Oh my goodness!!!! It is magical!!! I was skeptical due to some of the poor reviews and I was…read moreright... it had to be a disconnect, mistake or miscommunication. I arrived on Saturday... left Sunday... It was clean. All of it!!!! It has something for everyone. If you want to cook your meals... bring snacks... play games, dog yard and they make s'mores every night. Just sooooo beautiful!!! The people are soooo nice as well. Oh wait... the breakfast burritos... hmmm. Delish. We will be going back. It is just as advertised!!!

**Please note: this review is for the Rustic Rook Grain Bin rentals, which is part of Rustic Rook…read moreResort, and are both located on the same property** We stayed here last night and I want to say that the accommodations were "okay" at best. I would equate it to like staying in a tiny home with a much better bathroom. If that's your thing, I'd say book a stay. However, I'd like to highlight my experience with the management, which was not the best. I don't know who I was texting with because they didn't give me their name. This situation may apply to you or it may not. I just need to type it here, so I can release the negative energy and anxiety that this situation has caused me. We booked this about a week in advance. We were told later that their business would not accept my letter from my doctor stating that my dog is my emotional support animal (ESA). I do have a few medical conditions that do allow me to have this designation for my pet. In the past 10 years, I have never had a hotel, motel, AirB&B, etc. refuse my letter and still charge me the pet fee, but Rustic Rook Resort did just that. I did ask that my reservation be cancelled and refunded, but they stated they would not reverse the charge because I would've needed to cancel 30 days in advance of the stay date. Keep in mind that I made the reservation a week before my trip. At this point, I was bound to the reservation or lose all of the money I'd spent. We did obviously keep the reservation and made the 4 hour drive to come to Mosca, CO and enjoy the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which was amazing! Later that day we started seeing severe weather alerts for snow, wind, and below freezing temperatures. We didn't think it would be a good idea to stay the second night for safety reasons. When I asked the person I'd been texting if they would kindly refund that second night due to the extreme weather conditions that were coming, I was denied any refund. We left anyway and hit some pretty bad weather on the way home. If we'd waited till the next day as planned, it would've been much worse. Now, here's where I stand on their decision to not waive my pet fee for an emotional support animal, and not offer any kind of refund for needing to leave a day early due to extreme weather. I realize there are policies in place, and I'm sure there will be a response to my review from Rustic Rook Resort. They will likely say that these are our policies, etc., etc. In response to that, I'd like to say that it's not always about a policy in your business. It's about customer satisfaction. Would it be a slight inconvenience for you to bend the rules in these situations? Most likely. Would it be the kind thing to do and to make this more of a positive human experience? Yes. I would've gladly made this an annual trip because we loved the area so much. I also have family who travel to Colorado to see us each year. They were excited to hear all about our experience. This is how you get repeat business. Making the customer have a positive experience should be a higher priority than adhering to a "policy." In addition, and this is just how I read the texts. Sometimes it's hard to tell the context of a text message, but in this case (in my opinion) those texts came off with a very condescending tone. This did not help in the least and it caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. This was supposed to be a nice, relaxing weekend getaway. Unfortunately, this experience made me wish we'd just stayed home. I hope this review helps someone else make an informed decision about whether to stay here. I'm not on here to bash this business. They made their decision and I'm choosing to share my experience based on the decision Rustic Rook Resort made. Thanks for reading. **Update 01/28/26. Just as I predicted, the policies were thrown back at me. I want to reiterate that sometimes it's about doing the right thing to create a positive outcome. I want to be sure to point out that we did leave before the major part of the storm hit. It was just starting as we left. Had we waited another day, it would've been a much worse situation. I appreciate that you are a small business. I also recognize that it's "off season," but that doesn't give you an excuse to just recite a policy to me and dismiss the fact that it was a real weather "emergency." Any reputable business would take that into account. Clearly we need to agree to disagree here, but the fact of the matter remains, I will never recommend your business to anyone. There are much more reputable accommodations in your area. I wish you well in your off season. I hope the money you made off of me during the weather emergency was worth having this review posted.

