This hotel was so lovely! I travel the world as a flight attendant and spend half of my month in a…read morehotel. This hotel had such genuine hospitality through and though from the GM to the servers to the chef. The rooms were clean, bed and pillows very comfy and the back patio was perfect to sit and relax. The steakhouse had amazing food as well. If you want a unique and quant hotel with stellar, friendly service, stay here.

If you believe the advertising, I would recommend that you drive by. The appetizers are frozen and…read moredelivered by semi, with the chicken breast which is not only flavorless but really just cafeteria grade chciken. Onto the steaks, this is not the same as it was 25 years ago and the steak was flavorless and really expensive. Speaking of expensive; it appears that the everything is really expensive, low quality, and not worth the stop.

Spectacular. That's the first word that comes to mind when recounting our weekend stay at Brush…read moreCreek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming. Brush Creek Ranch (BCR) is an all-inclusive luxury ranch where elite accommodations, world-class cuisine, & activities abound. We drove to BCR from Denver and it took us about 4 hours to get there. If flying, the ranch is one hour from the Laramie Regional Airport or 3.5 - 4 hours from Denver International Airport (dependent on weather). Upon arrival on ranch property, we were escorted by a staff member to The Lodge. The staff at Brush Creek Ranch were exceptional in every way. Each one was committed to delivering a first-class experience and were eager to serve. Kayla was manning the concierge desk upon our arrival and seamlessly handled our check-in. Following check-in, we walked into The Lodge's great room and were immersed in a grandiose western homestead. From the antler chandeliers, massive exposed log beams to the impressive fireplace, we immediately had that vacation feeling of arriving somewhere special. Eddie unloaded our luggage from the car and put our bags in our room. We stayed in the Lupine room - a King Guest Room in The Lodge. The Lupine room was rustically-elegant, furnished with a king bed and located on the first floor of the lodge. The premium bedding was everything - the down pillows & comforter had us sleeping like babies every night. The room offered views of Wyoming's hills & the main lodge lawn area. The room had a Keurig and a full selection of Caribou coffee, hot chocolate & water. There were three gourmet dining experiences onsite at the ranch and let me tell you, this is some of the best food I have ever had. Each meal was sensational; I cannot say enough good things. During our stay we dined at Pioneer Kitchen, Trailhead Lodge, & the Cheyenne Club. For activities we went snowmobiling. All dining & activity reservations were made directly through & hosted by Brush Creek Ranch. Amenities at BCR included the Cattle Baron Library, fitness center, spa, saloon, great room, riding arena, & mountaintop decks. The Cattle Baron Library was a lounge with a stone fireplace, board games & television (1 of 3 onsite). This was a relaxing space to wind down before bed. The saloon encompassed everything you'd expect from a western saloon of the old American West. We walked through the doors and were met with a fully-stocked bar, a pool table, shuffleboard & more. We ate dinner at Pioneer Kitchen our first night at Brush Creek Ranch. Pioneer Kitchen is the resort's newest dining venue with an upscale-casual ambiance & wellness-forward menu. We arrived at Pioneer Kitchen and were seated in the main dining room. The aesthetic of the restaurant was airy and fresh with cream dining chairs, round chandeliers, & red backlit bar. General Manager, Cory and server Emma took great care of us during our meal. For Classic Cocktails I had the Sidecar. Ross had the Sage Advice which was a non-alcoholic mocktail. For Appetizers we had the Smoked Trout Dip and the Classic Caesar Salad. The Smoked Trout Dip was made with pickled onion, truffle and a side of potato chips. The dip was thick and creamy in texture with generous pieces of trout throughout. The smoked trout paired well with the cream cheese, fresh herbs, & salty chips. The Classic Caesar Salad was made with garlic croutons, grana Padano, and white anchovy. This Caesar salad was characterized by cold crisp greens, the nutty profile of the Padano cheese and briny vinegar of the white anchovy fillets. For Mains we had the Wagyu New York Strip and the Cedar Planked Ora King Salmon. The Wagyu New York Strip was served with lobster butter and crispy fingerlings. The Farm at Brush Creek raises American Wagyu; a rare breed of cattle that produces exceptional beef and reflects BCR's goals of sustainability. This was a phenomenal main all around. The Wagyu New York Strip was cooked to medium perfection. The meat was lean and high in protein. The strip had a natural, chewy texture and beefy flavor. The lobster butter was decadent and sexily melted into the wagyu making each bite so juicy. The crispy fingerling potatoes were the best fingerling potatoes I've ever had. Their thin skins were crisp and salted & gave way to a soft, fluffy potato interior. The Cedar Planked Ora King Salmon was served with wild rice and charred broccolini. The salmon had a light & creamy mouthfeel with an inherent sweet oil profile. For dessert we had the BCR Double Chocolate Brownie served with vanilla ice cream & topped with salted caramel sauce. The brownie came to the table piping hot in a skillet. The rich chocolate, buttery caramel and touch of vanilla made for heavenly bites. For a dessert cocktail I had the Brandy Alexander. The Brandy Alexander was made with Cognac, Creme de Cacao, Cream & Cinnamon. This retro brandy cocktail was indulgent yet easy to drink - chocolatey, creamy, & smooth.

