Lord Ranch Resort — Hotel in Valentine

Husband and I went with my co-worker (separately) - as we had planned a Niobrara River float. We reserved two cabins for a Friday and Saturday night stay, well in advance, and sent our deposits the same day reservations were made. Hours before our arrival, my co-worker gets a call from the owner stating that she overbooked. She had other people coming to stay for a week. Owner presumptuously suggested that my co-worker just stay in our cabin. Really??? Awkward!!! My co-worker said that wasn't going to work so the owner said my co-worker could just stay in her house, in her bedroom. When my co-worker arrived with her coolers, she asked if she could put her food in the fridge to store. NO, fridge is full. (Owner sells ice but did not offer any to her for her coolers). Owner stated that she was cold so she was going to shut air conditioning off over night. My co-worker sweated all night, both nights, as it was hot in the house. She had no kitchen privileges, to make coffee or breakfast. We had her come to our cabin for both. This is NOT the same as having your own reserved space to do your own thing in the morning (or any time of the day or night). Now... moving on to our cabin amenities... cabins are nice enough but the good points are completely negated by the negative aspects. 1. Shower head almost completely clogged and No water pressure. Water temperature is NOT adjustable. It's either scalding (really) or freezing cold. You absolutely cannot bathe children, as they WILL get burned. 2. Coffee pot takes an HOUR to brew coffee as it is clogged. It leaves chunks of water deposits on the top of the coffee grounds. 3. After running water in the sinks, there are chunks of water deposits in the sink - every time. And we had to have water for our float trip!!! YUCK. 4. Mini refrigerators - too small for anything more that a couple nights stay. Freezer compartment smaller than a shoe box. 5. WiFi not working. (we just wanted to look up a few points of interest in the area). This was just a really disappointing experience. It's apparent the owner is trying to get by on the cheap. Water filters should be installed, shower heads and coffee pots should be cleaned or replaced. And I'm not buying the "overbooked" excuse. Owner had the opportunity to either make $109 per night (2 nights) from my friend or a weeks worth of money from the other people - so my co-worker got screwed. Due to the cabin problems mentioned above, these are $50/night cabins, at most. In all fairness, I do want to mention that my co-worker was not charged the balance of her bill and she was offered a refund of her deposit. That still does not change the fact that this was a very...

First stay in 2015, thought it was a fluke that the owner Dorothy was flagging us down when we were departing. She started telling us we shorted her one hundred dollars only to go inside and when we asked her if she touched the money we gave her she said no. She then dug into her purse to pull out 300$ the exact amount given. Also I would do a price check prior to going because beware she will write her own receipt on a notecard and obviously doesn't consistently charge. Next stay in 2016 thought we would give her another visit thinking it was all a big misunderstanding of course. On the morning we were to head out it was 7am and I remember thinking who is letting these children run around SCREAMING outside the front door at 7am on a Sunday morning?! I assumed it was another cabin goers children and tried to let it slide. HOWEVER, an hour and a half later approximately 8:30 I hear banging on the door (and I do mean banging) and it's the same little girl with her sister who says "we came to get your sheets! Grandma wants your sheets! When are you leaving?". In complete and utter shock! I simply stated we would be gone by check out time. Needless to say we left ASAP and NEVER plan to return. It was horrible!!!! Fool me twice...

It is rare to find lodging where you can stargaze with a lawn chair, binoculars, or a telescope just a few steps away from your sleeping accommodations, where the view of the night sky is unaffected by light pollution or nearby light sources. Lord Ranch Resort is ideal for casual stargazers and amateur astronomers alike, just a few miles away from the location of the annual Nebraska Star Party. The cabins are cozy and well-equipped, the location easily accessible and just a short drive from Valentine and yet far enough away that the light dome of Valentine to the NE is barely noticeable. We stayed in cabin 2 for three nights, Sept. 2-5, 2016, and will be returning regularly in the future. The Valentine National Wildlife Refuge is located nearby by paved road and we enjoyed hiking on a trail up to the CCC Fire Tower and back. I've been an active amateur astronomer for nearly 40 years, and I highly recommend staying here if you have any interest in astronomy. Even if you aren't into astronomy, this is a great place to stay and relax, enjoy nature, and sleep well. Dorothy is a wonderful host. Highly...