I want to be fair: I've never slept in a bed at Swiftcurrent Lodge. What I experienced was something else entirely -- how this property treats its guests when life falls apart. On Saturday night, my 91-year-old mother-in-law suffered a catastrophic fall resulting in severe traumatic brain injury. She passed away Monday evening. On Sunday, while she was still fighting for her life, I called Swiftcurrent to cancel my Monday-night reservation. No one answered. I then sent three separate emails throughout the day explaining exactly what was happening and respectfully requesting a refund. I received no acknowledgment. No call back. No reply of any kind. Then, on Monday afternoon -- the afternoon my mother-in-law died -- I received this response from Andrea, apparently one of the owners: "Unfortunately you are within the 7-day period and our system automatically charges the full amount... I am so sorry to hear about your medical emergency and truly hope for a speedy recovery." A speedy recovery. She was already gone. Let me set aside the stunning tone-deafness of wishing a speedy recovery to a woman who had just died. What strikes me most is the choice to hide behind automation and policy rather than exercise a single ounce of human judgment. Andrea didn't say I made this decision -- she said the system did. That's not a policy. That's a refusal to take ownership dressed up as one. I am a vocal supporter of small businesses. I choose them deliberately, I defend them, and I understand the financial pressures they face. That's precisely why this stings. Small businesses earn loyalty by doing what large corporations won't -- by treating people like people. Andrea had every opportunity to do that. She chose not to. For contrast: I had a reservation that same Sunday at Murphy's Lodge. I sent them the identical email. Their response was immediate, unconditional, and without a single mention of policy: "I am so sorry for your loss. We will absolutely refund your stay." That's it. No conditions. No system. No exceptions needed -- just a person making a decent decision. Murphy's Lodge has earned my loyalty permanently. Swiftcurrent Lodge has lost it before I ever arrived. Choose accordingly. read more

We were absolutely delighted with our stay at this hotel! The perfect combination of coziness, comfort and stunning nature around. The room exceeded all expectations -- everything was thought out to the smallest detail: comfortable furniture, high-quality equipment, thoughtful organization of space and impeccable cleanliness. I was very pleased with the convenient location -- it's easy to get there, and the hotel itself is surrounded by silence and beautiful nature. Separately, I would like to mention the wonderful coffee shop with amazing pastries, located next to the hotel -- an ideal place for a cozy morning breakfast. There is a real concern for the guests in every detail. Many thanks for the warm welcome! read more

Swiftcurrent Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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New owners have refurbished this older Lodge property and we had a wonderful three nights here. The negative reviews are from the previous ownership, and should be disregarded. The location is excellent for visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. There is a secret trail that takes you to Bear Lake Road, only a mile from the Lodge. (Cross the bridge on Highway 66 and pass through the YMCA, make a right turn into Moraine Park). The room 204 was comfortable but some folks will find the shower very cramped! Our room had a small balcony with a view of the Big Thompson River. The staff is very nice and they have provided enough amenities for your stay. (There are a few rules to follow, like carrying out your trash. I was OK with this but my wife thought it was nitpicky) read more

We loved this place it was clean and comfortable there was a lot to do Relaxing The customer service was excellent They were nice and helpfu We would definitely go again and we will tell all of our friends!l read more

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My boyfriend and I stayed here last summer on a trip to RMNP. Great price and location for Estes Park. Right on the Big Thompson River and close to town and the park. They run a tight ship at Swiftcurrent, didn't run into any issues. They have a lot of options as far as the amount of space you're looking for-- they vary from one room (more like a hotel, this is what we picked) to two room cottages with kitchens. I liked our room a lot, we had a little balcony that overlooked the river. Could stand to be updated for sure, but the price was what made the difference for me. The complex also has a hot tub right on the river-- nice convenience after hiking all day (but you have to sign up for times, 30 min max/room? There are a lot of rules here). They have grills for guest use as well. I get the sense that it's kind of a quiet, family type place. Hard to tell really since we were there on a slow week and only a few other rooms were taken. Would go back again for sure! read more

