Columbine INN

We booked a room for Valentines Day two weeks ahead, but after visiting the hot springs we arrived at Columbine Inn to shower and get ready for dinner and found the office closed. My partner called the owner, who said he had no record of our reservation. When reminded that we had booked by phone weeks earlier, he said his system had been “hacked” and he’d lost all the reservations. He also said the inn was full and had no rooms left. It seemed clear to us that he had overbooked or never entered our reservation, and was making an excuse. We’d driven two hours, and on Valentines Day evening in a small town we hadn’t expected to find other options. We had to get a tiny motel room down the road, sleep there, and drive home the next day. Don’t count on your reservation being there if you book with them.

I never got to stay, so this is about the booking experience. I booked on a Sunday through a third party, chose to pay on arrival, and got a call from a very rude man two days later, the day before we were due, saying the reservation wasn’t valid and our room had been given away. Their site has a small notice saying holiday stays must be paid in advance, but that wasn’t shown when I booked through the third party, which let me select pay on arrival. The caller made it sound like my fault that the booking site offered that option. I would gladly have paid ahead if I’d been told at checkout, or if someone had called the next day to collect payment. I have more than 11 years in hospitality, and this is not how you treat people. I was willing to overlook the 3.6 star rating, but the reports of rude staff now make sense. If you can, I recommend giving your business to somewhere else. This place isn’t worth it.

The rooms are a little small, but they’re very clean and private. I’ve stayed here several times when visiting Idaho Springs, and the location is great. You can walk to several restaurants and shopping areas.

Sam gave us exceptional service, and dealing directly with a small business owner was a welcome change from a faceless corporate hotel. There was a problem with the room I’d booked, but Sam more than made up for it, and the room we used was perfectly fine for the night. It was quiet, clean, and comfortable, with a really comfy bed, a great location, and easy parking. We had a wonderful stay and look forward to coming back.