Avalanche Ranch — Attraction in Four Corners States

My husband and I went to the Avalanche Ranch for our honeymoon at the end of October 2016 and were ever so enchanted. My husband made the reservation and said that it was very easy and we both agreed that the website was informative and easy to navigate. Let me just say, the pictures do not do justice to the beauty and splendor of the ranch and the surrounding mountains. We arrived late (almost midnight), which was not an issue for them and we were able to get into our cabin within minutes. We stayed in the Cider House cabin, which was wonderfully rustic, yet comfortable. The bed was comfortable, there was no problem with the heat, the bathroom was fully equipped and there was even a futon and small dinner table. The kitchen for me was one of the key features of the cabin, as there was a small stove, sink and refrigerator. There was even a small gas stove and plenty of ventilation for year-round comfort. Everything was clean and unassuming: no television, microwave or wifi. The hot springs were spectacular! We absolutely loved the hot springs! They're beautifully designed and surrounded by natural scenery. It is also well-lit at night, which is quite intrusive, as were the maintenance staff who seemed to make a point of making their presence known. My husband and I felt as though we were almost being monitored, which made privacy and relaxation a bit of an issue, especially for the first night of our honeymoon. While my husband and I are exceptionally polite, we do have tattoos and hoped that we weren't being treated with discrimination due to our appearance. The second day, we were once again interrupted by maintenance staff. I was actually making blueberry pancakes for our first breakfast as a married couple when it happened. The gas in the stove went out in the middle of cooking the pancakes and the next thing we knew, one of the maintenance employees was at the door. He claimed he was there to take care of the issue with the gas and sort of made his way into the cabin without considering our privacy or convenience. We once again felt that our comfort was compromised. It seemed that through our entire stay, there was always the looming presence of the maintenance staff. Besides that issue, we really enjoyed our stay. We regret that we were not able to take better advantage of the amenities they provide, but we did have the opportunity to drive up the road to Marble, Colorado. We took a nice hike in the Raggeds Wilderness, which was absolutely breathtaking. The town of Carbondale was also pleasant and charming. The next time we stay at a hot springs ranch we will consider the Avalanche Ranch again. Although we felt that our privacy, comfort and convenience were compromised, we were enchanted by the rustic beauty of the ranch. We hope that if we do return, we will be able to...

In my opinion, don't waste your money purchasing gift certificates here.  And don't expect a quiet private hot springs experience to come with your 3 night minimum $600, or more, cabin rental fee.  They allow day use passes for visitors, and on two of the 5 weekends I've spent at Avalanche Ranch there were children's birthday parties being held at the hot springs.  While very cute, excited screaming children are not very relaxing, and the pools are not very big, so my group abandoned the hot springs until after 5pm when the day pass visitors had to leave.  Regarding the gift certificates, there is a one year expiration date which they conveniently will not disclose upfront before you purchase the gift certificate, and they will not budge on.  I had purchased two $200 gift certificates for two friends as wedding gifts.  One of them had expired last year and I contacted the manager begging for an extension on the gift certificate, explaining she was unable to make it to the ranch during the one year the gift certificate was valid not out of disinterest but because she became pregnant 4 months after her wedding and had a difficult pregnancy.  I was horrified by Molly, the manager's, response which was that "she didn't see how it was her fault my friend didn't use the gift card" and that "if I had bought her a salad bowl for her wedding and she broke it, would I expect the store to replace it".  The gift card expired, unused, and Avalanche Ranch was keeping the $200 I had paid, end of story.  In addition Molly refused to extend the validity of the other $200 gift card, which currently is still valid, when I explained my friend was a doctor at Children's Hospital and was unable to utilize the gift card right now due to not wanting to unnecessarily expose herself or others to COVID.    Molly thought she was extending a huge courtesy explaining she wouldn't extend the validity, but my friend just needed to reserve a room by the time it expired.  Seeing as the global pandemic is not disappearing anytime soon, this of course was no help whatsoever.  I had always enjoyed my time at Avalanche Ranch, but this appalling customer service can not be overlooked.  In my opinion, as well as seeing the other reviews people have left regarding AR's management, this business does not care about their patrons' experience at all as long as they continue to stay booked and make money regardless.  I will be giving all of my future business to Merrifield Cabins and Hotsprings and to Antero Hotsprings.  Their properties are beautiful, the hot springs are actually private, they both offer gift cards with NO expiration dates, and the managers are not...

In my opinion, don't waste your money purchasing gift certificates here.  And don't expect a quiet  private hot springs experience to come with your 3 night minimum $600, or more, cabin rental fee.  They allow day use passes for visitors, and on two of the 5 weekends I've spent at Avalanche Ranch there were children's birthday parties being held at the hot springs.  While very cute, excited screaming children are not very relaxing, and the pools are not very big, so my group abandoned the hot springs until after 5pm when the day pass visitors had to leave.  Regarding the gift certificates, there is a one year expiration date which they conveniently will not disclose upfront before you purchase the gift certificate, and they will not budge on.  I had purchased two $200 gift certificates for two friends as wedding gifts.  One of them had expired last year and I contacted the manager begging for an extension on the gift certificate, explaining she was unable to make it to the ranch during the one year the gift certificate was valid not out of disinterest but because she became pregnant 4 months after her wedding and had a difficult pregnancy.  I was horrified by Molly, the manager's, response which was that "she didn't see how it was her fault my friend didn't use the gift card" and that "if I had bought her a salad bowl for her wedding and she broke it, would I expect the store to replace it".  The gift card expired, unused, and Avalanche Ranch was keeping the $200 I had paid, end of story.  In addition Molly refused to extend the validity of the other $200 gift card, which currently is still valid, when I explained my friend was a doctor at Children's Hospital and was unable to utilize the gift card right now due to not wanting to unnecessarily expose herself or others to COVID.    Molly thought she was extending a huge courtesy explaining she wouldn't extend the validity, but my friend just needed to reserve a room by the time it expired.  Seeing as the global pandemic is not disappearing anytime soon, this of course was no help whatsoever.  I had always enjoyed my time at Avalanche Ranch, but this appalling customer service can not be overlooked.  In my opinion, as well as seeing the other reviews people have left regarding AR's management, this business does not care about their patrons' experience at all as long as they continue to stay booked and make money regardless.  I will be giving all of my future business to Merrifield Cabins and Hotsprings and to Antero Hotsprings.  Their properties are beautiful, the hot springs are actually private, they both offer gift cards with NO expiration dates, and the managers aren't...