Hotel Ketchum

The room key stopped working this morning, and with nobody at the front desk, I was lucky my wife was there to let me in. After just one night, cleaners were sent into our room and staff tried to make us leave. The billing was a mess too: we booked three nights for $778, they charged my card $1,000, which I assumed was a deposit, asked for another $170 at arrival, then charged another $200 the next morning. I don’t think they’re bad people, just that the systems and processes for managing the place are terrible. Breakfast sucks, and this is basically a cheap motel. Booking wedding blocks here is an enormous scam. Don’t do it. Just show up and book online, and you’ll save hundreds and avoid all this hassle. Or stay at one of the resorts down the street. I assume they serve halfway decent food. Probably the worst hotel experience I’ve had in 10-20 years. No one wants biscuits and gravy for breakfast, serve bacon or sausage or something.

It felt like lipstick on a pig. Our room smelled like it had once been a smokers room, the sheets had dried blood on them, and there was hair in the shower. We’ve stayed at other renovated motels that did a great job, with nice products and amenities. This one didn’t. At $400+/night, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re comfortable with a true motel stay.

The convenient location was the one thing we liked. The online pictures gave us a different impression, though, and in person it felt more like a motel. The staff weren’t especially welcoming, and the dog area was just a little patch of dirt despite the hotel being advertised as dog-friendly. Worse, we could hear nearly everything through the thin walls, from toilets and footsteps overhead to full conversations next door. It was hard to rest or relax, and we ended our trip early. We wouldn’t stay here again.

The staff were wonderful, and Jose was especially kind. We loved the rooms and amenities, the pool and hot tub, and breakfast at the Pasteur. The different buildings and The Hangout add to the place’s charm. Hotel Ketchum is a gorgeous, eclectic boutique hotel with a historical feel that carries through even in its correspondence. It’s the only place we’d stay in Ketchum, and we’ll recommend it to others. Thanks for a beautiful stay!