The Iron Rail Inn — Hotel in Chama

Not much I liked about this place. I guess I’m spoiled. In all my years of travel I don’t remember a motel experience worse than this one. It put me in a foul mood from the minute I walked in the door. No one was at the desk for check in. (This was right at the so-called check-in time.) Rang the bell multiple times. Waited five minutes. Then I got my phone and called them. No one answered. Went next door to look for somebody. When I came back I found a maid - Finally. The lady was actually very nice. She just gave me my key. She was the only good thing about the place. |I have bad knees and walking up and down stairs is difficult and painful. When I made my reservation I asked for a ground floor room as close as possible to my vehicle. The room I got was on the top floor at the extreme other end of the building, as far as possible from the door. They would not switch it. I had to make numerous painful trips up and down the stairs with my luggage, then again when I left. |It’s an OLD building. Must be over a hundred years old. Very bad shape. All systems are primitive. In need of many repairs. Very few electrical outlets and in poor locations. Poor lighting. Just one big light in the middle of the room. Nothing on or near the desk. Can’t see what I’m doing at the computer. No light at all in the shower. Bathroom sink is old style, just bolted to the wall with absolutely no place to set anything down. Coffee pot is out on the dresser with an extension cord running across the floor into the bathroom outlet. Outlet does not work unless the bathroom light is on. No air conditioning. I was afraid to open the window because there were about 50 flies trapped between the window and the screen. If I opened the window they would have come right in the room. One pane of glass is broken. I’m sure the flies will find it sooner or later. Some broken glass is still on the floor. The next day when I got back I was forced to open the window. It was HOT in the room. Yes - the flies got in. The room was very small and cramped. I had to put the TV on the floor to use the TINY desk. |There were more things I didn't like, such as junk and broken furniture in the hallways and a pile of dirty sheets in the hall, all day and night. I could go on, but I think you have the point. I would never stay here...

Boy (68) and dog (2 1/2)||The place reminds me of some family run hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe, but with a southwestern flavor. On the informal side, nothing fancy, very nice bed, good and unpretentious food, attentive and very flexible and accommodating service. I was able to store some of my dog’s food in the refrigerator at the back of the hotel on the ground floor which meant that she could eat her usual meals even though we were on the road. These things matter. She was welcome in the dining room which meant that she never had to spend any time alone in an unfamiliar hotel room. One thing I did that seemed to help her emotionally a great deal because she kind of clung to it when we were in the room was to bring her down camping bed that I had made for her some time back that we had traveled with before. It doesn’t need to be quite that fancy but any kind of blanket that your dog might recognize and feel comfortable on might be a good idea to bring with you. And if you don’t have pets they were very careful to let me know when a couple came in who are afraid of dogs and very solicitous of the couple to make sure they were not uncomfortable. So if you’re not a dog person don’t be put off by the fact that they are pet friendly but if you are a dog person rest assured that their dog Danny and the other dog whose name I don’t remember will be curious but stay out of the way pretty much after an initial introduction, shall we say. Don’t expect the Ritz. Not much of anything is new, but it’s clean and I would love to know where you...

Read the numerous glowing reviews by CDT hikers and decided to stay here a few nights. What a mistake. The staff were edgy and irritated every time we tried to speak with them. Though we did observe them spending ample time and being mighty friendly to CDT hikers, apparently being regular tourists and train customers was deemed unworthy. The rooms are clean, warm and relatively comfortable, though we found the bed hard on our backs and had trouble with the pillows. Shower was walk in with plentiful hot water. The main appeal was being just across the street from the Cumbres Toltec railroad and walking distance to some shops and restaurants. But with covid, most places were closed or had such limited hours this wasn’t the convenience we’d hoped. There’s a deck that would be nice in summer. Inside there’s a small seating area on the second floor inexplicably littered with a pile of old wood and glass making it a little perilous. Noise was a big problem – you can hear every foot step, conversation and bodily eruption going on in every room. We were repeatedly awoken by people stomping down the hallway at odd hours. The other major downer was their cable was out our entire stay, several days, and also no microwave access and no housekeeping. Other tourists had none of these issues at nearby hotels, so we’ll be staying elsewhere next time. This place is apparently great if you’re a CDT hiker, but if you’re a regular tourist consider...