I am not kidding you, they have the best bacon i've ever had in my life. I went for breakfast on…read morethe 4th before going to enjoy the sand dunes and was surprised when I took my first bite. I went back on the 5th and ordered 3 sides of bacon before heading back home after my trip

DO *NOT* RENT BOARDS FROM THESE CROOKS! After spending $100…read moreon overpriced convenience items we rented 3 sleds for the kids to use at Great Sand Dunes NP. After lugging the sleds in my youngest tried to use one on the first tiny dune and the board became delaminated making it useless and meaning we had to lug it around while the kids shared the other two. Upon returning them, I pointed out that the board didn't even work wince and asked if they could do anything to make it right. The worker just trotted out the "no refunds" sign... a total rip off!

Bighorn Park in Coaldale, CO was a great place to stay. It has RV accommodations and hookups,…read moremotel and cabins. There is also a separate showering space adjacent to the RV park. We stayed in a cabin, friends were in the motel, and RV park. All within close proximity so we could walk to each others site. While very rustic, they were very clean. Cabin was complete with two separate bedrooms, a kitchen (including all utensils and coffee pot), bathroom and living space. Incuded was shampoo, conditioner, soap, dish soap, coffee, dish rags, kitchen towels, bath towels, wash rags and a swamp cooler for air conditioning. It even had a crock pot as well as your basic pots and pans. Full sized refrigerator with freezer. Stove and oven. The motel rooms were about the same, less the separate bedrooms, kitchen and living space. It also has an outdoor pool and a commons area. The owners, Aaron and Brenda, couldn't have been any nicer or more accommodating. It is right off the highway, easy to find. A stream runs through the back of the property offering a scenic view. Would definitely stay there again.

I love this place! Perfect location for all attractions and civilization! Owners are friendly, and…read moreyour short term neighbors are all kind. Beautiful scenery of the river and mountain backdrop!

We stayed in their family suite, which gave us plenty of room to spread out and make ourselves at…read morehome. The accommodations are comfortable, albeit a bit dated, but all of the furniture and furnishings are in good shape. This place is also very, very clean - they really put their attention on ensuring you feel safe staying in the space. Since we were in the family suite, we had our own private entrance, so we never disturbed other guests, or vice versa. It was a bit warm the weekend we were there, but there is a small window unit and some fans to help circulate air. Only drawback is that Westcliffe is a ranching-heavy community, so expect to smell field manure...depending on wind direction, you may not want to keep your windows open!

Wonderful lodge!! We stayed one night as we were traveling through and we are so happy we did. The…read moreroom was very nice and clean with so much space. The lodge used to be a bed and breakfast, the dining room and kitchen can be used but I don't believe you can use the stove only the fridge. I contacted Barb the owner to ask for the wi-fi password and she emailed me back right away. The suite was so nice but the screen in the windows needed to be replaced and the one looked like it was going to fall out the window. Overall it was great with a beautiful view of the mountains. Thank you to the owners we loved our night.

I stayed here last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! I booked the Sunshine & Solitude cottage. I…read moreenjoyed it so much that I decided to stay another evening, to extend my experience and stay in a different cottage. Hillside Colorado Cottages is such a perfect location to unwind and decompress; a great opportunity to unplug from all of your mobile devices. So, heads up here! If you're looking for a place where you will be guaranteed cell phone service, this most likely isn't the best option for you. If you truly want to "unplug" and decompress, without all the daily distractions, this is the place for you. My cottage was clean and quiet. I had beautiful views of the mountains. I also saw a family of deer at dusk, not too far from my cabin. I thought that Westcliffe was peaceful. Hillside is quieter.... Shhhh..... Perfect setting to go on your own spiritual retreat. This is exactly what I needed for what I've had going on in my life lately. I feel recharged. Looking forward to spending another evening at Hillside Colorado Cottages.

