Expedition Lodge Estes Park

We spent five nights at Expedition Lodge over Christmas while visiting the Rocky Mountains National Park. Its spot across from Estes Lake was great, and RMNP was at most a 10 minute drive away. The main street shops and restaurants were just down the road, and hiking gear rentals were close by too. The staff were friendly, and we liked having a games room to use while doing laundry. The pool wasn’t heated, though, just room temperature, so it was too cold for me in December.

About nine months later, I still remember how warm the people at Expedition Lodge were. The place brought back good memories of family trips from my childhood in Iran, and my visit to Rocky Mountain National Park added to those memories. I arrived around midnight on a freezing night. Nobody was at the desk at first, but a very polite young man came as soon as I called. My first room had a heating problem, and he quickly moved me to a better one at the same price. His kindness and professionalism made a great first impression. Then, just an hour before checkout, heavy snow covered everything. I planned to drive on to Salt Lake City, UT, and the manager, who was originally from Florida, gave me his number and said to call if I got stuck. He had a pickup truck while I was in a sedan, and that offer meant a lot. I don’t remember his name, but I send a warm hello to everyone at Expedition Lodge, especially that manager. I’ll always remember how kind he was.

The walls are thin, so we could hear the neighbors all night. WiFi didn’t work, and our room was missing its TV remote. Breakfast was a little odd for us: we expected things like bacon, eggs, and hash browns. There were waffles and cereal, at least, for less adventurous eaters. Still, it was a nice place to stay for a couple of nights. Downtown and the park were both a very quick drive away, and you can technically walk downtown too.

The parking was good, but the rooms were average and breakfast choices were very limited. Some employees were nice, while others struck me as strange. Keep in mind this is a pet-friendly hotel: dogs across the hall barked for over 12 hours, and management did nothing. I lost an expensive night of sleep.