Trailborn Rocky Mountains

An excellent boutique hotel with a small swimming pool (accessible) in a slightly elevated position overlooking Estes Park and close to town and the riverside walk.||Within minutes of our arrival we'd spotted chipmunks, ground squirrels, hummingbirds and butterflies. On our final night, whilst toasting marshmallows, a small herd of elk walked through the garden. ||I would highly recommend this hotel as a small (with that personal touch), quiet choice of accommodation in Estes Park. ||Rooms are fairly plain but functional and clean. Beds were comfortable and tea/coffee making facilities were fine. Although the bar/dining area is accessible to wheelchairs, I could not see a way to get up the 4-6 steps to that level. ||Casa Colina restaurant is not that exciting. OK for a quick snack, but one wouldn't go there just for the food!||The bar was excellent, with knowledgeable staff who took real pleasure and care in recommending/creating cocktails. Happy hour was great.||Air Conditioning. The units are over the bed head with an annoying soft blue light that flickers all night. We were not able to alter the temperature.||||Special thanks to the bar staff which made our stay so memorable - especially Connor.

The hotel room that we stayed in was the worst we’ve ever experienced. To be more specific, the bed couldn’t have been changed from the previous guests. We found rocks and hair on the sheets. We also found a box top of condoms on the floor. We have a video of what we found and would be more than happy to share it with you. At no point would we consider returning to this hotel or recommend this hotel to anyone.

It’s a shame, because we really wanted to like this place. The lobby/bar is nice. The room was decent and the bed was VERY comfortable and the location truly cannot be beat. The thermostat is fickle at best. It’s concerning when the hotel has a note under it saying if you press the wrong button you will break it. Where our main problems started was with the actual AC Unit. It’s perched right above the bed. Our unit dripped right onto the bed/pillows so we had to leave our AC off. We also had an issue with mosquitos/bugs. Our last night there, I probably killed 40-50 in our room. I tend to be pretty forgiving on some things, especially when things aren’t necessarily anyone’s fault. We could’ve said something about the AC immediately and maybe something would have changed, same with the bugs. I spoke to management when we were checking out and they were pretty apologetic. They offered a partial refund, which honestly would’ve made up for everything, but we never received it.

Sadly, I was mostly disappointed in my 2 night stay at Trailborn Rocky Mountains, not to be confused with the Outpost. Starting with the filthy porch landing, doormat and broken Adirondack chair in front of my room. The interior of my first floor guest room was nice the bed comfortable but the windows are not secure and in the bathroom when the window is open someone could easily climb in. This is important because the air conditioning is not reliable and I was required to use a loud box fan in combination with open windows to make it through the night. The curtain was off the track, bathroom had no counter at all, as well as, water corrosion on the wall in a newly renovated property. Not even a hook on the old doors which have simply been painted over. Make no mistake, the Trailborn Rocky Mountains is an old property which has received a small renovation and a very extensive marketing campaign with a fat nightly rate. The staff not trained, when asked what direction the Estes Visitors Center was they didn’t know? The restaurant is good but cut short when the staff at the front desk in the morning were complaining about the people they work with in open conversation within earshot of guests. I was excited about participating in the adventures that they offer through local businesses but again why would a guide come to meet guests for a 5:00am pick-up to require they transport themselves into the park? It was not explained well. I wish I had kinder words for a great idea that has not been brought to fruition.

I've hesitated to write this review in the hopes that someone from the hotel would return my calls to remedy the incorrect bill we received but at this point I want to share our experience. While the people at this hotel were very nice we had a lot of issues for our 2 night stay. We indicated that we'd be arriving by 4pm (when check out begins) but did not get into our room until 6:30pm because "housekeeping was short staffed". We were told we would receive a $50 but that was never given to us. Our room was a handicap accessible room which we did not ask for. It did not have a shower curtain or full length mirror. The blinds broke the first night and we asked maintenance to fix it. Instead they just folded up the bottom rather than fix it and our blinds didn't go up and down the rest of the time. There was elk poop on the walkway from the day we got there and it was not cleaned up for the entirety of our stay. The restaurant was tasty but our waiter was clueless and messed up our order and could not provide recommendations for beer. We were charged twice for a late check out we did not use and despite trying to email, call, writing a message on the survey and reaching out via social media, I cannot get anyone to contact me. I'm so disappointed because we had really high hopes for our stay. I don't feel comfortable recommending this hotel to anyone based on our experience and would really appreciate someone from Trailborn to contact me as soon as possible.

