Review of Monarch Mountain Lodge 3*

We are staying at the Monarch Mountain Lodge for 4 nights while my boyfriend bikes the Colorado Trail. We choose the lodge for the location, relative to trailheads. The lodge itself is very outdated and in major need of a facelift. But that’s not even the worst part of our stay. Upon checking in, we were notified by the front desk guy that they had a bear in their dumpster area the previous night. He advised us to be cautious, as we have our dogs with us. We appreciated the n…otification from him. We went out. For the evening, and upon returning at 9:30pm, we drove around back, as we’re on the first floor on the end near the exterior door. However, as soon as we were next to the dumpster, we saw a bear inside the dumpster, helping himself to a late night snack! We drove back to the front of the building, and came in through the lobby. We notified the man at the front desk that there was a bear in the dumpster and he told us he would go “run him off. ” This is apparently not the first time that this has occurred. The next morning, I went to the front desk and found the same man working there. I asked him about the bear and he said “Oh Boo Boo is harmless. I chase him off all the time. ” He said chasing off bears isn’t that crazy to him because he’s been divorced twice. What!? I was absolutely appalled by his lack of concern and the fact that he found it funny! It’s very clear why they have a bear problem — their dumpsters are not locked or bear-proof. They are overflowing with trash and it’s all over the ground. It’s pitch black back there, and there are no signs warning of bears in the area. It seems to me that this is a huge liability for the hotel, and their lack of concern is absolutely disgusting. We will never return to this hotel and will be sure to tell anyone considering it to avoid it at all costs. Unless of course they enjoy bears roaming the property, and a lack of concern for people’s safety.