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.

Cute little spot that serves as a restaurant, gift shop, and sandboard rental all in one! We…read morestopped by for breakfast and ordered the 2 egg breakfast and the breakfast burrito. The food and service were both perfect--really hit the spot! There were a few pesky flies around, but considering it's a multifunctional space, I think they're doing the best they can. Overall, a charming and convenient place to fuel up before or after hitting the dunes! We did rent a sand board and that was totally worth it!

I went camping here with my family over the weekend and really enjoyed it. We had our choice of…read morecampsites, as it was not very busy. It's only 40 minutes from Alamosa, and tent camping is affordable at $30/night. There are a lot of little campsites scattered among the piñon pines. Most have a fire ring built up with stones and a picnic table. There's also an insulated boxcar that has been converted into restrooms with flushing toilets and sinks with running water. You get spectacular views of the San Luis Valley, the Great Sand Dunes, and the Milky Way. GSD is a dark sky park, so this is a great destination if you love stargazing. I have a feeling we'll be back, because all the little campsites make it a perfect place for camping with friends.

As home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, this place is absolutely worth checking out. We…read morecame over Memorial Day weekend and we had been hearing rumblings in town that this is typically one of their busiest seasons of the year so we were really nervous we would have to wait in long lines, it would be crowded, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy our hike up the sand dunes. It was actually totally chill, it took maybe 15 minutes to get situated and pay for our park pass, drive to the dunes, and find parking but nothing outrageous. I will say the park rangers here are not friendly and fairly rude if I'm being honest. The dunes themselves were super fun, we had never been to anything with this much sand before so it was a blast sledding down the hills! All of the visitors were really nice and friendly to one another which is always great to see. We specifically rented a 4x4 jeep so we could go on the Medano Pass Primitive Road and probably only made it about 5 miles. THIS was actually crowded and unruly as it's one lane and you have to park on the side every now and then to let cars from the opposite direction come through. It was bumpy, not scenic at all, and rather annoying having to stop so frequently so we ended up ditching it and leaving to go to the visitor center instead. If I were to redo this part, I would have just rented a cheaper car that wasn't a 4x4 and saved loads of gas. Because the park is open 24/7, we were especially excited to come back at night though and see the dunes. We returned around 10:30pm and although there were some really annoying people blasting music in the dunes parking lot that ruined the ambiance, the stars were absolutely magnificent. Since it's a certified International Dark Sky Park,they were absolutely stunning and radiating from the night sky. We got so lucky it was a clear night so we could see them so well! That was the highlight of our trip for sure.

A truly remarkable landscape that must be experienced. These are the tallest sand dunes in North…read moreAmerica. Yes, in Colorful Colorado!!! My first trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park was in February of this year. It completely exceeded my expectations. No, it's not classic Colorado. Yes, I visited in the off season (more people should do this!) Minimal crowds meant having most of the park to myself. I rented a sandboard in Alamosa and sandboarded down the dunes. Only $20 at Kristi Mountain Sports! Talk about a thrilling experience! Totally recommend doing this if you're craving an adventure. All you have to be cautious of are the weather conditions, specifically wind. I watched the forecast like a hawk and tailored my visit accordingly. The two popular hikes to experience the dunes are High Dune and Star Dune, with the latter being the tallest. Now you know I'm a hiker and that I grew up near the ocean...but hiking on sand??? Not for the faint of heart! I made it up to High Dune and ran out of water and decided it was best to head back. Incredible views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At a few points I was completely surrounded by dunes and that was a feeling I never thought I'd experience! Visiting at sunrise the following morning was spectacular. I was the only one in the trailhead parking lot! The pink skies over the dunes and mountains was a special combination. I hiked the Dunes Overlook Trail afterwards and I'd recommend it since you get to see the park from a higher vantage point. I also saw 25 deer on trail, no I'm not exaggerating! This was the adventure of a lifetime. Go play in Colorado's sandbox, you'll be surprised how much you enjoy it! Can't wait to come back!

