Wild Basin Lodge — Hotel in Four Corners States

My fiancé and I fell in love with the Wild Basin facility and were very excited to hold our wedding and reception their. The owner was extremely hospitable PRIOR to contract signing, promising us an extended Classic menu options list. This extended menu list was a deal breaker for us as the representative menu in their brochure was very limited and we specifically asked the owner if there were additional options to choose from at the Classic rate for which we would be booking. She stated that she did indeed have an extended menu at the Classic rate available to us. Based on this promise, we were ready to sign the contract. When we called Wild Basin in order to contract with them, we reiterated that the contract was contingent upon this extended menu being provided with our contract. We were assured that the extended menu would accompany our “event plan” via email immediately AFTER we signed the contract and gave her the deposit. We signed the contract in good faith and gave Wild Basin our deposit. We were then emailed back the signed contract to us WITHOUT the extended menu after our payment/deposit was processed. We emailed Wild Basin to let them know that the extended menu was not included with the email response and “event plan” as promised. After multiple email exchanges they admitted that they had not been "clear". We contacted the owner and again requested the extended Classic menu options. She informed us that she would have to go through years of menus to provide us this extended menu and that it could take weeks for her to come up with one. She also suggested that we think about what we order when we go out to eat and present it to her. The owner’s response indicated that this extended Classic Menu which had been promised to us appeared to be nonexistent. It also illustrates that she may be very resistant to accommodating clients. We were surprised by an email from her the next day in which she made sure to tell us that she had to come in hours early in order to provide us with a menu and attached it in the email. The tone of her email left us very discouraged. The attached menu contained items that we recalled seeing on the ENHANCED menu/contract rate and which would cost us additional money. I emailed her and asked her if the items on the menu were ALL Classic menu options as agreed, to which she replied no. At that point, and within 48 hours of contract signing, we decided enough was enough, and cancelled the invalid contract with her as it was not a contract under state law due to the above (and below) mistakes and misunderstandings.

Additionally, the brochure she handed us prior to contract signing included a photo of the upstairs “Copeland Room” with round wood tables, and a descriptive statement above the photo which read, ”Upstairs in the Copeland Room, elegant wooden tables and magnificent views highlight another reception area at the lodge.” The Copeland Room was the room we were booking for our reception. When we spoke with the owner about how excited we were about these beautiful round tables, she informed us that it would be $500 extra for the use of these tables. This despite the round tables being clearly depicted both in photo and description as native to the Copeland Room.

Wedding planning is already a stressful time for any couple, and we were very disheartened by the behavior of this establishment. We are now forced to pursue every available option in order to...

My fiance and I have been in the process of planning our wedding for almost a year now and other than our first month of no wedding planning (not worrying about wedding planning and just soaking in the engagement bliss), the Wild Basin Lodge has been in every step of our planning! We booked the WBL to have our ideal, as stress-free as possible, epic mountain wedding. I say stress-free because from the moment we arrived at the venue in August 2020, they have made everything so easy! We didn’t actually have an appointment, but called ahead as we were shopping for other venues in the area that we had appointments for and they pretty much said “yeah come on by!” We parked, entered, and were immediately offered drinks from the bar and a personal tour. As we walked around the entire venue, beer and wine in hand, we fell in love. The process began very smoothly and to point out a few things that we loved the most: 1. The fact that they have a coordinator that helps all couples throughout the entire process. This was important to us especially because we didn’t have a wedding planner and this person would be our liaison to the venue. 2. The food and beverage comes with the venue and that’s been really easy for us to not have to outsource all of that and add even more vendors to our list. 3. Lastly (just to keep this someone short) we really loved the meadow site and the amazing view! Really everything was just perfect and everyone was so kind. For context, we visited four other venues before we found the Wild Basin Lodge and we never looked back!

Fast-forward to March when the coronavirus pandemic began, we really believed that our stress-free wedding was not going to happen. This is when we realized just how amazing the WBL team truly is. With all of the regulations and restrictions mandated by the state, the WBL team kept us informed on everything as it would apply to our wedding. We were truly blessed to have Olivia as our coordinator because her communication is outstanding! We never felt as if we were in the dark or out of the know. Olivia and the rest of the team made sure that we were as comfortable as possible whether we decided to move forward or reschedule for a future date. This meant a lot to us especially after hearing some heart wrenching stories from our friends that were also getting married this year and their negative experiences with their selected wedding venues. Originally, we were required to have a 100 person minimum, but with the COVID situation preventing a lot of family and friends from out of state and out of the country to come, they lifted the 100 min. Requirement which is the biggest reason we decided to move forward with our original date. The WBL team has been there every step of the way and was more than willing to accommodate any changes or updates for us while maintaining compliant with CDC standards.

Our wedding is in one week and if the actual wedding day goes anything like the year leading up to it, we will be ecstatic. Not saying we would recommend getting married during a pandemic, but if you choose to like we did, the Wild Basin Lodge is the place to do it! We can’t wait to get married at the Wild Basin Lodge and look forward to experiencing the most memorable day of our lives at this extraordinary venue with this...

As a professional event planner, I hold high standards when it comes to rating venues. That being said, my experience at Wild Basin Lodge was nothing short of exceptional. I wholeheartedly recommend this venue, and I say this with utmost enthusiasm: run, don't walk, to Wild Basin Lodge.

Nestled on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, this venue not only offers a breathtaking backdrop, but it also provides a tailored, private experience delivered by a top-notch team.

When choosing a wedding venue, we had specific criteria in mind. We wanted a space that wouldn't be shared with another wedding and a team that could transform our vision into reality without breaking the bank. Moreover, we aimed to minimize the number of vendors we had to coordinate with, seeking a convenient one-stop-shop experience. Wild Basin Lodge exceeded our expectations in every way.

From the moment we started planning, the team at Wild Basin Lodge made the entire process seamless. Working with them was a dream, and they were genuinely committed to bringing our vision to life. I must give special recognition to Hawley Vining, whose professionalism and ease of communication were truly exceptional. Hawley served as our point of contact from start to finish, ensuring that our day unfolded just as we had envisioned. This consistency ensured that our vision was never lost in translation, a rare luxury in event planning. Hawley's presence from setup through dinner service on our wedding day further guaranteed that everything ran smoothly. Although we had an additional day-of wedding coordinator, it's worth noting that the Wild Basin Lodge team had the situation well under control.

As a self-proclaimed type A personality with a propensity for handling everything myself, I was initially hesitant to delegate. However, the trust and confidence that Hawley and the Wild Basin Lodge team instilled in me made it easy to hand over all responsibilities on our wedding day. This level of trust is a rarity in my line of work, and it allowed me to enjoy a stress-free day.

Now that our wedding day is a cherished memory, we couldn't be happier with our choice of Wild Basin Lodge and Hawley as our hosts. The day proceeded without a hitch, and the Lodge's stunning backdrop provided the setting for the most beautiful wedding photos. In fact, I wish I could relive our wedding day repeatedly, as it was nothing short of perfect.

While our overall experience was outstanding, it wouldn't be a genuine review without offering some constructive feedback. Our only point of dissatisfaction pertained to the wine selection. While we certainly don't claim to be sommeliers, we do possess a reasonable knowledge of wine. We found that the quality of the wine offerings didn't quite align with the pricing included in our package, and the pricing for special requests was notably higher than the industry standard. However, it's worth noting that, in the grand scheme of the day, nobody at our wedding had any significant complaints about the wine selection.

In conclusion, I couldn't recommend Wild Basin Lodge more wholeheartedly, and I sincerely hope that every couple has the opportunity to experience the same magical and memorable day...