We vacationed to Estes Park from Kansas. We stayed here for 3 nights. Whoever made their website and took the photos did an amazing job. The lobby was nice and staff were okay. It is a great location but if this motel were anywhere else it would be 3 stars at best and much cheaper. It is only 2 levels so it is a motel. The room we stayed in was designed awkwardly. I had about 1 foot to get around the bed to my side. It was cramped. We had the bottom floor and it was very loud above us. When we went to turn our keys and checkout there was no one at the front desk. So we went to get coffee and donuts downtown. And had to come back to check out. We were given a small refund which was appreciated

If I was only rating the staff, this would be 5 stars. They were all so helpful and friendly. However, our thermostat and air conditioning did not work for the last 2 full days of our stay and was not addressed despite our multiple asks. We did get a fan when we requested one. We were on the second level and it was loud with the sound of people walking on the stairs and deck/hall outside the room, as well as being able to hear everything from neighboring rooms. The beds are comfortable, the guide book in the room appreciated and helpful, and the food and drinks tasty. But I’d hesitate to stay again.

**Overall Impression:**|Not quite what I expected for the price… pretty disappointed, actually.||**Online vs. Reality:**|I got totally sold on the cool imagery and "hip vibe" online when picking the Trailborn Rocky Mountain Lodge in Estes Park for a night in August. It looked like a perfect spot for my family of four, especially compared to some of the other motor lodges around.||**The Room (and its Quirks):**|Our room had a king bed and two twins, plus a small table with two plastic chairs that weren't exactly comfy. It was clear this used to be an older motel that they'd only "sort of" renovated.||**Outside Issues:**|First off, the exterior was swarming with pigeons (like, 20-30 of them!) roosting above the outdoor walkway, leaving their droppings all over the flooring and handrails. You could tell the staff tried to clean it regularly, but it was still obvious this is an ongoing problem. Management really needs to step up and deal with it – a simple, humane deterrent (like those broom bristle-looking things) could easily be installed in the roosting areas. On top of that, the decking, railings, and ceiling paint on the exterior were all chipping and looking pretty rough.||**Inside the Room (More Issues):**|| * **Bathroom Door:** The bathroom door was off its track, making it a pain to close and impossible to lock.| * **Gross Towels:** A bunch of the towels had some weird orange stains and were super worn out. Honestly, it was just gross.| * **Beds:** The bedding *seemed* clean and comfy, but the mattresses themselves were totally unsupportive and felt worn out, definitely needing to be replaced.||**Lighting Lament:**|When we were ready to read in bed, we couldn't turn off the overhead lights and just use the bedside reading lights. Everything was on one switch by the door, so it was all on or all off. The lighting was really bright and harsh, not relaxing at all, so we just gave up, turned off the lights, and went to bed.||**TV Troubles:**|We couldn't get the TV to screenshare or download other apps for the kids to watch their shows. To be fair, though, we didn't ask the staff for help with this.||**The Bottom Line:**|Overall, this was definitely not the best experience on our Colorado trip. Out of the three other places we stayed at a similar price point in Crested Butte, Breckenridge, and Denver, this one was at the very bottom. They clearly need to do some serious work to make it live up to the hype they show online.

Easy 5 stars. The Trailborn Rocky Mountain lodge is walking distance from downtown Estes Park and has been upgraded with style, intention, and just the right amount of swagger. Think Colorado mountain chic: sleek, woodsy-modern exterior, warm lighting, and the kind of welcoming vibe that says, "Yes, we hike--but we also drink craft cocktails in matching robes." The rooms feature retro-modern touches, an oversized flat-screen TV perfect for winding down after a day on the trail, and a super comfy bed. The bathroom is stocked with high-end soaps and potions that smell like forest fairies and probably cost more than your last haircut. Major bonus: it's dog-friendly. Milo was treated like an A-lister--he strutted in like he owned the place, and they encouraged it. There's a stylish little pool out front for a quick dip or a "look at me lounging in the Rockies" moment. The on-site café is chic, with drinks that do not mess around. Service was spot-on: genuinely attentive and friendly without being fake. Breakfast is a step above the usual sad lineup of gray oatmeal, bruised bananas, and toast that tastes like cardboard. Decor-wise, it's everything your Pinterest board wants to be when it grows up--earthy textures, warmth, and not a single fake bear paw print or inspirational plaque. It's like someone finally murdered log cabin cheesy and replaced it with actual taste. If you look closely, you can still spot the ghost of the 1950s motel it once was--but only in that charming "look how far we've come" kind of way. We had a minor hiccup with the A/C, but the staff handled it with zero attitude and total professionalism. Bottom line: Book it. You get cozy mountain energy, an unbeatable location, and a room that makes you feel like you're starring in your own travel show--main character energy fully engaged. Would stay again in a heartbeat.

