Be advised of new rates at Spruce Lake in Estes Park

[Thunder_Mountai]

Just received this email from Spruce Lake. Location, location, location...

Spruce Lake 2015
As our season is fast approaching there are a few housekeeping issues I would like to make everyone aware of.

As we made 2015 reservations last year we advised everyone that we were using the 2014 rates since we didn’t know what the 2015 rates would be. If you made your reservations prior to Feb 1, 2015 you may be affected. The new Good Sam rate for non-holidays will be $59/night and holidays will be $63. The non Good Sam rates have gone to $65/night and for holidays $70.

This is the first increase in three years. I have been asked why. The min wage was raised by Colorado. The Electric rates and usage has increased. These increases will be reflected in the amount due at registration. Also at registration we will need you to bring your Good Sam or AAA cards with you.

For those of you renting cabins some things have also changed. First I want to say, the rates this year did not go up. We will be checking the cabins at checkout to see if excessive cleaning is required. That means was the cabin turned into “party central” and not cleaned up. If we find this, we will take pictures and charge $150.00 cleaning fee. You will have the option to call the office when you are ready to leave and we will walk thru the cabin with you. Last year we also had guests failing to leave the keys in the cabin. We will have a lost key charge to cover our expenses.

If you have any questions please feel free to call.

[Lauren]

Guess it is all a matter of how one looks at those things.

As far as Estes Park is concerned, and we lived there for 8 years, they have this fairly narrow window of tourists (much longer window than it used to be) they have raised rv park rates very high and yet the park conditions have gone downhill.

Couple that with the town suffering the downturn in tourists due to the latest flood and aftermath and you are seeing what you are seeing on the rates.

Which is why we have most recently stayed down in Loveland the last couple of times up there.

And the Rocky Mtn NP that we loved so much is not the same with the pine beetle infestation.

We now go - as we are this year - to the southwest part of CO instead. Love it there.

[westernrvparkow]

Is there a problem with what they sent out? Apparently they told people making early reservations that the rate would be subject to change when the 2015 rate schedule comes out. We face the same issue every year, people are wanting to make reservations for the next year when we haven't set those rates. They are all told that rates are subject to change, and they have the option to cancel with no fee if the new rates were not acceptable. The cleaning fee sounds reasonable also. No different than a hotel.
While the park chose to offer an explanation for the new rates, it surely isn't necessary. Don't see where they are doing anything wrong.

[Thom02099]

Thunder Mountain wrote:
Just received this email from Spruce Lake. Location, location, location...

Spruce Lake 2015
As our season is fast approaching there are a few housekeeping issues I would like to make everyone aware of.

As we made 2015 reservations last year we advised everyone that we were using the 2014 rates since we didn’t know what the 2015 rates would be. If you made your reservations prior to Feb 1, 2015 you may be affected. The new Good Sam rate for non-holidays will be $59/night and holidays will be $63. The non Good Sam rates have gone to $65/night and for holidays $70.

This is the first increase in three years. I have been asked why. The min wage was raised by Colorado. The Electric rates and usage has increased. These increases will be reflected in the amount due at registration. Also at registration we will need you to bring your Good Sam or AAA cards with you.

For those of you renting cabins some things have also changed. First I want to say, the rates this year did not go up. We will be checking the cabins at checkout to see if excessive cleaning is required. That means was the cabin turned into “party central” and not cleaned up. If we find this, we will take pictures and charge $150.00 cleaning fee. You will have the option to call the office when you are ready to leave and we will walk thru the cabin with you. Last year we also had guests failing to leave the keys in the cabin. We will have a lost key charge to cover our expenses.

If you have any questions please feel free to call.

Presumably, this will also apply to Elk Meadows, since they are owned/operated by the same company.

Mary's Lake and East Portal also raised rates for 2015, under the new management of the Estes Park Recreation and Parks Dept. Haven't heard anything yet about KOA, Yogi Bear/Jellystone, or Paradise on the River.

[tsetsaf]

Seems to me that unless they made it clear that rates would be increased at time of reservation they would have some grandfathered in. Oh well I am unlikely to visit the "high state" anyways... no biggie.

[Luke_Porter]

Sounds like a customer driven place!