Swiftcurrent Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

I was in middle school, maybe even younger, the first time I stayed at Swiftcurrent Lodge. We've been there numerous times in the last 20+ years. From family reunions, my honeymoon, and eventually vacations with our own kids. We have a ton of memories from a child to adult at Swiftcurrent and wanted to hand them down to my own kids. Some memories can never be replaced, like those spent at Swiftcurrent with my grandparents and brother, who have all since passed away. My family and I had, and will always have, a soft spot for Swiftcurrent. My dad, who is the biggest nature lover I've ever known, was constantly picking up pieces of trash or moving things back where they needed to go. As many times as we've stayed there, we started treating it like our own home. Because of all the memories we've made through the years and the memories we were planning on continuing to make for years to come, we took great pride in making sure we did our part to help make it a great resort. However, the last couple times we've stayed there its had a different, not so friendly feel. Stricter rules (which I understand most but some were a little over the top), staff that wasn't nearly as friendly as in the past. We all talked about it and wondered what was going on. We shrugged it off as you don't always know what's happening in other peoples lives and went on about our vacation. Last Christmas dad called to make another reservation at Swiftcurrent for this summer. As he was making the reservation he was told that our rooms were left a mess last time we stayed and one of the rooms was so messy (the room my husband and I stayed in with the kids) that we were one point away from not being allowed back. Dad was so confused as we've never had this problem anywhere we've been... EVER. He was told the housekeeper grades the rooms on a scale of 1(good)-5(bad), ours was a 4, my parents was a 3, at 5 you're not allowed back. You don't know your "score" until you call to set up another reservation and she didn't leave any notes or anything about what was wrong with our rooms so it leaves you wondering what the problem was. He was told in a way that was almost a warning to do better next time or you wont be back but was also told maybe the housekeeper was having a bad day. I would have expected more of a "you've stayed here 2 dozen times in the past and we've never had an issue, I'll look into it." Dad made the reservation anyway then hung up and talked to us about it. Luckily, I took pictures of the room after we had everything packed up in the car to go home. I took them just for my own memories but dug them back up to show dad. The only thing we didn't leave was a tip for the housekeeper. I washed the floors, vacuumed, cleaned off the counters, washed, dried, put away dished, wiped down the fridge, cleaned the sink, among other things. I even put the TV remote back where we found it. I left everything just the was it was when we came..with one exception, I didn't wash the bedding, and remake the bed. That was the only thing I left for the housekeeper. They leave an envelope on the table to tip the housekeeper. The fact that I did everything except make the bed, I didn't feel that a tip was necessary, neither did my parents. Staying at Swiftcurrent isn't cheap and I'm assuming they pay her a wage. The longer we talked about it, the more offended we became. We've been loyal to this resort for years but were treated this way. We called back and cancelled the reservation. We're heading back to Estes Park this Wednesday to a new resort, and new memories. My advice, follow ALL the rules.. there are a lot. And, TIP THE HOUSEKEEPER, whether they have to do anything or not, or you may not be allowed back. I'll attach images of our room also. read more

Swiftcurrent Lodge - Our room on the last day of our stay at Swiftcurrent - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Absolutely loved this place. Check in took less than 2 minutes as they had everything waiting for us. The room was clean and cozy. The people running it were super nice. We walked down by the river, and sat on our balcony to watch the snow fall. It was truly amazing. Will definitely stay here again. read more

LIMITED hot tub availability (30 minutes per room, per day). The hot tub closes at 7 in winter and a little later in summer. No hot tub access in the morning. Oh yeah, checkout is 10 sharp. There are signs in each room warning about another night charge for checking out late. Rooms nothing to write home about. But true reason for the one star rating...we stayed on second floor, the stairs were icy and not cleaned off. I fell down 5 stairs before coming to a stop. No one came out and office was closed. You have to look out for yourself if you stay here! read more

Swiftcurrent Lodge - Caution, hazardous conditions on the stairs to our room. - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

I feel that this place has not gotten enough good reviews that it deserves, possibly because all those that stay here are true nature lovers and not busy being armchair critics or online. This place is AMAZING, if you are a nature lover and into the outdoors but still look for the comfort of home, this is the place! They have a cute journal that couples and families write in about their stay, and I am GLAD that this place concentrates on the serene part of nature as opposed to concentrating on loud or obnoxious adults and children. They were always friendly when we stayed, highly attentive, always there, and the views and location was amazing. Literally walking into Rocky Mountain National Park from here..amazing...I plan to stay here whenever I go make a vacation for hiking here again. Cheers to all those that love the outdoors and aren't babies about mud, a little bit of insects, water running, but love all those things of nature. I just happen to be a tech person and love nature at the same time, and I am glad as heck this place exists. read more