I was in a wedding here this past weekend and we had such a great time…read more The grounds are gorgeous and offer some fantastic views of the mountains. It was lovely to wake up to and such a nice change of scenery (and humidity) from STL. I am unsure of the name of the cottage we stayed in, but it had 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This was perfect for the bridal party, as there were 4 of us. We had enough room to get ready in the living room with hair and makeup without feeling cramped. The kitchen was well stocked and had everything we needed. I recommend bringing disposable silverware, cups, and plates to save you time on dishes if you have a big party! The venue offered a lot of other cottages for the bride and groom, as well as the groomsmen. It was easy to hop from building to building. My favorite part was where cocktail hour was- it was under the willows (gorgeous) and offered shade and such a casual outdoorsy feeel. They also had lights hanging up and a couch. So cool. It was an intimate ceremony with great views. Everyone was so accommodating and lovely!! Thank you.

OK, first of all this is the only show in town…read more The pros... 1. The hotel is family owned which is nice. 2. The views of the dunes and sunsets from your back patio are astounding 3. The people at the front desk are friendly 4. Location!!! The hotels proximity to the park is perfect! You can see the park sign from the hotel. 5. Watching the hummingbirds at the many feeders outside the rooms was fun after a long day at the park. The cons... 1. The rooms are dated and small and could use some updating. 2. The beds have been well used and don't have much life left in them. 3. We stayed for 2 nights and the room wasn't freshened after the first night - no one made the bed or tidied the room. Maybe that's not what they do in rural Colorado but that's the first ever hotel where I've experienced this.

We recently stayed two nights Labor Day weekend. Way overpriced. The front desk staff were friendly…read moreand helpful. The breakfast was adequate. Two comfortable queen beds, refrigerator, microwave, bathroom, two folding chairs, rooms were clean. Outside your room are piles of debris attracting rodents. Garbage all over the GSD lodge. Such an eyesore.

I really wanted to love this place - it wasn't terrible but it is not worth the price. It is fun…read more The night sky was full of stars. The telescopes were easy enough once we actually understood. Our initial walkthrough with a staff member the information was mixed up with the telescopes so we were using them incorrectly. We also were locked out of a supplied iPad making one telescope useless to us. The chairs and couch are white and have plenty of dirt and whatever else stains. There are parts of the wall falling apart but it didn't take away from anything. Just noticeable and seems odd for such a high price place. They call a million and ten times to check in with you before your reservation. They email and text conflicting information. So I never knew what to believe - I just started ignoring. There were many things "not working" or "we haven't worked that out yet" such as the AC. It was hot during the day - you have to leave windows and doors open to get air in but then you are inviting bugs. The water is well water (I am assuming) so it does have that sulfur smell - there is no hand soap so bring that for the bathroom. We did pay for the breakfast just because we didn't want to rush out to feed our kids - it was delivered and they were great about communicating. Unfortunately, it was so salty though and no one could even stomach a quarter of it.

