Aspen Chamber Resort Association — Attraction in Aspen

I'm really struggling to give this more than a 1 star review. The only reason it gets 2 is because of the saint who responded to my email and provided a refund (after the manager on the phone said it was impossible for the system to process and there was no one else I could talk with). [Update: their response convinced me to lower my rating to 1 star]

A couple of friends and I arrived in Aspen to trek Four Pass Loop. One of those friends stumbled on a website (AspenChamber.org) stating that a shuttle reservation was required to enter the park. We obviously didn't want to miss out on the trip we'd been planning for a year, so we booked the tickets in a panic. Then we got an email confirmation which stated the "only parking" was $40/day (which would be $160 for our trip), despite the website stating that parking would only be $10 total.

The next morning a park ranger said that the $10 park fee we already paid was all we needed. It was already too late to cancel the reservation, so we proceeded with our original plan and didn't take the shuttle.

After returning home, I called the service and spoke with two different people -- one them was a manager. He claimed that we just got "lucky" and the system would not allow them to provided a refund unless it was at least 48 hours before the reservation.

I didn't expect them to provide a refund, but I was way more annoyed that he was clearly lying and giving me the runaround. I looked around for the shuttle service on Google and Yelp to leave a review, but couldn't find it so I decided to email them in a last ditch effort. To my surprise, I received a prompt, short response saying that they were going to provide a refund.

So, yeah... You don't need a shuttle to get into the park (unless it's actually full, which it definitely was not). The overflow parking lots were only ~15% full when we departed around 9AM. We didn't get lucky. This service is a scammy cash grab and I can't believe it has an official partnership with the local government.

Responding to the owner reply: This is a textbook non-apology. I was not sure if you were being intentionally scammy, or if your pride prevented you from admitting that the shuttle service page is misleading and needs to be fixed. You can see from my screenshots that the shuttle page clearly says parking is $10.

It makes absolutely no sense for this to be mentioned because that $10 parking fee is for the place you’re shuttle drops people off... The relevant information would be the fee you charge for parking (which is $40/day), since that’s what people will actually be paying when they use your shuttle service.

You’ve made no commitment or effort to prevent this confusion. You refuse to admit any fault. Despite multiple customers bringing this to your attention and your poor customer review rating, you dig your heels in and deflect responsibility onto your customers. At this point, you’re clearly aware that this is confusing and misleading, so it seems that it can only be intentional on your part.

Idk why I continue to trying to explain this. Your response on the BBB site was even more deflective. Some part of me hopes that I’ll get through and you’re actually a decent person who struggles with seeing anything outside their own perspective (if that’s the case, you definitely shouldn’t be running or managing a business). The alternative is you’re being intentionally deceptive, ripping off as many people as you can.

Either way, you’ve convinced me to lower my review from two stars to one for doubling down and admitting no fault or intention to be more honest and clear with...

I have had the most HORRIBLE experience at the Aspen Meadows Resort. The grounds are stunning. The room is elegantly designed. My check-in was a nightmare that I thought ended yesterday, but the nightmare continues. I prepaid for two nights via the American Express website and added a third night, also prepaid. When I arrived they only saw the Sunday night (not Friday and Saturday). After a consideration delay and consulting with an off-site manager, they said they fixed it. They asked for a card for a $50 incidental charge, so I gave them my debit. When I checked my account this morning, I saw that instead of $50, they ran it for $1746.22, the total amount of the three-day stay. I called the manager this morning and she confirmed that after being told my card would be charged $50, they instead ran it for $1,746.22. She says the charge will drop off next week. This is my checking account. My balance is $1746.22 lower. And I was told one thing and they did another. I cannot ever imagine coming back, no matter the lovely location when people treat me with...

Aspen is a great town! Yes it can be expensive. But hey you only live once. And as they say You get what you pay for! If you don't want fantastic food, amazing shopping and adventures don't come here. If you do this is your town.

That aside it is just a friendly small town. This is in no small part to the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. I lost a valuable computer charger and they mailed it back to me. Certainly its little thing, but that adds up to a make a great place to stay....