The Lodge at Cloudcroft — Hotel in Cloudcroft

My husband Brennan and I had our wedding at The Lodge at Cloudcroft on June 15, 2024. We had about 70 guests, many of whom stayed at The Lodge, including the bride, groom, our families, the wedding party, and even my brother’s dog. The ceremony was held outside at the gazebo, and the reception took place inside The Pavilion.

I planned my wedding without ever personally seeing The Lodge, though my husband’s family had been there over the years and loved it. When I finally saw it, it took my breath away – pictures don’t do this place justice.

First of all, the food prepared by the in-house restaurant, Rebecca’s, is amazing. So many guests came up to me to tell me how delicious everything at The Lodge was. Not only do you get a beautiful venue, but the food on-site is notably delicious.

Secondly, the staff make this space absolutely amazing. Working with such great people made the whole weekend extra special, and I felt so comfortable and supported.

• Jon, the hotel property manager and our wedding coordinator, went above and beyond. We booked quite a ways in advance, and Jon regularly checked in with us, answered our questions promptly, and provided various photos (even walking around in the snow to get them). He texted us updates and made tweaks for us when requested. He professionally offered his opinion on setup and how we could execute our wedding. Jon ensured that everything from the ceremony to the reception was set up exactly as we had described and sent us updates. He is a genuinely kind, smart, and creative person that I would work with again in a heartbeat.

• David set up our ceremony and worked with me to ensure that all spacing was perfect and that the arch was positioned and secured where I wanted it. He was incredibly kind, light-hearted, and even wished me blessings after the ceremony. David stood out as a great addition to the weekend and was a fun person to have helping us.

• Kelli and Megan and the rest of the front desk staff during our stay were super helpful and essential to the smooth handling of our guests’ check-ins, questions, and requests. With such a large group of out-of-towners staying at their hotel, they were always considerate and willing to accommodate all sorts of tasks, from receiving and storing flowers to helping book a room for a wedding party member whose hotel in a nearby town literally burnt down the day before. They helped coordinate vendors, lost keys, wedding decorations, questions about nearby restaurants, recommendations, luggage assistance, and purchases from the super cute gift shop. Their customer service was top-tier, able to help everyone from exhausted groomsmen to our crazy family. Thank you so much!

• Richard, the bartender for Rebecca’s Restaurant, the St. Andrews bar at The Lodge, and our wedding at the Pavilion, was super sweet, accommodating, and skilled (try his signature Al Capone cocktail!). He was exceptionally sweet to my mom, aunts, and other family members, even when they kept trying to extend his last call. At the reception, he handled a multitude of different drink requests quickly, adapted on the fly, and made sure our reception was the party we wanted it to be.

• The housekeeping staff at The Lodge were essential to our wedding weekend. We had photographers coming in and out of various rooms, needing clean and aesthetic backgrounds, and they delivered. In the evenings, guests would congregate and socialize, and we knew that the next day, the staff would help ensure we were ready for the next round of wedding festivities. They also provided intermittent cleanings, extra pillows and towels, and were always kind and sweet. Their work made everything so much easier and stress-free.

All in all, The Lodge at Cloudcroft provided an unforgettable wedding experience. The beautiful location, combined with the exceptional staff, made our special day truly magical. Every detail was taken care of with professionalism and care, allowing us to enjoy our wedding without...

We have been loyal guests of the Cloudcroft Lodge for many years. We went to the lodge approximately 2-4 times a year. We even had, what we considered, a special room. It was old, quaint and comfortable. It wasn’t unusual for something to go wrong in a room that old but the management would always appear at our door with the maintenance man. Once the management even offered to allow us to shower in another room because we were having trouble with the tub in our room.

Well, evidently, things have changed. On our last trip, it wasn’t so much about what went wrong but as to how it was handled by the staff. Here goes:

We received a newly remodeled room because our old “special” room was also being remodeled.

The toilet bowl, not the lid, almost tipped over! When my husband went to the desk, the woman told him that there was not a maintenance man around so we would have to change rooms and then change back again when the repair was to be made! My husband returned to the room and he and I got on our hands and knees, tightened the toilet and had to install a wedge from a piece of cardboard.

While sleeping that first evening, my husband threw off the covers to discover that he had been bitten by an ant! That was a first!

The phone message light kept flashing and we didn’t have a message. So, for three days we had to make sure that we laid a towel over the phone so it wouldn’t keep us up at night. Minor complaint compared to other issues.

The sink was so tall that I thought I was going to need to buy a step stool!

The faucet at the sink was extremely loose.

The shower head was loose and water was spraying in all directions.

They had installed, what appears to be, non-standard outlets making difficult to find a place to plug things in.

We noticed that an old lodge maintenance truck was parked about 15 feet from our room. Our last morning at approximately 5:30, someone decided to try and start the truck, with no avail except to wake us up! Trust me, they gave it their best!!!

I’m saving the best for last! It took the shower approximately 4 hours to drain! So, when you took a shower, the water would build up and go over the edge of the shower! Guess what they installed in that bathroom …. Electric in-floor heating!!! With water sloshing onto it!! I truly hope that no one gets electrocuted or the heater shorts out and causes a fire!!!

This is why I’m writing my review:

When we presented the front desk with the above list of issues…all we got was “SORRY”. Yes, just, “SORRY”. We have decided that it’s time we venture out to Airbnb! There are numerous Airbnb rentals in Cloudcroft! Who needs the Cloudcroft Lodge!! Not...

Their payment policy is that you pay 100% of the bill up front, when you make the reservation and, if you cancel, you do not get your money back. I was told they leave it on the books for you so that you can rearrange a stay at another time. Nice way of saying money up front, no refunds.

My credit card was charged 3 times for the entire stay. It took me calling repeatedly and about 6 hours to speak to something besides an answering machine. Not at all responsive to customer needs.

The room was small and a bit cramped but we were mostly using the room as a place to sleep and bathe so…no big deal.

We stayed the first 3 nights without any serious issues. On the fourth night around 8 PM (bedtime for us), we started hearing whooping, shouting, raised voices, and very loud music. My husband called the desk and was informed that it was the local Project Graduation (sober celebrating for high school graduates) Party. The party was outside at the edge of the parking lot about 3-4 doors down from us.

The desk attendant told my husband it was only for a 'few' hours, when he asked how long, he was told until midnight. That is late for people who get up between 3 & 4 AM. My husband called again and asked to speak to the manager (There had to be some solution, right?) He was told the Manager on duty was not available because she was tending bar. (Staffing issues?)

We waited a few minutes and I called and asking to speak to the manager again (it is now pushing 9PM.) When she finally came to the telephone, she stated all the appropriate things; there were no other rooms except those near the party, she would start calling some local condominiums, and ask the kids to hold it down. I told her that was not fair to the kids; they will only graduate high school once in their lives. I did not want their night messed up, too, just because someone at The Lodge had made a bone head decision. After hanging up with her, my husband and I talked a bit and decided we were leaving. I called the desk told them we were leaving.

The closest place, going in the direction we were headed next, was about 90 miles away in Artesia, NM. We checked in there at about 11:00PM MST. For this we paid an addition $130.00

It is my guess that whoever made the decision to book us and at least one other couple at the Graduation Party venue thought we would just tolerate the noise because there are no other options in Cloudcroft.

I was told by the desk clerk on duty when we left that we would receive some kind of refund. We have been home 2 & 1/2 weeks without hearing anything from anyone...