Best Food at a Ranch Vacation. And the service was amazing. We had steak and pasta. Lunches had…read morea lot of variety. Highly recommend.

Best cold weather, outdoor, luxury vacations are provided at VV…read more We've been 3x and our 4th visit is days away. Back country, here we come! The guides are very good. Food is excellent. Accommodations are great. Cabins offer families a chance to spend time with one another while meals and activities often involve other guests....which is generally a good thing. We aren't horse people and cannot offer an opinion on the stables, etc.

Stayed Feb 2011 I…read morereally don't know if I can say enough good things about Vista Verde. The experience here was amazing and I can't believe that I'm the first Yelper to review them. The ranch staff were all outgoing and friendly at all times, often stopping to try and meet you if you were a guest that they didn't recognize. Multiple parties through our week long stay were repeat visitors and the regular staff knew them by name. Classes and outings of various types are offered with many having daily schedules (for horse riding lessons) friendly to all skill levels. Select events are available only a few or single times in a week so make sure to check with the staff if you're interested in anything specific during your stay. My group went for the dog sledding in the winter and it was an amazing trip but you do need to grab an appointment early for it! Food selection here was unbelievable. A fully staffed kitchen with a professional chef prepare every meal for all guests at specific times. If your activity plans will have you away from the ranch, they even offer to bag a lunch for you! The meal courses generally offered three to five main course selections with a normal two to three appetizer and desert run. Multiple wine pairings are suggested with each dinner for those interested but not experienced in selection. There were also multiple bottled beers to choose from. A regular selection of soft drinks, juices, and such could also be obtained. The waitstaff were just as friendly as the activity guides and by the end of the week there were even guessing at what we would prefer to order. A unique touch of the ranch is buffet night when the staff dines with you (All of them! Normal meals they may ask to sit with your table just to talk or even join for the meal) and some bring family in as well. Overall it makes for a very comfortable and friendly environment. The lodging was impressive to say the least. Multiple cabins are scattered around the lodge area and rooms (three) may be available within the main lodge itself. Most of the staff stays on site within their own cabins too so if you're hanging out in the lodge on music night, they're just a short walk from 'home' like you so cheer and hoot for that encore (they're rather talented musicians as well)! Housekeeping visits each cabin multiple times a day for room makeup service and turn-down service in the evening. They also have request forms if there are special things that you may be looking for in the fridge while you're there (fees may apply). Wi-Fi is available but keep in mind you're in the middle of the wilderness here so leave that laptop at home instead of showing it to the TSA. Cell service is also very spotty. If you absolutely must stay connected a land line phone and public laptop are available in the lodge for guest use if required. I don't plan on making Vista Verde a one stop vacation and would bet that anyone else would say the same after staying.

I can't say enough about this wonderful paradise out west!…read more The owners of the ranch are salt of the earth, the staff is always exceptional and the riding is beyond compare. Best ranch in the country for young children-they are entertained all day.

