Trey F.
Yelp
If Four Seasons did a motel...
I booked at the Desolation Hotel after seeing the great pictures on their website, and, well: they don't do it justice! This place is stylish and modern and clean and eco-conscious and GORGEOUS!
I booked one of their hotel rooms, and it was just perfect for a luxurious ski weekend! Abundant art and tchotchkes made it feel just like home.
The bathroom had both a nice stall shower, and a modest but deep soaking tub. It even had heated floors! The bath amenities and towels were top-notch, and very generously supplied.
While I'm on the subject of baths: there was a KILLER soaking tub out on the balcony! I loved sitting out in the cold, dark night relaxing in the steamy water. In just one of the many, many thoughtful touches throughout this room, the soaking tub even had an overhead heat lamp to warm the floor so my feet didn't get cold when stepping out into the cushy provided slippers.
If you got home from the slopes soon enough, the main pool and hot tub also offered a great place to relax. There were plenty of loungers surrounded by fire pits and heat lamps, along with some low jazz that just made it a wonderful oasis. The front desk was happy to provide pool towels, and the fluffy Frette bathrobes from the room kept me warm to and from.
Inside the room, there was a cool "fire tornado" feature, which also kept the room super toasty. And the kitchen had everything you could possibly need to self-cater a ski weekend (or even week)! Seriously, I was shocked at how well-appointed the kitchen was.
High-tech features abound, too: The WiFi is actually fast enough to use, AND the Ethernet port at the desk was enabled and even faster. When a quick moment of work popped-up, I had no trouble dealing with even large downloads. Bedside, there were very nice wireless/MagSafe chargers for three devices per side, and multiple outlets for your own chargers. Almost all the lights were on dimmers, too, so you could easily set the perfect mood.
The bed was super comfortable, with Frette linens, and plenty of pillows, including a body/throw pillow. So was the couch, with nice throws and a cozy blanket.
Storage-wise, there were two closets with drawers, a luggage stand, extra hooks, and even a boot tray!
All the staff are super friendly and easy to work with. The cozy lobby has coffee and tea, and small selections of sodas, beer, and other sundries and merch. (The hats are very cool!)
I'll be reviewing their (excellent!) on-site restaurant, Maggie's, separately, so go check that out, too!
Just a few "be aware" items:
1. The hotel does not offer daily housekeeping, and this isn't clear from their website. Not a big deal, but it was slightly surprising at this price point.
2. The hotel's front office closed at 8, so make sure you call ahead or leave an accurate arrival time at booking, if you think you'll be later. They're very happy to leave a lockbox on your door with a key, which is great!
3. End rooms like A24 have a clerestory window that faces one of the hotels "townhome" buildings. This let's in a lot of light a night, and there's not window treatment. So, you may need to stuff a couple of pillows up there to get it dark enough to sleep.
4. The mini-split AC unit near the bed can make a lot of noise when it turns on or off, or when it's vanes move. If you can get it into a stage where it is stable, however, this isn't such a problem.