Historic Crags Lodge — Hotel in Estes Park

More accurately about a 4.8/5.0. Ever since the first moment we stepped in to the premises, we were greeted with smiles and gratitude. First and foremost Miss Ann is the nicest receptionist ever. She provided us with information about the area, coupons for deals around the city, and a heads up tip that the Rocky Mountain National Park was free for Presidents Day weekend. She made the entire experience one of a kind. She treated my girlfriend and I as if we were her own children.

Once we arrived in the room we were a bit stunned. The bed is right next to the door in the bathroom at the foot of the bed. It's a bit weird to see that kind of setup but the mini kitchen and the amazing view of the Rockies make up for that design. The room is a perfect size for a couple or two or three adults. The mini kitchen has everything that a person might need for a weekend, and the room came with a Blu ray player. One tiny flaw was the fact that there was no thermostat or AC unit in the room. This is not a problem in the winter because the room stayed heated throughout the day. We improvised and open the window before we left for the night to cool down the room. The bathroom was very clean and very comfortable. The only problem is that the shower temperature fluctuates. It goes from warm to hot to cold to freezing cold to very hot back to warm back to freezing cold back to hot and back to warm often. This is the only reason that I would knock this establishment.

The restaurant is hands down one of the best I've seen. With a view of the Rockies and the use of wood throughout the entire restaurant it gives off a feel that you are in a cabin. There is two events the weekend we stayed there. There is a six year old birthday party and then a concert for charity. Both events and is at 10 o'clock and did not interrupt are sleep at all. We were also encouraged to attend these events.

Also in the lobby there is a fireplace and lounge with a checkerboard. In one of the rooms there's a case of books about the Rockies and the areas around Estes, a library of DVDs & blu-rays, pool table that is well balanced, and antique items such as typewriters. We took advantage of the free movie rentals, and my girlfriend took advantage of my rusty pool game.

Overall this hotel provided a great atmosphere he gave me many memories to cherish. 10 out of 10 would...

There are positives and negatives about this lodge in comparison to all the condos we've stayed in over the years. First, the negatives. There is no air conditioning which makes for discomfort in the summer months....there peak season. While it is cool in the morning, it warms up considerably and there is little cross ventilation in the units. Yes, there are fans and windows, but the windows are not positioned for cross ventilation, so it gets warm and stuffy. Open windows, in turn, allow mosquitoes to enter because they can still get through the tiny openings in the screens. One night I had 5 mosquitoe bites at the same time on my face, but shutting the windows meant making the unit even hotter. My suggestion for Hilton....invest in portable plug in air conditioners. Furthermore, the saggy, spring mattress was so uncomfortable I kept bad neck and back pain throughout most of my vacation as a result. In fact I resorted to sleeping on the pull out mattress in the sofa because it was firmer. Hilton....you've got to step it up. If you are a family of 4 or more a one bedroom unit will be too small for you. While the lodge does have 2 bedroom units, good luck securing one as there are only 3 available in the entire 27 unit facility. I always like to end on a positive note, so here goes. The staff were wonderful and accommodating. 5 stars to you all! The old, rustic feel to the lodge is inviting and homey with real wood floors that actually creek when you walk on them. The lodges location is great because it is near everywhere you'd want to be in Estes, all while donning beautiful mountain views. There is an outdoor hot tub and pool along with grills for guest use. The lodge does offer a dining experience on the first floor, however if you are on a budget you need to stay away. The least expensive entree was $36 and prices went up from there. Yikes! The facility is quietly tucked away on a hilltop...

Liked - The staff... was amazing. I liked all the antique atmosphere I saw on the pictures representing the resort, sadly, that is why we booked. This atmosphere was not carried throughout the resort.

Disliked · Where to start. The $36 resort fee... for what??? WiFi that doesn’t work? Copying and faxing (does anyone still fax?), didn’t need it. Guess we could have used the hot tub, however upon entry we were told it is hard for them to maintain the minimum number even tho they try, so no. The beds- oh my lanta! My partner had to crawl to the bathroom in the morning because they were so uncomfortable- hidden secret, the fold out couch is slightly more comfy, but just slightly. Upon entering the room, the couch had a small red stain on it, there was eye lubricant from a former guest on the floor and the wood furniture was heavily scarred. And the DVD library is closed (here is a suggestion, print out a list of your library with that copier you so kindly charged us to use, laminate it so that you can sanitize it, and have an employee retrieve the DVD’s - it would have saved us the extra $40 we spent at Redbox... just saying). This was our anniversary- our first anniversary and the one that we were looking forward too, as we have been together for quite some time, but this was our FIRST wedding anniversary. We both took 4 days off of work to come 54 minutes away from our home, and each morning we woke up to ask ourselves if we shouldn’t...