Crystal Chalets — Hotel in Enumclaw

I've gone to Crystal Mountain my entire life (save for the first 5 years) and decided to rent a place and experience the mountain for a few days. It was a goat rodeo from beginning to end. ||||The Price||The summary of Crystal Chalets on this web site indicate a price of (and I’ll quote):||“$219 - $300 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)”||My price after taxes and fees was $479.03. I don’t believe there’s much chance their advertised pricing is accurate. I paid a bit under $2500 for 5 nights. Not a cheap date, but it should be nice, right? Right?||||The Reservation||Making the reservation was absurd. The web site didn't work so I had to call a number. No one would pick up the phone so after a few back and forths with voicemail, I got a hold of someone. The call that was picked up wasn't working so the person called me back on her cell phone. Evidently they run the company off of Google Voice and they sit in cafés to save money on phone bills as well as being able to prevent annoying ringing phones when customers want to make reservations or find out what on earth is going on. Anyway, the reservation was eventually made. The price suggested a three to four star resort which I am used to so I looked forward to check-in.||||Credit Card Stolen||Nearly immediately after I paid for the rental (several weeks before the stay), my credit card started accruing charges from businesses I have had nothing to do with. The credit card was stolen and I assume sold to a fencing network which in turn sells them to others. I had to cancel the card and wait for a new card while using one from a different bank in the interim. This took two weeks. Being a former network engineer, this scenario seems pretty clear to me. Here’s my best guess: Management sits in cafés using poorly secured networks to run the business which includes network-based phone calls as well as running credit card transactions. Their laptops are hacked via the café Wi-Fi network and all credit card information (including full names, CC#, addresses, phone numbers, zip codes etc…) from Crystal Chalet is taken and sold. To be clear, the thieves know your address and when you'll be stuck way up in the mountains and utterly unable to deal with a home burglary. What a joy to be a Crystal Chalet customer. Pro Tip: This is not what professionalism means.||||Check-in||I arrived and found there was no one on site to check anyone in. I had received an email a couple of weeks prior indicating that I would receive check-in information via email. I did not. I asked around and was referred to a piece of paper affixed to one of the buildings that gave the phone number of the "not-terribly-resident" manager. Again, I was referred to my email. "Check your spam filter" I did, there was no email. I was then given a code to an antiquated mechanical lock-box (Where's Al Gore when you really need him?) affixed to the wall of the building just outside my door. It opened just fine. I was told to return the key when leaving the premises.. This set off the bells on my security instincts, but whatever, I wasn't in the position to argue. There was a threat of fine for "lost keys" which could be interpreted creatively. When it was time to go skiing, the lockbox would not close. The "User Manual", a piece of paper with a long list of FAQ's directed me to make inquiries via text message. I texted that the lockbox didn't work, so I took the key with me as I left. ||||Physical Access||So getting in and out of a hotel should not be a concern in the UsofA in the twenty-first century. After all, the Americans with Disabilities Act passed thirty-four years ago. I’m in very good shape, I run regularly and work out with weights… well… occasionally. Getting in and out of my unit at Crystal Chalets with luggage and ski equipment is remarkably difficult. For summer use, there is ramp on the side towards the Crystal Lodges and Lifts that become very slippery when it snows. Someone did show up with an under-powered electric snow blower (who knew this was a thing?) to clear it and it appears some salt was laid down. The snow overwhelmed these efforts and even in technical climbing boots (the things you climb Mt Rainier in), it was difficult navigating without slipping. ||||The alternative is a bizarre path. The road is well below all of the units. There are several flights of stairs climbing the side of the mountain where the three buildings are placed. You climb three flights (I think) to a path that leads up to the first building. A few more flights of stairs branches off this path leading up to the second building where you can find the signs of “welcome”. Then you follow another path under the length of this building, across an opening to a paths that wind beneath a third building. There’s a fourth path that leads down the length of this building to a set of stairs. On the top of these stairs you then follow a similar path back along the building to yet another set of stairs taking you up to the room. I was utterly gobsmacked at the effort required. I discovered a short-cut running under the building and up more stairs which reduced the walking somewhat. Doing this with kids or the elderly would be quite the experience. Doing this several times a day got old almost immediately.||||The Experience in the Unit||As you walk into the unit, there are three beds crammed into a small room with a door on the opposite side of the room from the entry door. There was a queen bed, and just beyond the foot of the bed, there were two bunk beds mounted on the wall vertically. I was stunned. Who would pay these prices for this? Me, evidently. Wow. I opened up the other door and found a bathroom, a living & dining area, and kitchenette with an antique over-under dishwasher (lower) stove (upper) device. This contraption looked like it was from the late 60's. I was planning on verifying this but forgot to take a photo. What insurance company would cover such an antiquity in a rental unit? I think I know the answer. Someone will be in for quite the shock if it does start a fire. I didn't try either unit during my stay. There was a couch with a small tv on the opposite wall over a dining table. The tv was far too small given the distance between the couch and tv, but it worked at least. There was a small porch which might be nice in summer months. It had a few inches of snow with no shovel to remove it. The view from the porch and the adjoining room was pleasant and you could see the run that came down above Snorting Elk Lodge.||||Internet ||Forget about it. The FAQ sheet indicates the Wi-Fi Network Name and password. In fact it gives several options and indicates that the password listed works for all networks. 1. None of the listed networks are present. I have a Wi-Fi network analyzer and examined the airwaves for any evidence of these networks. Nothing. There were a few with the name of the building as part of the Wi-Fi name. None of these network accepted the listed password. On the 4th day, one of the listed networks showed up and accepted the password. After about an hour, the internet on this network was shut down so there was only local access to devices, presumably the safety devices in the rooms which I’ll get to next. ||||Safety Equipment||The property's safety equipment consisted of only a Nest smoke detector. Because the indicated Wi-Fi networks were not functional, most of the safety features of the Nest smoke detectors were unavailable like email notifications that your building is on fire. Nest is not a professional level solution for fire prevention. This is silly hack for a hotel of any kind.||||Checkout||Checkout was strange but straightforward - remove all trash and deposit it in the bins under the building. That seemed odd given the price.||It has snowed during the evening before and all of the cars in the parking lot were stuck. Calling the "not-so-resident" manager got a voice mail. Sending a text for help got a reply indicating that I should call Crystal Mountain for help. There were no shovels or anything else to help any of us get out. I made several calls to Crystal Mountain and after 5 hours (no, really!), a young guy in an old F250 came. He immediately got stuck, himself. During these hours, people brought back the shovels they had borrowed. Evidently management had left these laying about to help us dig out our own cars. About 30 min after the first guy got his truck stuck, another guy with a newer truck came and saw the mess. He got on a radio and called for a Cat which came about 30 min later (6 hours!). He plowed the road and towed each of the cars and trucks out of the lot. I went home completely missing an epic day of powder skiing. I had had enough. ||||This is not a ski resort. This is not a functional hotel. A Motel 6 is a significantly superior experience in ski towns - I did this extensively in 2020. Motel 6 is far cheaper with better services and amenities: their Wi-Fi works! These people have no idea what a resort is and have only a cursory understanding of professional customer service. These prices are utterly insane given the quality of the units and the nearly complete lack of service. This appears to be a "business" in the eyes of people who's mountain experience requires only a fist full of joints and the ability to warm up a can of Chef Boyardee. ||||Do not stay here, under any...

