The Bristol Hotel

This is my go-to place when I stay in Steamboat, which is my favorite place. I love sitting on the second level by the indoor hot tub and looking out at winter without being cold. The rooms aren’t huge, but they’re nice and clean and keep their historic feel. The staff have always been the best, and Steamboat people are just the best.

We chose this place because we could walk to several spots, and we did. The room wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was small and had a quirky layout. In the middle of the night, the heater began dripping water and woke us up. I don’t know if it was condensation or something else. There was nobody at the front desk, just a number to call, and who wants to switch rooms at 2 AM? My socks got dirty from the floors, so they clearly hadn’t been cleaned recently. It could have been better.

Check-in was one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve had. As soon as I arrived, the woman at the desk told me there were extra fees. I said I’d booked through a third-party site and hadn’t seen any extra charges listed. Instead of clearing it up, she was rude and dismissive, said she was tired of explaining the fees, and told me I could “go elsewhere.” Then she canceled my reservation herself without trying to resolve anything. I only found out afterward that she was the owner, which made the whole thing even more shocking. Hospitality starts with how guests are treated, and other travelers should know what to expect here.

The hotel and rooms were clean and nice, with a handy mini fridge, TV, and comfortable bed. The room view wasn’t the best, but you can see the mountains from the hot tub. I booked online after the front desk had closed, so when I arrived that night my key wasn’t in the afternoon-hours box. It was inconvenient, but the staff were really friendly and sent someone over to help me get into my room. The location is great and central.