FIVE STARS goes to the Cherokee Park Ranch / Dude Ranch in Livermore, CO. This is my 500th review…read moreon Yelp, and I dedicate this review to a place that has positively changed my life forever! Cherokee Park Ranch is AMAZING! The ranch has a fascinating history and is known as one of the first guest ranches in Colorado. During the late 1880's it was a colorful stage coach stop between Fort Collins, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming. Incoming guests had to chance Indian confrontations and the rates were only $8.00 per week! Now Indian hostilities are nonexistent but the Western character of the ranch remains. The park is owned by the Prince family - Dick, Christine, Thomas, Elise, Townsend, and Emily Prince. The property boasts over 10 guest cabins, a swimming pool, about 125 horses, and an AMAZING staff! Typically, guests make week-long reservations for a true vacation on the ranch. They plan a ful schedule for you everyday and offer options for you to choose, ranging from: Horseback riding, Skeet shooting, Nature Walks, Fly Fishing, Painting Lessons, White Water Rafting, Rodeos, Rock Climbing, Country Western Dancing Lessons, Mountain Biking, swimming in the pool, billiards, and much much more. I have to say, that owners Christine and Dickie go above and beyond the call of duty for ensuring that their guests have a fun and safe time while at their ranch. EVERY aspect of hospitality is considered and well executed at this ranch! All 25+ members of their employees work super hard to ensure a great experience at the ranch. We had 50 guests in our group/cohort - ranging from 2 - 80. Here's my highlight of my vacation: Horseback riding: The ranch owns over 125 horses (NO leased horses) and offers half day or all day rides every day. The ranch welcomes ALL ability riders from never-touched-a-horse to born in the saddle. I went horseback riding 6 of the 7 days that I spent at the ranch. Each of the rides were original, and showed off the beautiful landscape of the Colorado waters, meadows, mountains, and scenery. The ranch offers short morning and afternoon rides (2 -3 hours, your choice) or an all-day ride (approximately 6 hours). I opted for the all day rides and was AMAZED with the nice trails that the ranch had chosen for their guests. Guests can choose from walking rides, to trotting (where the horse does a bit of a prance), to Loping (actual gallup). Cherokee Park Ranch is one of the few ranches in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah that offer Loping riding (because of liability reasons). The wranglers at the ranch gave me lessons, so I went from a walk-only kind of rider to Lopoing the meadows of the Colorado mountains! Extra kudos go to my two favorite wranglers - Jordan (North Carolina) and Olivia (Virginia?) - you both made it a wonderful trip! LOVE IT! Every meal is inclued in the cost of your stay. The ranch hired Chuck from Tennessee to be the head chef this summer. Chuck owned several restaurants in TN and cooked up some amazing meals including: Fall off the bone beef ribs, bacon wrapped fillet mignon, baked salmon, chicken pot pie, & beef pot roast. One of my favorites were the home-made chocolate creme brulee and snickerdoodle cookes (and brownies, Colorado chocolate snaps, lemon bars). Amazing food, amazing wait staff. The food was so good here, I wanted to slap my grandma! Guest Rodeo: At the end of the week, all guests are required to showcase their horse-riding skills by competing in home-ranch rodeo. All 50 guests line up to do barrel racing, pole bending, and keyhole riding (all at your own speed). Both kids and adults participate and cheered on by all members of the staff! The ranch times you and hands out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons at the end of the week. SUPER FUN! They even include a pie eating contest and a boot run (where everyone contributes one boot to the pile and has to run to put it on and cross the finish line). SUPER FUN! What I especially liked about this ranch was that they warmly welcomed children. This is perhaps the only ranch in Colorado where they have kids programs all day long. There are three staff members assigned to help entertain the children while the adults go off and enjoy the day. Activities include riding "Rodney" who is a 27 year old miniature horse (ages 2-5), arts and crafts (horseshoe painting, bead making, tiedye, etc), sleeping over night in a kid's-only slumber party in a HUGE Teepee, horseback riding (ages 6-12), nature walks, and much more. The ranch setting uniquely has no electronic interruptions - so leave your cell phones and computers at home. You won't need them here! To the owners, Christine and Dickie - you have an AMAZING thing going on here! No wonder 86% of your guests are return customers! You and your staff work hard to not only provide a great vacation, but to also change people's lives. Thank you! Service Grade: A+ Food Grade: A Worth The Money Grade: A+ Overall Impression: A+!

Our dinner experience was five (5) stars! We called ahead of time to confirm a late (7 pm) arrival…read moreand they were very accommodating. Thank you! Driving through the crosswinds in WY slowed us down quite a bit and I didn't take that into account in our RV. We had made a "Harvest Host" reservation a week in advance which allowed us to stay on property for one night. For dinner I highly recommend the grilled caesar salad that was out of this world amazing and the bison burger with fries was tasty. Their apple pie bar with vanilla ice cream for dessert was delightful. Everyone I spoke to was so friendly, and helpful. The server's were pleasant and attentive, and the seating was comfortable and nostalgic. There is quite a bit of history in the Elk Mountain Hotel. Definitely worth the trip. Thank you for all that you do. Would visit again!

As fulltime RV'ers, today's 350 mile travel day took us out of South Dakota, up through the Laramie…read moreMountains of Wyoming, to our "Harvest Hosts" location for the evening, The Historic Elk Mountain Hotel. The hotel is on the bank of the Medicine Bow River, not too far from the base of Elk Mountain. We stayed the evening in our RV in one of the hotel's five dry camping "Harvest Hosts" spots, so did not experience the hotel's guest rooms. We did have dinner, and their food and service were PHENOMENAL; we DEFINITELY will stay and eat here again!

The cabins are very clean and comfortable; everything is well maintained on the property. The…read morehosts--Chris and Doug--are welcoming and accommodating. Oh, and did I mention that the property is beautifully situated on the Poudre River? I'm giving it 5 stars, but if 10 stars were an option, that would be my choice!