**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.

Even before I stepped foot onto this property, I was exchanging emails with Annette and Amber…read moreregarding some logistics of the trip including meals, high altitude and sand sleds. They were always very responsive which helped with the planning of this trip. We arrived pretty late on the first day around 830pm. Amber helped check us in and she was not only super helpful (showing us our tent, capturing a few moths for us, starting the camp stove for us etc) but was super friendly so shout out to Amber!! We got to enjoy the last bit of smores by the firepit before we unloaded, bbq our burgers and unwind for the night. I booked the Estate tent 16x20 which included two full beds and a couch that can unfold into a small bed as well. It comes with a camp stove (1 pack of wood per night). It also came with a private toilet and sink on one side and a shower on the other. I have been to a few glamping spots and this is one that consistently had hot running water! This is true glamping in style..comes with wifi so you can stay connected even at the tents, chargers, free breakfast, free smores..they have everything you need to have a comfortable stay. The property is beautiful! Mosca, CO which is one of my new favorite place!! The constellations, stars and Milky Way is the best I have seen so far and I have been to a few International dark skies spots for star gazing. We packed a telescope and enjoyed star gazing after dinner. Rustic Rook is amazing in everyway, glamping at its finest! PS: I just realized they do military discounts when I was browsing through their website again. I did not see that when I booked my reservation, oh well. Thank you for supporting military members and veterans!

We were doing a long weekend with our daughter and our two small pups. Del Norte was a nice…read morestopping point for our first night, so we booked at Mellow Moon. Lauren was very responsive via text answering all my questions. She texted me access info so when we arrived, which ended up later than we planned, we were able to go right into our room. The beds and pillows were quite comfortable. Enough that I was asking where she got the pillows. We all slept well. The pups got me up in the night and I took them for a short walk. The temp outside was cool, so I opened the window to let in some of the night air. The shower was interesting with the slanted floor. I liked the sliding barn door for the bathroom. The retro decor is inviting. I wish we could have stayed longer. They have a coffee shop in the Rodeo Mercantile. I discovered this after my husband and daughter had popped out to a local bakery to get us breakfast sandwiches. If we stay again, I'll for sure get a latte. This suited our needs. Simple, cozy and restful

Had a wonderful short weekend getaway here. Lauren was very responsive. Loved the amenities on…read moresite. Thanks Mellow Moon Lodge!

I made the reservation by phone on the fly as we were traveling. The manager, Kathy, was very…read morefriendly and accommodating, booking us into a non-smoking room. On arrival, check in was very easy and Kathy welcomed us warmly. Upon hearing my husband was a vet, she gave us a veteran discount before we even asked. Thank you Kathy. The Lodge is a rustic motel built in 1962, in a rural area and is charming. The room is clean and nicely decorated. There's a dog park at the back of the property and doggie biscuits at the front desk for furry friends. Had we wanted, we could have had a fire at the fire pit next to the dog park, after the office checked to see if it is a burn day, of course. The bathroom is clean, there is a coffee maker and coffee, a microwave and small fridge in the room. Dollar tree and small grocery down the street. A number of eateries as well close by. I think next time we come, we'll stay a few days to explore the rich history of the area and end the day with a fire under the stars!

Great experience at a dog friendly motel! It's nothing fancy as it is an older building. But it was…read moreclean, a nice location, and has two little dog park areas for your dogs.

We had a clean, comfortable, and spacious room. The people were invariably friendly and made us…read morefeel welcome. The accommodations and restaurants make staying in Alamosa attractive when we're doing anything related to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The only negatives were a non-working elevator and not-kept-filled bacon bin at the buffet breakfast. No doubt the elevator situation was temporary and we just had bad timing. Odds are high we'll be back many more times, especially since you can get really good pricing when IHG is having one of their frequent flash sales.

