Zerrin D.
Yelp
positives: the bellhops, ski valet, maintenance people, and most of the front desk workers (samuel, katelin) were so friendly, accommodating, positive, and helpful throughout our stay. there were comfortable beds, beautiful ski mountain views, two hot tubs, and a nice warm pool. we had an amazing first couple days at the blake. then the storm hit.
cons: literal storm - squalls, very high winds. power out in much of taos, state of emergency declared for the county. ski lifts closed, no electricity except generators. no room electricity incl.power outlets, hot tubs, pools, gym equipment, spa, nearby restaurants closed. the storm is not the blake's fault. if they'd dealt with this natural event better, they'd have gotten five stars.
the hotel used its generator for heat, lights in the hallways, and their restaurant. the places to charge devices were a power strip at the front desk and one outside the restaurant, unattended. there was no flashlight available in our room, and we used our own headlamps to navigate. we put the food from our fridge outside on the small balcony so it stayed cold. the power was out for over 26 hours. cell service was out for at least 12 hours.
what would have earned this 4-star hotel 5 stars is if the hotel reached out to its guests and offered some refunds for the inconvenience or attempted some service recovery. in my opinion, they should have used their restaurant generator power to provide a dinner buffet for all their guests without food or power in their rooms, free of charge. instead, they charged full price at the sub-par hotel restaurant. we were able to get our meal comped that night by the front desk manager.
joshua, the front desk manager, was relatively friendly and informative in person after the power went out at first. it's not his fault the hotel does not have a more effective management protocol for power loss. however, after we left, he patronizingly told me over the phone i was the only guest for whom he was processing a refund. i'm not sure how many people paying 4-star hotel prices are okay using headlamps to look at toilet paper after wiping their butts, but i am not one.