Crystal River Villas — Hotel in Carbondale

Villa #3: NOWHERE to hang your clothes; A four- drawer dresser with small drawers. Doesn't work for 2 people for a week. No closet of any sort - a wooden wall hanging w/7 hooks on it, crammed next to 1 of the beds that's practically useless. We had to hang clothes on the shower curtain rod - then move them to take a shower. Had to keep some stuff in our suitcases.

Yes, we KNEW the place was 300 square feet , but I would NOT recommend it for more than 2-3 nights!

NO light in kitchen area, ONE overhead light between eating area & kitchenette. Had to do dishes & prepare food in a dark spot.

*No regular butter knives, maybe someone stole them? They should keep extra silverware in the utility building. And there were only 3 small (regular) spoons & 3 forks.

A TV with 2 remotes that should come with instructions; that only worked sporadically at best! One minute it/they worked, the next minute they did not. Not that we spend every minute watching TV, but VERY annoying! You're forced to GUESS which did what & REPEATEDLY pushing buttons & getting LUCKY when they worked. You have to stand close to the TV & find the EXACT spot in midair to change anything. Didn’t seem to have anything to do w/the cable, Dish or Roku.

Not everyone is an electronics or cable TV expert.

NO counter space in the bathroom. An unnecessarily large pedestal sink so close to the toilet, you'll crack your elbow on it when you get up from the toilet if you're not careful. It could be replaced with a smaller sink to provide some counter space OR shelves could be added to the bathroom walls.

One little tiny glass shelf to put stuff on. We had to keep our toiletries on the dresser or in kitchen drawers.

ONE small towel rack & nowhere else to hang them to dry. Almost nowhere to hang ANYthing.

You also need more than 1 side table out back. When other guests are using it, then there’s nowhere for others to put their drinks & stuff when they prefer to sit close to the river, vs the 2 big tables.

That said, the fire table was great, that showerhead was great! The front door locking system is pretty cool; once we figured it out. The room was very clean & the setting could not be better; but we won't be staying...

I get the feeling that this place, in a tiny, picturesque mountain town, could be amazing if there were just a little more focus on service. The rooms are small but very clean and nicely appointed. I wish I had known the following before I booked: 1) The property manager does not live on site. If you need anything, you’ll need to text the manager, who may or may not be able to check with the housekeeper before she leaves for the day; 2) they advertise that an on-property laundry is available for guests, and indeed it is, however there is no laundry detergent available to purchase or borrow; 3) the rooms get very hot during the summer – no air conditioning and no fans. A fan in the room would be very helpful; 4) there is no ice available (there are small ice trays in the in-room freezer) so if you need ice quickly for an injury (we did) you will have to go to another hotel down the road to ask them for some; 5) there is no daily housekeeping; 6) you can hear traffic from the 133 early in the morning if your windows are open; 7) if you are on the second floor there is no direct access to the river and the balcony/porch looks out over the parking lot, not the river. 9) There is no information about the area or nearby activities available in the room. The positives are that the setting and the river is very pretty, the beds are comfortable, there is a kitchenette and the rooms are...

Camping spots were all full in the area, so we pulled into Crystal Valley Manor and got a room. So glad we did. Not fancy, but very clean. Our room was large with Dish TV, two full beds, small breakfast table, microwave, frig, sink, dishes, coffee maker. Outside our room was a large covered porch with nice chairs and table to sit and enjoy the wonderful air. Hummingbirds feeders line second floor porch so it is great fun to watch them. Our dog was welcome but you will need to get a pet room. The lovely grounds offer a bench on the bank of the sparkling river and a covered pavilion with patio table, chairs and grill for guests to use. The businesses have contracted with a third-party to offer wifi service in this remote mountain community. The free wifi is really slow, but when you log in, you have the option of paying by the hour or day for higher speeds if you must have it. We found it more refreshing to be "unplugged". Motel owner is on-site and was very personable and helpful....