We had an amazing stay! We arrived at around 10:30pm on a Thursday after having spent several…read morehours climbing the sand dunes. We were exhausted. The desk attendant was so friendly and quick! He let us know snacks and water were available in the lobby, which our hungry crew was excited for! Fresh and yummy! After arriving in our room, we were impressed with the note on the bed describing the mattress topper and pillows and the option to switch them out if you preferred a firmer bed. We were exhausted and slept really well, despite being right next to the highway (the only downfall of this place). Everything was clean, AC worked great, plenty of towels, shampoo/conditioner/bodywash in pumps in the shower. Lotion and hand soap pumps in the bathroom as well. In the morning, we went hot tubbing (opened at 7am) and then enjoyed the hot breakfast buffet! Omelettes, pancakes, waffles, sausage, yogurt, biscuits and gravy, cereal options, oatmeal...and more. Something for everyone! My one suggestion would be to have a Gluten Free muffin option, such as Udi's prepackaged ones. Checkout was easy and again, staff was amazing! Highly recommend. We will stay again if in the area!

Traveler Beware…read more.. Recently stayed here while traveling through Colorado and have the following to report: Cons: Price: Base rate + fees + taxes = $150/night! This is a $50/night place at best. Cleanliness: Terrible! Dead flies on windowsill, mold in shower, empty shampoo bottle in shower, and clothing from previous guest upon our arrival. Condition: in need of desperate repairs! Holes in walls, cable box dangling from TV, broken outlets, black spots on mirror. Safety: Pack a gun! Very sketchy area with lots of roaming crackheads. Noise: Loud! Main road is about 50 FT away. Pests: we had a centipede in our room the next morning that must have crawled through the one inch gap at the bottom of the door to the outside! Pros: Bed was comfortable to lay on but the pillows were like tortillas. Free ice. Only stay here if you have to like us.

This was one of the only pet friendly spots in Alamosa, CO on a Saturday night that had a room…read moreavailable. I got turned away from 4 places prior to arriving here. $150 for a dingy, sparse room right on a loud, major highway. Its a budget motel.. there is hair here and there, stains and things in disrepair. All that being said what is absolutely most concerning is I was immediately greeted by an overpowering and overwhelming smell of bleach in my room. I would have asked for another room but this was the last room and I couldn't find others in town that allowed pets. Legitimately scared to fall asleep because I don't want to die of bleach inhalation. My eyes are burning and I am light headed. I'm keeping the window cracked and hoping for the best.

Absolutely deplorable. I had reserved a room and had checked…read morein to it for roughly 30 minutes total. Upon walking in, the floor was completely unswept. There were many toenail clipping and various dirt and debris on the floor. The jacuzzi had hair and more spots that were clearly not cleaned. The shower had a large spot in the corner where something had been spilled on the wall, and the curtain had a stain on it. There was also a clump of hair in the shower drain. Beside the bed there was a sticky spot on the floor. The pillow cases had hair and yellow stains, and there were bits of food under the mattress pad. The dresser under the TV had a stain of some assortment as well. After bringing this up to the front desk, I had asked for a cleaner to go up and take care of the room, but cleaning staff was not available, so I had asked to borrow cleaning supplies. After sweeping the floor and cleaning parts of the jacuzzi, I came to my senses and went back down to return the cleaning supplies and demand a refund. Needless to say, we obviously did not sleep in that room. The most appalling part of this transaction was the fact that the soaps had been restocked and the towels had been as well, which means someone went into that room and decided it was customer worthy. I have waited 5 days for any sort of response to this dilemma, to no avail. Anytime I call down there, there is never management available. This is not how any establishment should treat their patrons. They took my money and might as well have told me to get lost. Horrible. Here are some photos of the aforementioned atrocities.

BEDBUGS! Need I say more!…read more Midnight! They said they would refund our money.... No offer to get us transportation ( we have no car) I'm sitting outside on a bench! Fortunately, we were able to get a great Uber ride out of there. He drove us to a few motels in the area until we found a great, clean room at the Best Western!

Don't let the outside scare you away. Like an oyster the real treasure is on the inside. Nice…read morelooking dining room with a cozy feel. Wait staff was exceedingly friendly. They kept thinking things were taking too long to come up but it wasn't really. I'm willing to wait a little bit for good food. Had the Texas Double and man you needed to be a cowboy to finish that one. Onion rings were fresh and everything tasted great. If you're hungry and passing though give this place a consideration.

Lovely meal on Saturday night. Staff was able to accommodate us, everyone was so nice. Table…read moresettings and decor were beautiful, food was great; had the fried oysters. So glad to have a nice place to go in Walsenburg.