Arapaho Valley Ranch — Hotel in Four Corners States

I loved the drive in, the Mountain View’s I worked so hard in planning an adventure of a lifetime with my family and kids. I’m a business owner now for 10 years and my reputation is everything. Being a business owner to me means you give a customer an experience.There was a girl named “Savannah…..” that tried tirelessly to ruin my trip. She was so unprofessional that i never write a bad review ever but she took it too far by yelling at my kid. Who is 5 asking for a drink of water. She is going to be the end of your business reputation. I walked into the store exhausted from packing and traveling with kids.. she was so into herself and her conversation she didn’t acknowledge me, a greeting or even a how may I help you would have went a long way. Once she finished I asked for ice I paid great. Then she went back into her conversation with a friend/co worker. I waiting my turn again to ask for another thing. I just drove 4 hrs to get here. Wow. She turns says what the ice is out there. Oh yes I realize that as you need to walk past the ice lol to even pay for it right.. like rude. Then she goes “Are you even staying here?” I’m like yes….. she says oh where are you from, California? I’m like no. Montana. Again, rude. I said May I ask where the restrooms are? She says up the road. That’s it. I had to ask for a map. Completely lost not knowing where my husband had checked in and not knowing where to go. I got a map and left. The next time I asked her for something she ignored me. She was the rudest person I have ever been in contact with in a place of power. There’s no one else around to ask she is running this place and she is miserable doing so. There’s no other staff member to ask for anything from the store or after hours during entertainment evening hours. I walked up with my son ,for a drink of water and she yelled and scolded me in front of a crowd of people. That my son is not allowed in the bar. It wasn’t what she said it was how she said it. Then she told me she wasn’t going to serve me. I will contact management about this. She is emotional and so unprofessional. You need to get her up to a better standard of communication. The bathrooms were disgusting. They are just trying to turn a dollar clearly the owners are not present. They have very young staff who do not know how to face conflict professionally. The thistles are huge around camp. Safety is not a priority or checked once so ever. My husband said later she never even checked a waver for us? I didn’t even know one existed until we spoke at the end of the day. I couldn’t leave fast enough and after talking to many other families near there sites they were all in disgust about sanitation. The bathrooms were awful, feces on the walls. There store hours were not accurate as we tried to get in the middle of the day and no one was there. Not a place...

Feeling super disappointed by the "false advertising"for the camp site we got and how different it was from the photos and description. We were really looking forward to our tent camping trip here and booked a campsite based on the photos posted online specific for this site. The description also described it as a "prime spot with shade". When we arrived yesterday, we were shocked to see what the campsite actually looked like (no actual photos of the site were the ones shown online) and how extremely rocky and small it was and hardly any shade. We went to the front office to ask if there was a different campsite we could stay at since there seemed to be a lot of empty spaces and they said they were fully booked. We drove around to nearby campgrounds to see if we could get a first come, first serve spot, but all were reserved there too. Sooo... we reluctantly went back to our site at AVR and my husband spent 30-45 minutes clearing the rocks and trying to smooth down the dirt for us to set up our tent. It was still tough to get the stakes into the ground. ||Also, the water is not as accessible as stated in the campsite description. You have to walk through another campsite, through thorny, invasive species flowers and over some fallen trees. Not easy with a SUP. Felt like an obstacle course to get to the water. ||There was also construction going on while we were there and it seems like attention needs to be placed on fixing things they already have on their property instead of trying to squeeze in more sites. ||The attention to detail seems to be focused more on the glamping tents and cabins. Tent camping sites feel neglected and well thought out. There is one vault toilet for at least 15 sites plus a porta-potty.||This place is NOT cheap for tent camping and it feels like we wasted our money and could have stayed at a nicer campsite elsewhere for a lot cheaper!!||The amenities are nice and this place might be more enjoyable if you are glamping.||*UPDATE: Since talking to one of the staff members (right before writing this review), she said they have now put up photos of the actual site. HOWEVER, they made no attempt to make things...

We stayed at Arapaho Valley Ranch over the Thanksgiving Holiday (Nov. 22-25 2023). We rented the "Achonee" cabin. The accommodations could not have been better! The cabin has one bedroom, a full bathroom, a living room and small kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen table provides a most amazing panoramic view of the surrounding wilderness, a small pond, a forest of evergreens and aspens and the towering peaks which form part of the valley. The cabin also offers a large deck and a screened in gazebo for the warmer months of the year.

The AVR Lodge greets as you enter the main gate. The building is old, perhaps the oldest building on the ranch property. It is warm, welcoming and rich with history. Christmas decorations were being prepared for display which added to the mountain holiday experience.

Hiking opportunities abound with several marked trailheads within easy walking distance. Arapaho Creek defines the western boundary of the ranch. Bring your fishing gear or access some from the lodge as the creek feeds Lake Granby and looks to provide a satisfying fishing experience. Lake Granby dominates the landscape to the north with sandy beaches and fishing opportunities. Deeper up the valley lies Monarch Lake, a pristine alpine body of water open for fishing, paddle boarding, hiking or lounging on the shoreline. Pay attention to and be prepared for the weather as it changes rapidly.

The west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is less than 20 miles away. If you choose the small towns of Granby and Grand Lake are a 20 minute car ride both have several restaurants for your dining pleasure. Or, you can pack in some food and prepare your meals in the cabin you rent.

Our visit was enjoyable and relaxing. It set the stage for the coming holiday season perfectly. We recommend Arapaho Valley Ranch to anyone looking for a mountain adventure with access to virtually anything you might need or want.

Michael and Patricia...