I booked this hotel through Expedia and had one of the worst hotel experiences I've ever had…read more
From the moment we arrived, the room smelled musty and moldy. The carpets throughout the hotel were stained, and the property felt dirty and poorly maintained. The shampoo dispenser in our shower was broken and hanging off the wall, and the ice machine appeared unsanitary. Even in the dry climate of Gunnison, Colorado, the towels provided each day felt damp. We also had to ask for laundry bags, retrieve our own toilet paper, and repeatedly found the room inadequately stocked with soap and other basic toiletries.
Housekeeping was extremely limited. We were told that the standard service is only to replace towels and empty trash unless guests specifically request that the beds be made. We had to ask just to have our beds made. During our five-day stay, the hallway outside our room was vacuumed only once because they were "short staffed." Our room was only vacuumed after we asked.
The linens also had multiple brown stains when we arrived. Concerned that they might be signs of bed bugs, I asked a staff member to come to the room and inspect them. They assured me the stains were caused by their washing machine and that the hotel did not have a bed bug problem. While I appreciated that they addressed my concern, stained linens are unacceptable in any hotel and only added to the impression that cleanliness and maintenance were not priorities.
Breakfast quality depended entirely on who was working. One breakfast employee was exceptional - hardworking, organized, and kept everything running smoothly. She was the only bright spot during our stay. Unfortunately, when she wasn't working, the experience was completely different. The eggs were burned, and we found a hair cooked into the cheese on the eggs. That breakfast attendant sat on her phone at a table while there were dirty tables that needed to be cleaned up and also permitted someone to enter the kitchen coughing and sneezing around the food preparation area. This was completely unacceptable.
Customer service was virtually nonexistent throughout our stay. Staff showed little interest in addressing concerns, and every request felt like an inconvenience. Even when the vending machine took our money without dispensing the item or returning our change, the front desk's initial response was that it wasn't their responsibility because the machine was owned by an outside vendor. Only after discussing the issue further did the employee agree to refund the $2.25. While I appreciated that it was ultimately resolved, this should have been an immediate customer service gesture rather than something that required debate over such a small amount.
The most frustrating part came at the end of our stay. I became ill, experienced significant breathing difficulties, and was hospitalized, forcing us to check out early. Despite everything we had experienced - the condition of the hotel, the poor service, and a documented medical emergency - the hotel still insisted on charging us for an additional night's stay, claiming it was their standard policy.
Attempting to resolve the issue only added to the frustration. The front desk initially told us that, because we had booked through Expedia, any refund had to be handled by Expedia. However, when we contacted Expedia, they informed us that the hotel first had to authorize the refund. When we relayed that information back to the hotel, the explanation changed: this time they acknowledged that they had to approve the refund but said it would still be processed through Expedia. We were then told the manager was unavailable and could not be reached until after 3:30 p.m. that day. After calling back after 3:30, we were informed that the manager would not actually be available until 7:30 the following morning. The constant runaround and shifting explanations made an already stressful situation even more difficult.
When I finally reached the manager, Hanna, she told me she had notes from the owner stating that they would be enforcing the cancellation policy and charging us for an additional night's stay despite the circumstances. I asked if she could speak with the owner again or if I could speak with him directly. Her response was, "I CAN SPEAK WITH HIM AGAIN, BUT HE IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY." Given that we were dealing with a documented medical emergency and an early departure caused by hospitalization, this response came across as dismissive and lacking compassion.
After relocating to another hotel in the Gunnison area, our breathing improved significantly, further reinforcing our concerns about the air quality and condition of our original room.
I cannot recommend this hotel. Based on our experience, this property suffers from inconsistent housekeeping, deferred maintenance, poor customer service, and management that was unwilling to show flexibility even during a documented medical emergency.