Mistakes happen. It's how you, as a business/person handle them, that makes all the difference. Luckily, I stay on top of my finances, as I saw a second/duplicate/fraudulent charge today from this business. It took me - unnecessarily - 1-hour to resolve, a simple mistake, that could've been resolved much easier, and with much more professionalism, respect, and customer service. I called the phone number on the website, got transferred multiple times (13 phone calls, in total, attempting to resolve this, directly, with the business, prior to giving up, and calling my financial institution), to 3-4 rude women, who kept interrupting me, talking while I was describing to them the purpose of my call / the issue at hand. They lied to me, giving me the "direct phone number" to the property, then it would ring & ring, no one would answer, and the call would hang up. Finally, a call rep woman directed me to the General Manager - from Florida. I am a Colorado Native, who grew up going to Estes Park, CO, when it was friendly, and when hotels understood they were businesses, needing to exhibit proper customer service, mutual respect, and professionalism. This is not how hotels in the Colorado Rockies treated my parents, when we booked family vacations to Estes Park, CO as a little kid, growing up in Colorado. I call the General Manager, Cristy, who is clearly driving while answering the phone. She asks me to text her. I say I'd rather not, then she asks me for personally identifiable information - via text - which I tell her I'd prefer not to provide, given I work in financial services and cybersecurity. I offer for her to be an adult, and a professional, and to call me once she gets settled at her desk, or I can call her back. She refuses. Magically, she's now at her desk. She looks up my last name, puts me on unexplained / not communicated holds, she says she's having computer issues. It's not clear to me if she's looking into it? I try, again, to describe the simple billing issue, which seems to elude her. After 30-45 minutes of this, I tell her that if she can't, or won't, resolve this, I'll handle it directly with my financial institution. She hangs up the phone on me. I'm then on the phone with my professional financial institution, and she texts me that she's magically refunded me. Funny how a call to my financial institution, the 14th call, wasting 1-hour of my time, immediately solves their issue. (In the past, more professional hotels, run by adults, resolve their issues, directly.) Keep in mind, I received no email receipt from this business, for this second/fraudulent charge, only for the first/valid/Expedia charge. Furthermore, at no point did this hotel ever tell me about new timed entry into Rocky Mountain National Park, 9am-2pm, in advance of the timed entry window, when I had said, the night before, I was considering driving to Grand Lake, to reminisce about my family summer vacations, time spent with grandparents, after I unexpectedly moved back to my home state, after my dad died in 2021. Given I am a Colorado native who only moved back her to handle my dad's preventable death, in 2021 - caused by unprofessional, rude, not detail oriented women & men like this, killing him, with their medical malpractice negligence, I had no idea that there is now timed entry, and this is one tourist perk I could've been provided/informed about, in advance. This is the reason one stays at hotels, and this is key tourist information, for hotel guests. Also, my HVAC technician told me yesterday, when I had an A/C mini split estimate, for my home in Denver, that this business's Daikin should not be leaking over/on top of one half of the bed. They also are not properly maintaining their hotel infrastructure. Lastly, the fact that I was charged a duplicate/fraudulent charge of $301.98 on Sun 7/20, indicates there was, indeed, a better rate available on Fri 7/19, vs. the Expedia rate of $420.56, I was told that night, checking in, and that I paid, initially. So, I was lied to, which is unethical and fraudulent business practices, per the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Rooms are sub par. We booked 4 nights here but only stayed 1. They rented us a room knowing the AC was out. Assured us a refund but never saw it. Still charged us $878 for one night. Called to discuss this issue. Christy the gm said she would look into this and get back to me. Never did. Called and talked to Emily who hung up on me TWICE. Bottom line...:don't stay here!!