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I love the Swift Current. It's tucked away almost at the end of the road, right before the YMCA in Estes. It shares a parking lot with the Dunraven Inn. I have spent many nights in the lodge, the top room that overlooks the Big Thompson river is my favorite. We go during the off season because it's so cheap. About $60 a night. I have never stayed in the cottages along the river, but my parents have. . They were the ones who recommended this place to me and my husband. The cottages are closed during the winter It is so romantic and cozy in the winter time, there is a small hot tub right along the river, and when it's cold and snowing, there is nothing better than to soak in it with a bottle of red wine! The owners are so nice, they know our names. Every time we return there is a welcome back note in our room. The Swift Current is very basic, do not expect a 5 Star resort here. You've got a comfy bed, a nice view of the river and beautiful scenery. When you visit Estes, you don't spend much time in your room anyway! read more

Room was ok, nothing special, tv very small, bed hard as a rock and caused you to sweat so must have had plastic cover, the building was a 4 room down 4 room up style and walls paper thin, could hear everyone talking. Owner, Gary, argued with me over cancellation policy and was very unfriendly. Very poor attitude for hospitality business. All the great places will work with you and are really polite and courteous and usually try hard to please their guests. They were never in office to ask questions. Parking lot was muddy, got mud on my boots and on my car, big water hole in driveway exit. I would NOT recommend this place, Swift Current is way out in country about 3 miles from town. I will not stay here again. Already told several friends in Denver to beware of their 30 day crazy cancellation policy, way over priced over $100 with tax. read more

Swift Current is right on the water, very very clean, well thought out, and very well managed, This is the only place we have stayed mulitible times in 20 plus years of visiting Estes. I have to laugh at Cody's review. You're at Estes Park goof ball you don't need a T.V. read more

We just stayed at the Swift Current Lodge for about a week in June. It was very comfortable and cozy and the owners do a great job making the place feel like home. It is well stocked with every kitchen item you might need and each cabin has a grill outside. Our cottage was along the river, and there was a nice patio outside that allowed us to enjoy the view while we ate and drank our coffee. This little spot also seems to be home to no less than three humming birds that regularly feed above the river. One minor drawback is the proximity to the road, however it isn't busy and the rushing water covers up the sound of passing cars. Very relaxing and wonderful, we can't wait to go back! read more

This is my 5th time staying here and it's been awesome every single time. I've stayed with friends, kiddo, and solo. You can walk right into RMNP!!! Gary and Coni make you feel at home. For the location alone, it's a great deal for Estes Park. Near impossible to find anywhere with a full kitchen for 100 bucks. In fact, it is impossible, I've tried. This is a family business, and I've seen the owners cleaning the rooms themselves. I've never once had an issue with a late checkout or early checkin if there aren't other guests coming/going. Same goes for the hot tub. There is a signup sheet to ensure folks can get it 'to themselves' if desired. As a very frequent traveler, I've never stayed anywhere where your not forced to hot tub with a wide assortment of randoms. Never had an issue with being held to 30 minutes unless another guest had staked a claim. The hot tub is on. the. river. Wow! Yep, walls are thin. Buildings are circa 1970 with updates. If you are looking for silence and more privacy, spring for the extra 30 bucks and get a cottage. The cottages are super cute! Cannot recommend enough! read more

Swiftcurrent Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

This place is pretty outside but the fire places are difficult to figure out and when you call the front desk nobody is ever there to help and if you leave a message voicing your concern be assured that you will be accosted by Gary the owner. If it wasn,t for their poor customer service i would have enjoyed my stay. There are plenty of other beautiful places around there to stay so i would recommend somewhere else! Sorry Gary and Connie you really should have treated us better! read more

We were not told that our 3 and 4 year old kids counted as adults when we made our reservations. We paid for a 2 night stay and made it to Estes Park around 9pm. The owner wouldn't let us stay because we had our children with us and would not refund our money. We had to sleep IN OUR CAR because there weren't any other lodges open that late at night. To throw a family out at 9pm with two small children who have already paid for 2 nights takes a certain kind of owner and business. I would not suggest staying there or supporting this man's business. read more

We have stayed at Swiftcurrent Lodge every year in the summer for the past 9 years for our vacations to RMNP. The place and the owners are so nice that we kept returning every year. It is located right on the Big Thompson River and just a hike away from RMNP or you can even take a shuttle as well. You can see wildlife right in the backyard. We have seen elk, a weasel, deer, wild turkeys and more while just sitting on our patio overlooking the river. It is also located conveniently close to Estes Park. We stayed in a large two bed unit that has a full small kitchen and there are grills right outside for use as well. There are so many activities available nearby: hiking; fishing; horseback riding; sitting by a campfire; and so much more. It is a great place and we hope to be able to return again and again. read more