Taharaa Mountain Lodge — Restaurant in Estes Park

I struggle writing this review because Beth and her events team were amazing!! She was great to work with and very flexible. I am a strict vegetarian and Chef was very accommodating (stating he would dump his fryer, clean it, and use new oil that didn’t cook meat). The flow of events was perfect and the views were amazing. The whole lodge was bought out by our guests, so it was so fun to be around our loved ones! The issue was, on Sunday after the wedding and check-out, we heard our guest’s experiences with lodging. First, it appears that the plumbing did not work (looking at past reviews, this seems to be an ongoing issue with the property). Two room’s did not have water from the shower. These guests had to use other people’s shower’s (which ended up being 4 people to a shower). My sister-in-law’s toilet would not flush at all. These issues would have been frustrating enough, but what really was tough was how it was handled by management. When my father-in-law approached the manager, she told him to use a plunger, and when he told her that was not working, she told him there was nothing they could do about it and walked away. Also, when guests were checking in, she seemed flustered and made them wait until there was a larger group to do a check-in. If she was kinder about it, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but for my uncles, she made them stand outside, not giving water or the code to go inside, which at 85-90 degree sunny weather was unnecessary. Lastly, when my husband and I checked in, she told me I could have my breakfast in the bridal suite. I told my bridesmaids staying at the property that I would have a scrummy breakfast for them, but if they wanted to eat their breakfast from Taharaa they could eat it in the bridal suite. One of my bridesmaids tried to do this, was yelled at, and so my bridesmaids had to eat in the dining hall area, which separated the group and pushed back my hair and makeup artist’s schedule. It just seemed unnecessary for so many of my guests to be treated rudely. To be clear, I had none of these issues (I was treated very respectfully), but almost everyone approached Matt and I with a story they experienced. This reflects poorly on my husband and I. We had the most perfect wedding in such a beautiful area, so I would strongly recommend getting married at Taharaa and working with Beth (she was very professional and everyone loved the food–not always the case with weddings; 5/5 recommendation), but until they fix some of the plumbing and hospitality aspects, I would not recommend having guests stay in their lodging (Except for their honeymoon suite, this was a very lovely room; we would give them a 2.5/5 review for lodging). As an aside, we were told we could not hear cars at the ceremony site. Our ceremony was so lovely and beautiful, but if future couples are wondering the same question, you can very clearly hear the passing cars. Nothing we could do about it, but just wanted to...

My wedding was August 1st, 2021 at Taharaa Mountain Lodge. I had a great experience with the event manager, Kathy, and owner, Sandra. They were very helpful and answered all of my MANY emails in a timely manner, which is HUGE for a crazy bride! Kathy also helped with the rehearsal and set up the reception room so nicely. The venue was gorgeous! The new bridal suite was also really nice to get ready in! However, it was warm in there, so turn the AC on ASAP. Great views inside and out! The food was also really good, and the bartender was amazing! Wedding itself: no complaints! I would give them 5/5! Now, the hotel: the rooms are nice with beautiful views, and the breakfast was good. However, the hotel staff ruined my experience, not only me, but my family and wedding guests. First, I had some family members trying to get a hold of the hotel for a last minute reservation. They called multiple times and left voicemails, but no answer. We got a hold of them about 3 days later, after I contacted Kathy to help us. Second, we were told that we could call a week before for an early check-in. However, the hotel was not accommodating and checked us in only 10 to 15 minutes before our scheduled rehearsal time. This was very inconvenient and frustrating for us. On top of that, the staff member who checked me in took her time explaining things when she knew my rehearsal was starting within minutes. Then, it came time for the staff to check in the rest of the guests... They did not talk to them kindly and did not make them feel welcomed AT ALL. I understand a place has rules. However, they did not have to announce them the way they did and talk to them like children. My family members and guests continue to talk about how rude the staff was and how they felt uncomfortable staying there. This was embarrassing and such a disappointment for me, as I wanted my guests to enjoy their time after traveling from around the country. Third, the aisle for the wedding was uphill and covered in gravel, which was concerning since I was walking barefoot and my 80-year-old grandma and dad who recently had hip surgery had to walk down the aisle. The hotel staff gave us a broom, and WE had to sweep it up ourselves! The groom, who was supposed to be getting ready at the time, swept it up, which also ruined the whole “don’t see each other before the ceremony” thing. Lastly, when they say the wedding ends at 10pm, it ends at 10pm. They started kicking us out right away and made us feel rushed and pressured when cleaning up the decorations. Our guests tried to help us clean up, but the staff kicked them out to the parking lot for them to wait for their rides. I’ve read about the hotel staff being rude, but it was from years ago...Not sure why it happened to us. Overall, great for wedding, hotel not welcoming for your...

-We left a day early because the bed was so uncomfortable! You could feel the springs/coils and every move you made the other person could feel it! I'm sure they don't care, since they keep your money for the night(s) you don't use. They should use that money to purchase better mattresses!!! (We normally don't like hotel mattresses much either, but after staying here, it made the hotel mattress feel amazing the next night!) -Bring your own pillows! I'm so glad we did because the 3 they had on the bed weren't much. -The balconies are not private...you can see all the others to your sides and through the slats to the one below you too. -There is so much road noise that you can't enjoy the balcony or keeping your window open. -Our balcony had trees obstructing our views of the mountains too. -There isn't a dedicated spot to put on your makeup...like a desk in a hotel...so you either have to stand in the bathroom...which really isn't feasible with the terrible lighting and layout...or sit on the floor like I had to and use my night stand. -If you need any assistance, the manager is only there during the day when you would be out doing activities. So, if you need anything in the morning or evening/night you are out of luck to find a human on site. Every time I wanted to take a look at this so called gift shop they had I couldn't because no one was there and it is in the office area. Also, the morning we were checking out early, there was no one to discuss things with because they weren't arriving until 10am. We had a 2 day drive to get back home so we needed to hit the road. It was already past 9:00am. We don't even know if the manager ever realized that we left a day early! -The day we went hiking was really long and we needed the therapy that the hot tub could provide us. We asked if it was heated and ready to go and we were told yes. Upon arriving, the hot tub had dirt in the bottom of it and the water wasn't even as warm as you would draw for a bath. We got in and then right out! -When trying to get back into the lodge from the hot tub, we couldn't get the door to open. We ended up having to walk around the building and go in through the front. -I was scared to death to cut myself while shaving because you are threatened if you stain their white rags and towels! Don't purchase white rags and towels if you're worried about them being stained! Hotels use white and they don't threaten you! -Don't plan on sleeping in either, you can smell the coffee and breakfast cooking and hear the people in the kitchen. The rooms further from the kitchen may not have as much of an issue. -At least one of the lamps shades was torn in places. It made the room seem even more dated/old.

If you still choose to stay here, I hope you have better luck. We were in the...