Basalt Mountain Inn

I was traveling from the East Coast to Aspen for a conference, but Winter Storm Fern canceled my flight, so I tried to cancel the reservation the day before arrival. The hotel manager first insisted Expedia never approves cancellations in these situations. I know that's not true from similar cases before. He said he'd agree not to charge me if Expedia called and approved it. I contacted Expedia customer service, and they called him. He refused to cancel, and Expedia emailed me documentation of that. Later that afternoon, he called to claim Expedia hadn't called at all. That was a blatant lie: the Expedia communication had his name on it, which I hadn't given them. He offered a free night for some future visit “if we were ever in the area,” but I live on the East Coast and had been there for a conference. Why not just cancel and waive the charge? I'd avoid this place. The management was completely dishonest.

The noise kept us awake all night, with loud plumbing, mechanical sounds, and other disturbances. The room was also unpleasant to touch: yellow-stained sheets, a foul smell, and no proper lock on the door. We went out and bought disinfectant spray to make it feel tolerable. Guests shouldn't have to do that just to feel okay in their room. We asked to cancel the remainder of our stay and get a refund because the conditions were unacceptable, but they refused. The place felt filthy and unsafe, and management wouldn't take responsibility for our concerns. This was easily the worst hotel I've stayed in. I'd stay anywhere else.

We were on the ground floor, and footsteps from upstairs carried so clearly that sleeping was really difficult all night. There was loud plumbing too, plus random noise during the day that made it hard to relax. The shower had noticeable grime, and the beds were very uncomfortable, almost like the springs were broken. We left disappointed and wouldn't choose Basalt Mountain Inn again.

We got locked out of our room in the snow in the middle of the night, and management wouldn't answer after hours. The door locks only work some of the time. We skipped breakfast, but there were very angrily worded signs at the front desk threatening a $100 charge if you didn't finish your food or took anything to go. Stay somewhere else.