Ice House 305 by Exceptional Stays

The room was fantastic, probably the nicest vacation rental my family has ever had. Check-in was easy, and the covered parking was excellent. We were close to the gondola, shops, and restaurants, and the pool, steam room, and hot tub were immaculate. The laundry was amazing and complimentary too. We stayed in room 202 and will be back.

We’re already planning another trip to dreamy Telluride, and we'd happily stay at Ice House again. The property was clean and accommodating, with lovely views and a quiet setting away from Main Street. We loved being right by the river, where it was lovely to walk and listen to the water at night. Food, shopping, bike rentals, a park, and a gondola station were all an easy walk away, and covered parking was included. The pool, hot tub, and steam room were clean, with great views to enjoy while relaxing.

The room was clean and spacious, check-in was easy, and the location was fantastic, a block from the gondola and three blocks from Main Street. But even though the listing says it sleeps four, the sleeping setup was dismal. There's a queen bed in the bedroom and a pull-out couch in the living room. The couch mattress was less than 3 inches thick, if you can even call it a mattress, and lying on it meant feeling every spring and metal support. I don't have kids, but I wouldn't put a child on it, let alone an adult. There were two of us, and my friend and I took turns sleeping on the couch to avoid the pull-out. At $500 a night, nobody should have to sleep on an uncomfortable couch. It's a shame because the room was clean and the location was good, but it was so uncomfortable to sleep there that we won't return.

The staff went above and beyond. We arrived late, and when my wife called to ask if the pool and hot tub closing time was flexible, they offered to leave them open if we came right over. We got there and enjoyed the hot tub and sauna for about 30 minutes, with the river just beyond the balcony. They waited until we were done to close up, which was a lovely end to the day. The gentleman at the front desk also personally walked me to the free condo parking, got a luggage cart ready, found a space that worked for our large SUV, and showed us the laundry, pool, spa, and sauna. The location is incredible, right on the river, about a block and a half from the free gondola to the top of the mountain, and two blocks from the main drag, with shops, restaurants, and more along the streets in between. We could easily walk around town. Our unit had two full bathrooms despite having just one bedroom with a king bed. The living and breakfast room had a table and chairs, sofa and TV, a small desk, and a kitchenette with an induction cooktop, microwave, K-Cup coffee maker, and full-size fridge. There was a screen door and screened windows, so we could open them and enjoy the breeze and the sound of the river all night. The balcony itself was tiny, with room for two small chairs and barely space to get into them. The condo was extremely dated and not very comfortable. Rugs covered the hardwood floors and looked older than our adult children, the decor felt just as old, and the bed sat barely a foot off the floor, which made getting in and out difficult with my physical disability. The AC didn't work, but I propped a fan in the doorway to the small balcony. We found the condo on Expedia while passing through Telluride for an early dinner and decided to stay overnight. Check-in was a block away from the condo. We saw a curb sign saying loading and unloading only, so at first we parked several blocks away and walked back. Then we learned guests could park out front temporarily to check in, which is much easier. The property was extremely comfortable in its facilities, but the dated unit was a drawback. Still, with the river, town access, and wonderful service, we both want to return and try a more modern unit.