La Posada Pintada — Hotel in Bluff

Bluff is a tiny hamlet (population 240) stretched along U.S. Route 191 in the southeast corner of Utah. It's roughly equidistant from Moab, UT, Canyon de Chelly, AZ, Mesa Verde, CO, and Page, AZ,  which makes it a convenient, if not the only, spot to spend the night. Unfortunately, the lodging options in Bluff are few and rather dismal. There's an unreasonably expensive "Resort & Spa" nearby; the rest is a handful of 1-star or unrated hotels and motels. Arriving late, I didn't expect a red carpet, but I was at least hoping to find a receptionist on the premises - no such luck. After trying to call the hotel (straight to voicemail) and much searching in almost complete darkness, I found a short note and a key to my room pinned to the front door. The room was straight out of a horror movie: filthy, dingy, and dark. I couldn't discern what the floors were made of - was it linoleum, plywood, or dirt? There was trash, dust, and debris everywhere; you couldn't make one step without hearing something crunch underfoot. The worst place was the bathroom (see the photos), with a filthy bathtub, minimal toiletries, and soiled towels. Bed linens were threadbare and gray; no blanket was provided. The night was rather cold (about 50° F), but the noisy HVAC system high above the patio door didn't make the room any warmer - I had to put on every piece of clothing I had. A coffee machine did work, but only one paper filter was provided along with a tiny amount of ground coffee of unknown brand and origin. Was it even coffee? After a dreadful night, I couldn't tell. The only redeeming quality of this hotel is its location: it's quiet, and there's a nice view of the rocks from the backyard. I didn't chance a breakfast on premises and was happy to leave the place behind me. Absolute disaster,...

I'm soooo glad we stopped at this hidden gem of a hotel. We don't often get to stay at places like this with 3 kids in tow. But they had a couch to go with the two queen beds, so it was perfect! However, it's small enough that it could be a great romantic get away, or even just if one person wanted a secluded spot to escape. Amazingly would full all the roles.

I didn't know what to expect because I didn't make the booking. But I loved all the little things: the flower beds in front with a rose garden that would be fitting any lovely establishment, the exterior that fits in perfectly with the Southwestern theme, the beautiful backdrop view of the red rock bluffs that the city gets it's name from, the individual patios behind each room, hammocks for anyone to rest in, a little stand of trees and benches to read in the shade, artisan soaps for the bathroom, a shower with waist high spray options, the cute ceramic sinks.

And oh, the homemade breakfast! My compliments to the chef. There was fresh cut melon, fresh made bacon that you could smell cooking as you came in, homemade bread pudding using a lovely seedy bread, fresh made yogurt with a fancy granola of flakes and nuts and pepitas. Just spectacular!

This place could've been more pricey with the care, I suppose. There are some things missing from other resorts, pool, spa, sauna, hot tub, stores, all day dining, etc. But that wasn't need for us.

We'll definitely be planning a return trip to spend more time in the...

After visiting Monument Valley, my husband and I dithered over whether or not to stay in Bluff or in Blanding. We're so very glad we opted for the former -- and this is partly due to our stay at La Posada Pintada. What a fabulous surprise LPP was/is: super clean room, 2 comfortable beds (and100% cotton sheets from Cuddledown -- great change from the horrid poly-cotton mix rubbish in many other hotels on our trip), lovely bathroom with Mexican tiles beautiful washbasin and solid water pressure in shower, balcony in the back with view of pink butte, 'fridge and the usual coffee/tea-making equipment. AND a superb breakfast (included in price of room) in the morning, complete with homemade breads plus fresh fruits and cooked options. Add to all this a friendly proprietor and an interesting conversation with owners' intelligent daughter -- who advised us on a few local attractions and on how to get to local cemetery -- and you have one first-rate stay. LPP was a little difficult to locate without GPS, but the people in the local Historical Museum (excellent) gave us good directions. Once found, however, most things in Bluff are within easy walking distance. (I would just avoid the nearby restaurant -- Twin Rocks Café -- as that proved a disappointment due to pretty dreadful service.) Wish we'd been able to stay longer here -- but very much hope we'll have the opportunity to...