If I could give negative stars to this place, I would. I was an original Kickstarter investor and…read morehad plans to stay at the villa in May 19-23, 2025, which was confirmed in an email back on Sept 13, 2024. On March 29, 2025, I received an email stating that the villa wasn't ready and that our stay would be impacted. Can I kindly push my reservation back by a year, with the promise of being upgraded to all inclusive benefits? I said sure. Our stay was changed to May 19-23, 2026. On May 4, 2026, I received a phone call from Hazel, who's in charge of booking accommodations, and she told me that again, our stay must be pushed back. I immediately said that that wasn't acceptable, that we already had our flights to Denver booked, and she mentioned that it's because the other villa is only 70% completed and the county won't allow the resort to have guests there until they pass inspections. Why that fact would affect our reservations, I don't know, unless the resort was planning on putting people in the villa that hasn't yet passed inspections..... I emailed the general email of the resort (because the website's form wasn't working) and asked for the owner to call me, lest I report that this whole operation is a scam. He did, we talked, he offered to refund my stay and I told him he's welcome to do that if he also pays for my non refundable airfare tickets. He didn't want to do that. I express that I truly believed in this project and wish to see him succeed, if only he built better systems and provided better service which, in the end, all luxury hotels are truly about. He said that people like me (from California) have high standards, and I said no, we just have standards. And where did he think most of his clients would be from, if not wealthy families from places like California and Texas? So I receive an email confirmation that our booking is all good to go that same day, May 4. My husband and I fly here to Denver on May 16. May 19, the start of our reservation, is tomorrow, so I go back to the confirmation email we received on May 4 to input my information. But once I click the link, our reservation is shown to be canceled. I call Hazel, she says that she'll check on things for me and call me back in 15. She never did, and all my calls are now going to voicemail. Here's the scoop, you guys. According to an article on gazette.com... The CEO of Kosmos Resort is named Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. His "real estate family" moved from Chile to Miami after losing their entire fortunes after Chile's economic downturn in the 2000s. He has allegedly built businesses (which may or may not have been successful) and envisioned Kosmos, which is a $13 million project. He crowdfunded and raised about $2 million through Indiegogo, Kickstarter, etc. That's still $11 million short of completing the project. The same gazette.com article mentioned that Zalaquett "over the past four years, [purchased] 1,300 acres as "leverage" for funding Kosmos, which sits on 40 acres he bought for $11,000." Let's check the math. $11,000 for 40 acres is $275 per acre. 1,300 acres, if they cost all about the same, is $375,500 worth of land. $375k in no way will fund $13 million, even when used as collateral. I have a background in commercial real estate and 1,300 acres of absolutely useless land will not sway bankers to write a loan. So my GUESS... Zalaquett used his $2 million from crowdfunding, started the project, and extremely quickly ran out of cash. Go on Reddit, and you will read about folks who call this place a scam, have been refused refunds, and reported this business to Colorado's Attorney General office and Better Business Bureau. Me, I'm just going to finish my vacation off in Denver and write this off as an experience with a young man of extreme hubris, zero ethics, and zero business savvy. Thankfully, I can swallow this financial and time loss--I'm afraid for other families who can't.

Along the 'Cosmic Highway' is the UFO Watchtower. It is in the middle of nowhere but close to hot…read moresprings and Great Sand Dunes Park, don't miss it. The UFO Watchtower is an observation platform and campground where tales of UFO sightings have been reported. Located below the platform is a "healing garden" where visitors leave objects to hopefully receive some sort of healing. The garden has "three vortexes that several psychics say are in her front yard. The vortexes are guarded by two invisible beings. You can feel the power when you move close. Larry the supper nice owner and his informative trusty ex military assistant Lee and his rescued Lab Rats regale us with UFO stories. There have been many sightings here and when you climb the watchtower you can see why. The tiny indoor museum houses the remains and story of the mutilation and death of 'Snippy' the horse in 1967 which gained headlines due to unusual circumstances. The head was stripped bare to the bone. The precision cuts on the flank could not have come from a coyote or even a pack of them. A strong chemical smell akin to acetone lingered in the air. Indications of an aircraft landing on the terrain featured "circular exhaust marks", "squashed bushes", and circular indentations in the dirt. A geiger counter alleged reported high radiation counts around the exhaust marks and flattened bushes. Beginning in the 1970s, the US experienced waves of cattle mutilations which were likened to Snippy's death.Mutilation investigator Linda Moulton Howe revisited the Snippy case, interviewing witnesses for her 1989 book An Alien Harvest. A must for UFO fans and roadside attractions and the small entrance fee is worth it. Ask lots of questions and you will get lots of interesting answers.

This is definitely another roadside attraction. But it was fun and kitchy and I'm glad we checked…read moreit out and it was five bucks a person to go in. It's very hot. There's no shade bring water half sunscreen and a little something to leave behind for the aliens.