Blaine S.
Yelp
This stay was our first. Overall, the HOTEL is great (continental breakfast is a joke, though - not to be missed - the limp, flabby bacon), but the pet fees are getting out of control. We thought it was $50/stay. It's actually $50 per pet, PER NIGHT. They don't even change the sheets every day (unless you specifically ask them to, which we didn't/don't), so this seems almost hostile.
Use common sense when assessing pet fees! Two hairy golden retrievers MIGHT be worth charging $50/dog/night, but the 10lb chihuahua we rescued does not merit $100 for a two-night stay. You might as well be saying "don't come back". If we had stayed for a full week, that'd have been $350!!!! That's insane! The cleaners already have to clean the room/vacuum it, wash the sheets, etc so what's the pet fee even for in the first place? Are the cleaners vacuuming "extra hard"? Come on! I understand if a dog wets a bed or pees on the carpet and there is damage, which would fall under the normal clause that "you damage it, you pay for it". CHILDREN make a bigger mess of a room on average than a dog does, yet they stay "for free".
As for "The Grill" restaurant downstairs, the food is GREAT. Period. However, Kasey (hostess/manager) acted like my wife and I were inconveniencing her BOTH times we came to eat. Very frustrating to come to Sun Valley for the first time in 8 years and be treated like a nuisance when we're trying to have a nice time. Our server on the first night (Frank) was "fine", but frequently trailed off his conversation with us, while walking away from our table. Multiple times. He was attentive and got the job done, but between him not being engaged with us, and Kasey's attitude when I first walked in, the experience left something to be desired. We still tipped Frank well, but more out of pity than because he truly earned it.
The next evening we came in for drinks. We sat in the lounge off the entry and started looking at the menu and Kasey's greeting was "can I help you?"...again, as if we were an inconvenience. Well, crap, what do you think we're sitting in your lounge for, menu-in-hand? YES, you can help us by being friendly and asking what we'd like to drink, not questioning our existence in your lounge like we're bums off the street* ESPECIALLY when the bar/restaurant is basically empty (one 4-top and A guy at the bar) - note that we don't/didn't even look like ski/climber bums, we are/were well dressed. What's so hard about saying something like: "Hi, guys! Nice to see you, again! How was your meal last night? What can I get you to drink? Did you do anything fun in town today? Need any tips or suggestions on what to see or do?" Ok, ok, perhaps not everyone has that much pep and zest, but that's the kind of engaging, welcoming behavior that makes people enjoy their time and want to return. She didn't even TRY to be welcoming, and that's what turned us off.
We'll be back to Knob Hill someday, but in about a decade and a half, when our dog is no longer with us.