The Lodge at Spruce Peak, a Destination by Hyatt Residence

The rooms remain a highlight for us, with comfortable beds and lovely views, but they need updating and housekeeping was unreliable. We had to ask several times for the room to be serviced; once it was supposedly cleaned, yet there were no towels or coffee and the trash was still there. Check-in and unloading also took a frustratingly long time. Some staff were friendly, though at other times asking basic questions made us feel like a bother, especially disappointing given the high rates. We’ve visited The Lodge at Spruce Peak many times over the years, and it used to be our favorite family getaway. This visit was a letdown. During the drive we realized we’d left part of my wheelchair behind, so we called to ask whether wheelchairs or scooters were available. Initially we were told no, despite the resort advertising accessibility. On arrival, they did have a wheelchair, but it was broken, so we had to make mine work for the trip. The valet system is cheaper than self-parking, but even after requesting our car electronically we still had to check in with the attendants and often waited 15-30 minutes. The attendants were kind, but the process needs work. Accessible parking was only in the garage, far from the entrance, which made winter mobility harder. Several common areas were difficult to navigate without help, and the phone for calling staff by an indoor lift didn’t work, forcing us to take a long route to some spaces. Restaurants on site were okay, though overpriced for the quality. Some staff seemed unsure about ingredients and allergy information, something guests should know in advance. The resort wasn’t as wheelchair-friendly as described. With the access, service, and housekeeping problems, we probably won’t return. I hope management takes the feedback seriously and addresses these gaps.

Diana, a Manager, turned a stressful birthday situation into a memorable stay. An unexpected problem with a local Airbnb in Stowe, VT left my family effectively stranded on my girls birthday. Since I had stayed at The Lodge at Spruce Peak the week before, I contacted Hyatt’s phone sales team to ask for help. Diana was professional, kind, calm, and genuinely empathetic. She found accommodations for us at short notice, and it also became my girlfriend’s birthday week, so the stay felt especially meaningful and was even better than our previous visit. The rest of the experience lived up to Hyatt hospitality. Valet staff were consistently helpful and professional, bell staff and ski valet were exemplary, the rooms were clean, comfortable, and well designed, and the dining was excellent, especially the pepper steak. Mountain operations and resort staff throughout the property were top tier. As a World of Hyatt Globalist, I’ve stayed at Hyatt properties around the world, and this was an outstanding example of the brand’s care and service. Many hotels, within Hyatt and beyond, could use a leader like Diana at the front desk. I highly recommend The Lodge at Spruce Peak and look forward to returning.

The security guard was the one person who actually helped, manually opening the gate when the technology failed. It’s a shame the front desk seemed less prepared to offer hospitality. I drove four hours from Boston and then spent almost an hour getting checked in. At this price, that was a disastrous start. My key card didn’t work at the parking gate, and the intercom there was useless: the front desk couldn’t hear me and kept saying “hello” without helping. I had to call security and wait for a guard to open the boom gate. At the room, both key cards failed too, and the hallway intercom was also broken. These failures left me with no way to contact staff except my own cell phone. When I finally called the front desk on my phone, they just told me to walk all the way back. There was no apology when I got there. The staff weren’t rude, just completely indifferent. The bedsheet, pillowcase, and duvet cover were wrinkled, and the shower had no proper showerhead, only a plastic hose. What is going on? Spruce Peak isn’t cheap, and being treated like an inconvenience after its equipment failed repeatedly was unacceptable. The state of the room was disappointing too.

The hotel itself is gorgeous, with kind staff, a smooth check-in, great valet parking, and a beautiful room with mountain views. I assumed the restaurants would match, but they really let the stay down. At Tipsy Trout, service was mediocre and nearly surly. My burger was fine, while my wife's trout was below mediocre. That turned out to be the high point of our meals. At Alpine Hall, we had a 7 PM reservation and were seated quickly. Our server arrived looking sweaty and exasperated, then we ordered wine and two mains. The wine came fairly quickly, but an hour later, at 8 PM, our food still hadn’t arrived. When we asked, she said it was “3 away from being cooked.” The manager came over moments later and said it was being cooked, so apparently they hadn’t got their stories straight. A few minutes later, the manager brought our meals. My wife's was cold, and mine was steak frites. The manager proudly said they’d added extra fries because we’d had such a bad experience. A few extra fries for a $200 dinner gone wrong? Our server never checked on us, though she swept past while we were still eating and dropped off two dessert menus. It felt like they wanted us out after keeping us at the table so long. At checkout, someone asked how the stay was. We explained the restaurant problems, and she said she was sorry and would have someone contact us. That was two days ago, and we haven’t heard anything. It seems the restaurant’s approach to service has spread through the hotel.