Lost Creek Ranch & Spa — Hotel in Jackson

I really hate having to write this review because the staff and wranglers at LCR were almost uniformly sweet and hard-working but after a week here, with my husband and three kids (6, 7, 9) my headline is: avoid.||||First, the good - as mentioned, the staff is super super sweet. The food is excellent and almost too plentiful, though they aren’t totally equipped to handle allergies (or perhaps just a dairy one). And the plant walk, country dance night, and Snake River Float (the last even in driving rain) were great. And most importantly, most of the wranglers were lovely with the kids - in attitude, and in making room for them to stretch their riding abilities.||||(Also, one of the wranglers doubles as the house photographer; we had already gotten pictures done this year but even so, purchased his set. If you are able to, wait for him. His work is great.)||||But - the ranch is very disorganized. Multiple times activities were canceled or the times were changed (sometimes due to totally foreseeable weather) without a heads up, which makes planning a day with kids difficult (this meant we were actually showing up for activities all suited up and ready to go only to be informed they were canceled, rather than receiving a phone call, text or visit to our cabin to let us know). Even activities that were on were changed - eg my kids kids and I arrived at one ride, that was supposed to be intermediate (trotting) and they placed a beginner on it so we did a slow walk instead. After several episodes like this we spoke to the general manager who was relatively responsive to the problem, but we shouldn’t have spent half our vacation like this first.||||And while the riding may be great for beginners - my kids have been riding for about 8 months and learned to canter here - as a rider who has logged many hours in the saddle (some on Equitours recommended trips/ranches), it was disappointing. There is a limited amount of trail appropriate for cantering. Each person is assigned a horse for the week; mine was ok but most of them were sway backed and slow. Rides that are advertised as two hours almost always took an hour and a half.||||Which wouldn’t seem like much of a problem if there was other stuff to do - and perhaps when there isn’t a pandemic there is. But the ranch is not mask mandatory, so if you have unvaccinated kids, and are cautious, that means no spa, no sauna, no meals inside, no kids club. (They have outdoor dining but only if the weather holds so we ate a bunch of meals around the coffee table in our cabin). There was one kids club that was all outside, a Junior Wrangler program. It was billed as three hours of lassoing, tacking, bareback riding, and had to be modified for the rain - but ended up being a few minutes of lassoing and tacking and then about an hour of kids mucking stalls. (For context, my kids go to a kind of dinky riding camp and on rainy days, in addition to barn work, they do horse related trivia, arts and crafts like making mop horses and painting horse shoes etc.) The night of the kids cookout, though it didn’t rain, they did it inside because it was forecast to earlier in the day, which meant that our kids couldn’t participate (and we didn’t get a break). Again, they didn’t let us know in advance that they changed it to be inside, which means we pumped up the kids only for them to return to our cabin disappointed 20 minutes later.||||There is a hot tub, which would have been great, but it was broken the week we were there. When we asked a staff member about the tub they said it would be great if we asked the ranch managers/owners to get a new one because it was 40 years old and always breaking down. This brings me to the facilities, which are cozy but bare boned (e.g., uncomfortable mattresses and mice in the cabin.) This (the bare bones; not the mice) is what we wanted but I mention it because this ranch is about 30 percent more expensive than its peers and other guests may be looking for more up to date digs, especially if they will be spending a lot of time in the cabin with their kids.||||My understanding is that the ranch’s owner died a few years ago and the current family trust that owns it is trying to sell. It feels like they are cutting corners to increase profitability but that’s speculation.||||There are a number of options in the area; next time we will, unfortunately,...

I will never be able to fully express just how incredible our trip to Lost Creek was. My husband I chose this place as our honeymoon destination and I can promise no one has ever had a better honeymoon than us. I could say so much about this place but to save the readers some time I’ll give you my top 5 reasons that you should book your stay at this ranch over any other. #1 you get the most photographed view in the Tetons every single day without having to walk more than 30 steps. #2 you will not find a single restaurant in the town of Jackson that has better food than breakfast, lunch and dinner in LC dining room. Four course dinners every night except for cookout nights. All the wild game you could ever imagine trying. We also got a special made honeymoon cake that would make your tongue smack your brain. #3 I would put this as #1 however I’m sure our experience with this may not be as universal. THE STAFF!!!!! Every single staff member was phenomenal. We so enjoyed getting to know them, they truly went above and beyond to make connections with the guest and offer them a good time. Genuine people with a genuine desire to share their love and passion for life on the ranch. #4 the activities on the ranch are absolutely endless. A week truly felt like a month in the best way possible. We left the ranch only twice and each time we found ourselves eager to get back so we weren’t missing out on anything fun. Made our trip so much more relaxing that all the planning was done for us, all we had to do was show up to the fun. Lastly #5 Jasmine the director has poured her heart and soul into every last detail of the place. Beautifully decorated spaces with true eye for textiles and vintage pieces that were specifically sourced, perfectly creates the cowboy aesthetic that everyone wants a taste of these days. Might I mention that she also specifically ordered a game off of amazon for a family to have during their stay because she knew it was their tradition to play together. I saw every single penny I ever spent at LC being put to good use all around me, but most importantly I made relationships with staff and other guest that I will never ever forget, and got to experience the most wonderful vacation with my husband that we will be sharing stories about for many...

Our family of five was seeking an adventurous vacation and Lost Creek over delivered! First off…the clear views of the Tetons are absolutely stunning . The family cabin with two bathrooms fit us all comfortably. The smaller setting of 10 cabins makes for an intimate experience where staff knows you well and friendships are made with fellow visitors. We started the week as beginner riders & after six days with their talented wranglers, we left as confident riders. They matched us up to the perfect horse (adjusting mid-week if necessary) and created trail rides that were as adventurous as you could handle—through forests, near the river bank or on ridges. They are knowledgeable & educated us about the history of the region, the wildflowers, the animals—oh the animals! We saw elk, black bears, deer, bald eagles & pronghorn. The riding is the main feature with opportunities for up to four hours a day (morning & afternoon ride) or even a six hour day where you picnic in the wilderness. However, there are plenty of other activities if you want a break from riding. There is skeet shooting, archery, float trips, plein air painting, a pool/hot tub, yoga classes, guided hikes, generous work out facility, pool table, and a cozy main lodge to read or do a puzzle—they have thought of everything. The line dancing, live music night, astronomy night & rodeo night round out a busy schedule. And ahhhh…the food! Chef Alex & team outdid themselves offering a creative variety at every meal that included game, fish, vegan & gluten free fare. From the homemade sauces/salsas/pasta to the baked fresh every day pastries to the salmon smoked on a line and trout/ribs/lamb/boar cookouts—it is truly an elevated dining experience! The excellent bartenders with their daily craft cocktails, morning barista, on-site masseuse, assortment of healthy snack offerings, in-cabin keurigs all accent an incredible setting. Finally…we can’t say enough about the staff. Each & every one’s passion, attention to detail, genuineness & enthusiasm is contagious & created an immersive & memorable experience that we will...