our pool does have different colored concrete that can look out of place, however, we are confident in the cleanliness. We are also sure to have clean towels on hand, but if ever we run out, our pool bartender is happy to request replenishing." - Response from "owner" I wish that I had taken a picture of the paper product in the bottom of the pool, but I don't typically go around taking photos of issues I see at a "five-star" resort while on vacation. I did not think that the owner would outright deny my experience as a paying customer. It was by the stairs near the bar, and both my husband and I saw it. I don't know if the owner thinks we're blind or dumb, but I have a Masters from Carnegie Mellon University, and my husband is a CPA and CGFM. We know that we saw a dirty paper product rolling around the floor of the pool. Potential customers please notice how poorly the owner responded to this! Second, I did ask a woman with a mountain of dirty towels in her hand in the indoor side of the pool for clean towels. She informed me that there were none left. She said they had to check at the "lodge". So no, there were no clean towels upon request. It's interesting that the owner assumed I did not ask a staff member. Notice there was no response about how there were no lounge chairs left for my husband and I to just sit by the pool for almost $500 a night resort. I didn't think this place could get worse and just by the "owner's" response; it has. "We're sorry you missed the movie on the lawn on Saturday night and Sunday's Fourth of July BBQ and live music to celebrate the holiday." - Response from "owner" You know I did miss the movie on the lawn, but that's not the Fourth of July. If you are talking about the Fourth of July BBQ, I'm very glad we missed it as another person reviewed it in google reviews that I also attached. This is what they had to say about it: "My only real qualm with DTR is their overpriced, lackluster food. We recently did their BBQ buffet, which was $65/person. $65 for a mediocre burger, hot dog, and mediocre ribs. The corn-on-the-cob was virtually inedible." - Michael Willis The live music is not a special Fourth of July activity either. I'm also glad we missed that as reviewed by another reviewer for around the same time period we were there as well. They said: "2. The live music in Heck's restaurant was shockingly bad." -Jon Talbot For anyone still reading please click on my profile and see that I generally leave VERY good reviews when I do leave them. It's not my intention to unfairly critique establishments. I would rather praise places for doing things well, than bash them online. That's not who I am. I wrote my review to warn other people like me who thought that there were so many good reviews that it was still worth booking a trip. It's not worth booking a trip as you can see by the response I received from the owner. I attached photos as well because apparently to this owner if there isn't a picture, it didn't happen. Don't just take my word for it, read the screenshots of other reviews around or at the same time we stayed. Here are some quotes below for you. I was SO disappointed in this place. For the price, we paid there was little value. - Andrew Jannot "All in all, Devils Ranch does not live up to the hype, and it's the really basic things that let them down. Service, food and atmosphere. This is nowhere close to a 5 star resort. 3.5 at best." -Jon Talbot read more

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Honestly - I hate writing poor reviews. I would much rather write a review about an enjoyable experience. However, Devil's Thumb Ranch (DTR) recently provided my girlfriend and I with the worst customer service we have experienced in a long time. If you would like to stop reading and want the bottom line... here it is: for two days (we stayed at both their High Lonesome Lodge and the Vasquez Creek Inn) we were treated with disrespect and met with levels of unprofessionalism I didn't realize could exist at what people would consider a "nice place." If you're still reading this, I will now go into a bit more detail, in list form, of why it was such an unpleasant experience for us. First, to provide context, we were there for a wedding, which my girlfriend was in. We stayed the first night at the Vasquez and the second night at the DTR High Lonesome Lodge. - We called the day before check in to confirm that we were able to check in early to our room at the Vasquez, as we were driving from Denver and needed to be at the rehearsal dinner by 4. The representative said this is absolutely not a problem and there wasn't anyone in the room the night before so "come anytime." The room was not only dirty when we showed up, but it took an hour for anyone to show up at the front desk to help us. We were stuck talking on the phone to the front desk at the DTR, who was copping an attitude (I believe her name was Rene) telling us that they cannot guarantee check in until 4pm. - Nobody seemed to know what was going on at the Vasquez. The people who were "working" didn't have answers or help. - We confirmed with Rene, who was still giving us attitude, that the next day we were on the early check in list, along with the entire rest of the wedding party. This was a necessity because the wedding was at 3pm. - Next day: I go to see if my room is ready around noon. They say my room is not ready but should be shortly. Please read: EVERYONE ELSE IN THE BLOCK OF ROOMS FOR THE WEDDING WAS ABLE TO CHECK RIGHT IN without a problem. - It's two hours later and they are purposely withholding my room from me. Everyone else is checked in, wedding starts in one hour, my room is definitely clean (I went upstairs and verified this... twice) and they are still saying "room isn't ready". They're not only being unaccommodating, but they are being very uppity about the whole thing. I would like to take this time to note that I generally have a calm and accepting demeanor. I was polite through this entire process until right about now when I realized they were PURPOSELY trying to by unhelpful. - It wasn't until I demanded that someone walk me to my room that "isn't ready yet" to show me how un-ready it was, that I was finally given my key. That was at 2:15pm after for 2.5 hours I had been polite and offered to tip the cleaning staff to get to my room, to no avail. To reiterate my bottom line... the staff, especially the management I spoke with, take the position that guests will come regardless for the views. So, they are in no particular position to be helpful or nice. There were several other people in the wedding that had scheduling issues or issues with the staff, including the wedding planner. However, I was the only one that had their room directly withheld from them for reasons I cannot even imagine. I can absolutely say for sure that we will not be having our wedding there because of the experiences many in the party had. Good riddance. read more

This ranch is decadent! I loved every moment of the 2.5 days I spent here with my camera photographing the most amazing wedding. The details, the food, the smells the color wood finishings give off at night when the fireplace is lit, the views are all breathtaking from every direction. Our room was amazing. I wanted to take a bath every night in the tub you could actually soak in. We stayed in the main part of the hotel, but some of the other guests stayed in the cabins up on the hill and it overlooked the whole valley! There is also an area with horses and you can go horse riding. I had come out here in the spring and the flowers were in bloom and it was an beautiful location then as well. read more

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We visited Devil's Thumb Ranch as a family this last January. We chose Devil's Thumb with the understanding they were extremely dog friendly. We've been to many of your typical ski resorts but never a cross country nordic center. As soon as we arrived, we were impressed. The grounds are gorgeous and staff friendly. Both our Golden Retrievers were welcomed with open arms and we were thrilled at the amount of other dogs that were also at the resort. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and fun. The trails range from easy to very difficult. We will be back soon ! read more

Devil's Thumb Ranch - Dog Welcome ! - Resorts Near Me - Tabernash, Colorado

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My favorite place to stay! Just beautiful. Staff is helpful and cheerful. Lots of activities and two delicious restaurants. Make sure you book an appointment at the Ranch Creek Spa.I wish I could give it 5 more stars. read more