What Was Old Is New

Juanita and I have gotten a few.. odd... calls in the last few months.

"Oh, hi Bill.  You're still there?  We had read online the lodge had sold to new owners!"

"Hi.  We hear you are new owners and we were wondering if you needed our services."

And an assortment of strange calls of that sort.

We have owned the lodge since 1997.  Before the turn of the century.  We are at our 20th anniversary here.  We have owned the property longer than any other owner except for the builder.  He spent 34 or so years here, but he only lived here 3 months out of each year, so I think we have HIM beat, too.  The calls were leaving us sort of befuddled.

Yesterday I think I found the source of the confusion.  Google.  More specifically, Google reviews.

I used to watch reviews more closely.  Trip Advisor,  facebook, Yelp, Yahoo (remember them?) and Google.  But lately, not so much.  It had been probably 6 or 7 months since I had checked our reviews on Google, so I was surprised to find this review posted about 5 months ago:

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(Edit to previous review. I have now found that they have new owners that were GREAT over the phone. They have done work to the lodge to address issues that I and others had. They also seem to be owners that will really care about hospitality to get us regular customers back! I look forward to being able to again visit this beautiful lodge again to rate it 5 stars!)

Have been coming here for MANY yrs., multiple owners/changes.
Perfect stopping off place between Denver and Estes/Rocky National Park.

The Lodge 'building' is AMAZING is why the 2 stars. Built by hand with native logs/lumber after turn of century to 1930's. (history varies).

Gorgeous! The perfect 'look' for rustic Colorado tourism.

Allenspark has been known also for a very exclusive 4-5 star eatery that is a limo destination from Denver in an amazing huge old long cabin w/gardens, reservation only type place that has probably helped keep the lodge in biz. Also has cabin breakfast place that is organic/4-5 stars with locals.

My family has been here through several owners over time.

It used to be always worth the price for friendly owners and the beauty of the original place even though has many shared bathrooms, dated furniture, creaky floors, thin walls on many rooms/floors.

The last/current? owners were the worst ever of anyplace I have stayed from Hawaii to NY. Somebody mentioned like staying at parents house! Exactly! He used to be Highway Patrol cop is what I heard.

We are not young party people, 50's-60's, upper middle class. Did not like his strict attitude/demeanor we got on phone and stay. Got lectured on his rules and 'why' he said was charging so many times higher was because other owners were idiots.

Yet, when I had loud people keeping me up all night, he yelled at me for disturbing his peace in his private apartment to move us to other end of empty lodge/other floor.
We knew all the rooms/floors over so many stays, and were only even asking to go to even lesser priced room too just to get sleep from crying baby they even acknowledged others had complained about too, etc.!

I have psych. degree/counselor, and can tell you this guy is the WORST personality for a hospitality business. Very controlling. Intimidating.
As a cop, he needed for that profession, but not this profession!

Heard he even closed off one of the neatest features for guests! A huge tall cedar hot tub in back screened addition with gorgeous old granite stone floor, etc. Very romantic. One of best part of stay, no more :(

Would not recommend for light sleepers if it is full. Floors do creak, some walls thin. Getting the right room is important!
Not recommended for long stay, or taking a risk for honeymoon when it could go so bad from perfect looking property.

Wonderful property, just needs right owners/hosts.

We did not even care they raised the price by several times X 4 if they would have been making worthwhile.

Writing review since looking it up to bring friend to mountains for first time, and wants to stay in 'real' log cabin type place for one night on way to Estes.

Called several times, no answer. Finally found may be closed for renovations/new owner?

Hate to say it, but would keep driving to Estes Park and get cabin rental on river/creek for same price and quiet, nicer owners.. We will just make stop to show him the place!

Such a shame, so much potential for a right owner to know how to price to compete with Estes, give appropriate rates since not in Estes/Aspen, market it/price right for that/what it is.

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Huh?!? 

 Reading the review makes me think that he was talking about the previous owner, probably on a bad day. They lived in the Apartment (we use it as a rental and just keep a bedroom), they had a locked door after 9:pm to the bar/hot tub area (we removed the door), they allowed children (we don't allow kids under 14, because of the noise), I had heard he was a cop, and I had also heard he was a fireman (I was a computer technician).

That means that he was thinking about this for 20 years! That's not holding a grudge. That's cradling it, nursing it and raising it to adulthood. I wonder if a psych. degree'd counselor would have a diagnosis for that sort of behavior.

I really don't feel much like a "new owner" at this point, but it looks like that's who we are. 

It does explain the weird calls.

Bill