Ranch at Ucross

At check-in, there were around 10-15 bugs in our room, not just one. We were there for one night as part of our TAUCK tour. I called both the front desk and the emergency number, but nobody answered or called back. I told the manager the next day, and she didn't seem concerned or apologize. She said the ranch is in the woods, they have bugs, and she even had them in her own house. Then she asked if I wanted her to pack them up for me to take home. It felt like she was making fun of me. I've been in the service industry for over 45 years, and I found this completely unacceptable. We have bugs in Florida too, but not in my house or on my pillow, and I don't have to deal with them while I'm trying to sleep.

The horses we saw were tied for long stretches without water or supervision, and their physical and mental health seemed affected. As people with experience caring for animals, we found it alarming, especially since horses are central to the ranch's appeal. The way the manager, Ruby, treated people also troubled us. She knew about the difficult time we were going through after losing our youngest daughter, but showed no empathy and verbally harassed my husband and me when we offered ideas for improving teamwork and ranch duties. My husband is a combat veteran and paramedic, and we both have experience with business operations and equine care. We arrived at The Ranch at Ucross hoping to volunteer and contribute, but the experience was painful and degrading. We declined the positions. We believe human dignity and animal well-being should come first.

The beautiful setting stood out, but food service was disorganized. For example, the biscuits were downstairs while the sausage gravy was on the steam table.

WiFi was a lifesaver for letting loved ones know I'd arrived safely, since phone service is spotty out here. My room was cozy, and customer service was EXCELLENT. Bailey, the Hotel Manager, went above and beyond during my stay, and I'm so thankful. Ranch At Ucross is a historic 20,000-acre ranch in Wyoming. I look forward to coming back. Thanks, Ranch At UCross!