The Branch House & Suites By Gold Dust

It was a convenient walk to the main street, where we spent most of our time, but the room had flies, wasps, and spiders. We couldn’t work out where they were coming from until my boyfriend spotted a window left ajar. Check-in was supposed to be at 3, and we were told the room wasn’t ready. That was no big deal at first, but we couldn’t get in until 5, with dinner plans at 6. Some towels were dirty, and the front desk setup was strange. I’d rather pay another $100 for a cleaner room farther away than deal with the bugs and dirty linens.

In one of the two rooms I booked, there were splatters that looked like blood on the living room floor near where my kids would sleep. The other room had piles of bugs where we pulled out the sofa bed. Its mattresses were lumpy and impossible to sleep on, and there were no sheets, pillows, or blankets. When I called to explain why we couldn’t stay, the front desk person initially wouldn’t let me say what was wrong, then said we’d get no refund because I complained. This is a roach motel. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Each room has its own charm, and the views over the Black Hills and town are beautiful. This quaint former ice house makes for a fun Deadwood stay. Everything in town is walkable, including the museum, cemetery, and main street. We’d absolutely stay again.

My room was enormous and luxurious, and free parking was a real perk since parking in Deadwood costs a lot. Check-in was a couple of blocks away. There was an early morning fire alarm, and they were very apologetic even though it wasn’t their fault. I was the only guest who left the building, I guess everyone else was fine with burning to death?