Sweetwater Lift Lodge

I never even stayed, but they still charged me about $450. My flight from Paris was delayed and I was rerouted to another city, so only a few hours after booking I asked if they could give me credit for a future visit. The only response was “declined.” They had time to resell the room during peak tourist season, and there’s usually a 24-hour booking courtesy period. They could have built some loyalty for a future stay, but chose not to. The whole thing felt massively insensitive and left me feeling bad.

The location is good, but the room was very old and covered in layer after layer of paint. The floor had a noticeable slope down to a low spot in the hallway. We kept finding black beetle-like bugs on the walls and ceiling. When I told the front desk, they said housekeeping was responsible, but nothing was done and nobody followed up. There were no electrical outlets in the bathroom. The only one nearby was at the vanity in the main bedroom. They also charge an extra $18.50 per day as a resort fee, though I definitely wouldn’t call this place a resort. It’s lipstick on a pig, and still a pig.

The room gave me serious concerns about cleanliness. Surfaces were dirty, there were unpleasant smells, and it was obvious that proper cleaning hadn’t been done. The way staff treated us made the stay even worse. From arrival on, they were dismissive, and questions or concerns got indifference and an unprofessional, almost arrogant tone. It felt like guest feedback meant nothing to them. Cleanliness, service, even basic courtesy were all lacking. For a hotel claiming to meet a certain standard, that’s unacceptable. A disappointing stay from beginning to end. I can’t recommend it, and hope they address the hygiene problems and their attitude toward guests.

The front-of-house team and manager Rainer Villegas made me feel especially welcome. I had a short stay and loved the spacious one-bedroom suite. Thanks for a delightful visit!