The location is nice walking distance to the gondola. Unit 513 is clean, very nice views of the mountains, basic needs for a couple days stay is adequate. The living and tv room area is comfortable. But first be warned, if you have luggage, groceries, ski equipment (winter), of course most likely you’ll have these because you’re on vacation, you will have to haul up all these up long hike up the stairs, no elevator or contraption to haul up items. If you’re old forget it, ask for help or do it one at a time during your stay. By the time you get everything upstairs it’s time to checkout and bring back everything down to the car. Second, the unit’s bedroom is next to the public stairs where you haul up and down your stuff. People are not courteous at 5am or in general could care less for others and do jogging down and up the stairs in the morning. You will be awaken with the sounds of thundering feet like it or not! Third, most people including myself are well prepared with necessary items needed during vacation, but there is a possibility of forgetting something like your electronic charger. It happened and there is no USB port to charge your phone or tablet. In today’s lifestyle everyone is using electronic technology it would be good to provide a USB port charger adapter for anyone who have forgotten to bring one. I own a 103-year old victorian house and several of the electric outlets I had replaced with USB outlet combination from Home Depot, very easy to replace, much easier than hauling up luggage...

The location is nice walking distance to the gondola. Unit 513 is clean, very nice views of the mountains, basic needs for a couple days stay is adequate. The living and tv room area is comfortable. But first be warned, if you have luggage, groceries, ski equipment (winter), of course most likely you’ll have these because you’re on vacation, you will have to haul up all these up long hike up the stairs, no elevator or contraption to haul up items. If you’re old forget it, ask for help or do it one at a time during your stay. By the time you get everything upstairs it’s time to checkout and bring back everything down to the car. Second, the unit’s bedroom is next to the public stairs where you haul up and down your stuff. People are not courteous at 5am or in general could care less for others and do jogging down and up the stairs in the morning. You will be awaken with the sounds of thundering feet like it or not! Third, most people including myself are well prepared with necessary items needed during vacation, but there is a possibility of forgetting something like your electronic charger. It happened and there is no USB port to charge your phone or tablet. In today’s lifestyle everyone is using electronic technology it would be good to provide a USB port charger adapter for anyone who have forgotten to bring one. I own a 103-year old victorian house and several of the electric outlets I had replaced with USB outlet combination from Home Depot, very easy to replace, much easier than hauling up luggage...