Econo Lodge Estes Park

The room itself was okay, though some towels were stained. Breakfast was the bigger letdown I’ve had: there was only one cereal option despite two cereal dispensers, no fruit, and the orange juice was half gone. Staff were late getting breakfast ready, and I wondered if the food had been left out overnight. For the room rate, I expected better food and service.

The lobby and shared areas could use some attention, and they smelled of cigarette smoke. The room was neat and clean, though the bed wasn’t especially comfortable, and extra blankets would’ve been welcome. Still, we had somewhere to sleep, and the pizza delivery found our door without trouble. Nothing else to complain about.

I love Estes Park, but I’ll stay somewhere else next time. This place was noisy and overpriced, and it just wasn’t enjoyable. It does have free breakfast, a clean little pool, and a regular hot tub that people were using. There’s cable and Wi-Fi on a small flat-screen TV, plus a mini fridge and a new bedspread, but no microwave in the room. The building is old and run-down, and the carpet was nasty.

The room was vile, and we left rather than stay. When I went back to the clerk to explain, he seemed shocked. He said in broken Chinese and English that the empty room next door had been left open to “VENTILATE.” I told him politely that our room was unacceptable and we wouldn’t pay. He said he couldn’t refund us because a 20% commission had been added since we booked through a travel agent. I’ll take it up with Visa. Please don’t stay there. There was a fire alarm hanging from the ceiling by its cord, and the entire screen door was lying on the balcony. It was a sliding door with no screen. The bathroom counter had a huge brown stain that looked like old coffee, there was a used bar of soap in the window, and two washcloths were stained, one with mascara and one yellow. The bedside lights didn’t work. Both beds had stained pillowcases, and the bottom sheets were inside out. The carpet looked like it hadn’t been properly cleaned in years. We also noticed the neighboring room stood open to the outside even though it appeared empty. I’d been quoted $99 per night online, but at check-in I was told the two nights would cost $288. When I asked why, the clerk didn’t speak English. The room was already unacceptable on arrival.