Holiday Inn

01/05/08

Room OK; restaurant short-staffed.

by danindenver

Spent two nights, on business, in December. Room was fine. Not crazy about the restaurant.

I had to remark out loud when I arrived for breakfast and saw the sign that read, "Please Wait To Be Seated". Being on a business trip, I hadn't planned on a leisurely breakfast. The one waitress and one hostess tried to be especially polite, but struggled to keep up with the crowd of hunters and travellers. I overheard someone say that the hotel was losing money, so they were compensating by cutting back on the staff. I did not bother to try them for dinner.

Second day there, we couldn't get into our room and had to walk all the way from the far, back corner of the 2nd floor to the front desk, then stand in line, while the staff re-made everyone's card keys - probably a fluke.

Conclusions: Many businesses, between Steamboat Springs and Craig, had signs welcoming hunters, in large letters. The dates of hunting season are set well in advance and there is no excuse for a hotel not preparing for such an influx of potential business. I do know that it is hard for restaurants to get servers in the northern Rocky Mountain region as many customers tip only pocket change (hint). The other restaurant we tried, in Craig, showed an even more obvious emphasis on politeness and attentive service. Saying "yes, sir" seemed to be a common theme. At the mexican restaurant, we tried, they also called us "amigo". I got the feeling that the community had been encouraged to make visitors welcome. So, they obviously expected business. I just don't know how they expect to serve twenty-plus customers, effectively, with only one waitress.

• Pros: Clean room; polite service