Hotel Ruidoso - Midtown

We’ve been here three times in the last three months for quick weekend ski trips, and each visit has gone well. The rooms, service, breakfast, and cleanliness have all pleased us. After a day on the mountain, it’s easy to walk to downtown shops and restaurants.

Our school district arranged a weekend training at Hotel Ruidoso, and I stayed one night. The rooms were very clean, and the historic part of Ruidoso was within walking distance. It made for a comfortable overnight stay, with plenty to do around town both day and night.

We agreed to the rate quoted over the phone, which matched what we saw online. I even have screenshots showing the room they now describe as extra expensive was listed at 119 USD plus tax. We expected rooms to run about $70-$150 USD a night, but at checkout they charged us around $230 per night, plus taxes and fees. That was more than double what seemed fair. They tried to put three charges on my card; the first two went through before my bank flagged it. When I asked in the lobby, the manager wasn't there. On the phone, he said he'd refund the second charge when he got back from church in about two hours. We never heard from him again. We were a young newly married couple who had driven 15 hours and picked a cheap hotel because that's what we could afford. The rooms are never worth that price, and it felt like we were being scammed. Later, I found another customer who said the same thing happened to her, so this doesn't seem isolated. I couldn't recommend this place less. If you can stay somewhere else, do.

We chose this local hotel for a family vacation because it advertises itself as pet-friendly, and we paid the required fee for our dogs. We followed the policies, but during our stay we kept hearing that people had complained about noise from our room. Our dogs are quiet and well-behaved, sleep in kennels when we're away, and spent most of the day with us. The only incident was when a cleaner knocked and one dog growled at the unexpected sound. He didn't bark, and it was quickly dealt with. That one moment didn't seem to justify repeated complaints. We were left feeling our dogs weren't actually welcome and shouldn't be alone in the room even while kenneled, which seems unreasonable for a hotel that promotes itself as pet-friendly. The way manager Michael Lopez handled things was also upsetting. He asked an employee to tell someone from our room about the complaints again, and that person turned out to be my 15-year-old son. Guest concerns should have been brought to an adult, not a minor. Between the repeated accusations, the inconsistent treatment of the pet policy, and the stress it caused, we decided to leave a day before our scheduled departure. We had hoped for better service and professionalism while supporting a local business. Instead, management showed poor judgment, and I'm extremely disappointed and disgusted with how it was handled. I hope the complaint is taken seriously and steps are taken so future guests aren't treated the same way.