We had a fantastic stay at Bighorn Cabins. It's under new management, and Pete was there to meet us…read morewhen we arrived. He could not be friendlier and more accommodating, and had some pro tips for viewing wildlife (Poudre Canyon is gorgeous!). The cabin we stayed in was clean, cozy, and had everything one would need- fully functioning kitchen, grill, full bathroom, wood stove, electric heat baseboards, etc. Cannot recommend it enough.

My family and I (five in all) had a wonderful stay. Very comfortable, unique and delicious…read morebreakfast. Carol was very accommodating and friendly. We loved the library and antique furnishings. We will go back if we are in the area again.

A Bed and Breakfast that takes dogs, how cool. The Hood House is clean, comfortable, nice beds,…read morewith a well-stocked kitchen for your use and a comfortable living room to read or hang out with family and friends. I would very much recommend the Hood House as a great option when visiting anywhere in the Platt Valley. But wait, when I arrived for my two day stay I found beautiful, nicely waxed wood floors. My dog Rigal will not walk on a slippery floor, not for anything. So it's a little late and no one is around so I figure I will just carry him up the steep, narrow stairs, he thinks otherwise. Three steps up and he wiggles out and I take a few very fast steps back to the landing. Second attempt was a scary ride for both of us but successful. We were in the Saratoga area to photograph fall color so we get up before the sun, and the fire escape looks much less scary in the dark. Rigal was not thrilled but more cooperative then last night. What he, nor I saw was the fact the last five or six feet of steps are not there, it is a fire escape. I just didn't see that one coming. Luckily Rigel took a leap of faith into my arms and we were off to shoot that color. I forgot to mention, Rigel is the most beautiful 105 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback you will ever see! Thank you Carol for understanding and refunding me the second night.

I was raised in Saratoga so I kind of go off of the older name of The Saratoga Inn. Since I have…read morefamily nearby there isn't much need to get a room here or any other lodging business in town. But I do enjoy coming here for lunch. I usually go to the bar section of the place in which they have their own craft beer. The lunches are good and have hearty portions. And often my visits can have an exhaustive nature to them so escaping to this bar which is fairly quiet during the day for a pint is very nice. Getting a craft beer pint reminds me of where I live now where defaulted beer that everyone associates with beer drinking isn't the norm. It's been a while since I have had an evening meal here but I recently have had their breakfast buffet which is very nice. The food is nice and fresh and flavorful! Last year my father passed away and we did a private catering event in the dining room which was very nice. They got us in on very short notice and the event went quite smoothly. The organizer was extremely helpful and organized and laid out all the options for the event we were needing to do after the funeral. So that went quite smoothly. I am not sure when my next visit back will be but if it's a trip of a recreational and casual nature I will definitely stop by the bar for a pint of beer!

Nice free hot springs. Water is pretty hot in ALL the pools, but the river pool is a good place to…read morecool off after cooking yourself.

My husband and I were married here back in March and I could not have asked for a better venue or…read moremore accommodating staff. I was blown away by how easy all of Beaver Meadows' staff were to work with and how pleasant they all were during every interaction. From the tasting event to the accommodations and, of course, the beautiful event itself, everything went great. We received so many compliments on everything! My family and friends can be a lot to handle, and so I was a little worried that rowdiness would be an issue. Though my family and friends got pretty drunk and were very rambunctious, the staff was not at all phased and on the contrary, went above and beyond in making sure I didn't stress about that and that they would take care of everything. When there was a request, I never had to worry if someone was taking care of it. I only ever had to mention things once and it was done! A couple things that could be improved upon: the hospitality in the cabins was underwhelming. No warm welcome there and most of my family and friends were lucky to have adequate supplies (cups, utensils, etc.). Also, we were constantly hunting for more coffee. We all stayed several days and there was no resetting of the rooms or restocking of any items during our stay. Another note for future wedding parties: don't make the little log shelter home to your gifts and guest book, unless there is adequate signage. No one from my guest party was instructed of where these items were and therefore only a handful of people were able to sign my book. Overall, lovely experience and I wouldn't hesitate to return or recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable wedding day or other occasion!

3.5 stars. What a beautiful place to have a wedding! My friends bought out this venue one summer…read moreand had all their guests stay in the lodge rooms, campsites, or brand new glamping tents. I rented one of the glamping tents, which was pretty cool. Customer service was generally not great here. For example, not much direction was provided on whose tent was whose, and our charging block didn't work and was never replaced, despite our communication. The landscape was GORGEOUS. Lovely expanses of greenery and water. Fairly walkable, depending on your physical abilities. Several people went for runs in the morning so the surrounding terrain seemed safe. Bathrooms and showers were well-maintained. I didn't get a chance to check out the lodge rooms, but the event spaces were nice. I really liked the food that was served at the main restaurant. Overall it was a peaceful experience!