Estes Park Motels

Don't judge this hotel by the outside.... Our room was completely renovated, we had a two-bedroom suite with one bath - plenty of room, comfortable mattress and pillows. Very clean and well stocked room. Hotel staff is super helpful and friendly. We loved having S'mores by the outdoor campfire beside the peaceful waterfall, in the comfortable Adirondack chairs. Breakfasts were wonderful, hot waffles, cereals, muffins, toast, bagels, boiled eggs, yogurt ... great coffee and a nice tea assortment. We will stay here again. A great family hotel, for sure.

We just completed a two-week trip around Colorado, last stop was three nights at the Blue Door Inn in Estes Park. Self-described as a “Step Beyond Ordinary” and based on the TripAdvisor reviews I was really looking forward to staying there, even if it was the most expensive place of the six we were staying on our trip (that’s Estes Park for you). As soon as we got there my expectations were crushed and I was very disappointed. I found it to be several steps below ordinary. We booked a Queen Superior room; should be called an Inferior room because it was anything but Superior. According to the website these 230 square foot rooms are “2nd floor rooms…a bit smaller and offer the same great amenities as our Standard rooms but have better views facing South.” I apparently did not read this closely enough as the Queen Standard rooms are 250 square feet and “enjoy all of our basic amenities…1st and 2nd floor rooms at the best rates of any room type.” There is no elevator to the second floor and the room was very, very small, barely enough room to move around the bed and furniture, and difficult to find a place to set up the luggage racks (at least there were two racks). There was no closet, only a rack with a few hangers on the wall between the bed and the small side table. That table was old and wobbly, there was no room for both of us to sit at it, and there was no light over it making it not an easy place to do any work. The layout of the room was weird. The sink was not right next to the bathroom; instead, it was out across from the bed. And the view for which we paid extra was nothing special, certainly not worth any extra money, especially when we were out at RMNP all day with the fantastic views there. The outside was not good either. The carpet on the steps was worn, torn in places, and dirty. Biggest issue was the lights in the stair wells were not working, making it very unsafe to carry luggage up and down in the dark. There were light bulbs in the light fixtures but they were not on. See pictures. The first day the internet was horribly slow but it got better the next two days. Breakfast was not worth whatever extra charge is included in the cost of the room (breakfast should not be advertised as “free” at hotels). First, it doesn’t start until 7am which is too late for those of us with early Timed Entries into the park. I asked if there was a take-away option but was told ”no” (despite learning later that they do have packs of oatmeal, muffins and yogurt that could be taken back to the room). On the second morning we were first ones in the door at 7am and the powdered eggs were already cold as was the “gravy” (gelatinous, bland goo) for the biscuits. I turned the knob to get “Froot Loops” cereal out the container and at least four different kinds of cereal came out (see picture). Who knows how long it had been in there! For the third day we just took the aforementioned items back to our room. When we got home and