Elk River Retreat

• Wonderful retreat home

  Wonderful retreat home

  • Guest Kay L.
  • Date of stay 07/14/12
  • Review Submitted 07/28/12
  Our stay at Sharp's Elk River Retreat was all and more than we anticipated -- because they had anticipated our every need!! The description and photos of this lovely home are as described -- maybe even better!! Our extended family of seven (20s to 80) had a memorable time together -- cooking in the spacious, well-equipped kitchen, hiking the many RM trails and discussing our active days over dinner on the deck overlooking the Big Thompson or in the comfortable large living area. We couldn't have found a more relaxing place for our busy family (Med and Law School students) to gather and enjoy each others company for a week of togetherness. The weather was also perfect for July hiking in one of our very favorite destinations -- Estes Park and the Rocky Mtns. We were all thankful to be able to share the Sharp's lovely home and hospitality!! The Lamb & Bouquet families

  Owner response: We are honored to share our home with such wonderful people! Please keep us in mind for future travels to Estes Park!

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• Elk River Retreat

  Elk River Retreat

  • Guest Tim and Deb
  • Date of stay 06/24/12
  • Review Submitted 07/23/12
  What we enjoyed the most about this wonderful property was the abundance of comfortable "gathering space". Our extended family enjoyed the generous open space between the kitchen, dining, living and library area. There was so much comfortable seating and dining space. All the rooms were well decorated. immaculate and very comfortable. We could easily access downtown activities or head for hiking in the mountains. We would definitely like to stay at this property again!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

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• Fun Times in Colorado

  Fun Times in Colorado

  • Guest Aggie Buddies
  • Date of stay 06/30/12
  • Review Submitted 07/12/12
  Three couples - all buddies from our days at Texas A&M over 30 years ago - got together for a long weekend in Estes Park and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Elk River Retreat. We cooked all of our meals at the cabin and prepared picnics for lunch. We grilled each evening and enjoyed eating out on the porch, listening to the sound of the river and watching the deer. We found Elk River Retreat to be very accommodating with a fabulous kitchen, plenty of seating, and comfortable beds. The owner was very helpful to reply quickly with anwers to questions. They have done a great job with the cabin. Plenty of great quality towels in bathrooms, roomy accommodations and everything was very clean. Easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park, very close to Estes Park Brewery - both of which our group enjoyed! We liked the pictures we saw online - but once we got there we found the interior of the cabin to be even better than the pictures!! We would recommend this property to others and are anxious for a return visit.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

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• Great Family Friendly Vacation Home

  Great Family Friendly Vacation Home

  • Guest California meets Kentucky at Elk River Retreat
  • Date of stay 06/16/12
  • Review Submitted 06/27/12
  Our bicoastal family decided to "meet in the middle" for a family vacation in Estes Park. Elk River Retreat was the perfect place for us to unwind and make up for lost time. It was one or two minutes away from downtown Estes and had all the luxuries of city living with the allure of mountain life (female elk and their babies liked to hang out right outside the master bedroom window!). We visited in the summer and if we come back, we would like to stay during the winter months so we can get the full effect of the snow, fireplaces, and winter wildlife. We brought along our 13 month old son who loved the open floor plan and watching Special Agent Oso on the big screen tv! For the most part the home is baby-proof (lots of fun drawers to hide mommy and daddy's things in), but those families with a toddler may want to bring along or purchase a baby gate to close off the open stairwell to the downstairs in the living area. One of us was on "stair patrol" at all times. We left an umbrella stroller in the front closet for families to use. Enjoy! The Sharp family seems sweet and genuinely interested in making sure we had a good time. And we did. The only surprise was that the home was not as secluded as the pictures made it seem. It is the most secluded of the homes in the complex and it was private, but it overlooked the coffee shop across the river and was it sits off a main road, which you see from the balcony. But I think our expectations were inaccurate here. The home was indeed in Estes Park, a tourist area, not "in the mountains". It is just as secluded as any other vacation spot in Estes, so I don't think this is a negative. We just didn't have an understanding of what this area of Colorado was. The home is right outside of the national park, so we took many scenic drives and day trips through nature. So, I was happy that we ended up with the "best of both worlds"...the city and the Rockies. Thanks again for good memories.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers.

  Owner response: We are extremely glad a great stay was had by all! The elk are always fun and entertaining to watch, especially up close!! We look forward to having you and your families stay at our home again in the future!

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• Wonderful place to stay!

  Wonderful place to stay!

  • Guest Tami H.
  • Date of stay 12/22/11
  • Review Submitted 01/06/12
  What a wonderful place to spend Christmas time with family! We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our stay here at Elk River Retreat. Lots and lots of space to lounge and just spend quality time with loved ones. Every room is equiped with a great television and the place is super comfy! We enjoyed preparing our meals from the fully equiped gourmet kitchen! Mom and I cooked up a storm and had a blast! The location is perfect! Even though it's just minutes from the downtown shops and grocery, we woke up in the mornings looking out the glorious windows feeling like we were secluded in the woods! So serene! Our family felt so comfortable and "at home" here. During our stay we enjoyed visiting with family, we toured the Stanley Hotel, we browsed the shops downtown and took advantage of some super sales! We also drove into the National Park and took the kids sledding, saw some big herds of elk, and enjoyed the ducks that fly in every day just right out the kitchen deck!! They almost eat out of your hand!!! Loved them!!! :-) We highly recommend this property. It has a very clean, spacious, home away from home feeling, and we definitely will stay here again. Thanks for providing such a comfortable space where we were able to enjoy a wonderful Christmas!!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

  Owner response: Thank you for the wonderful words about our home. We are so glad you and your family enjoyed your stay and we hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to sharing our home with you and your family in the future!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Wonderful Place to stay!

  Wonderful Place to stay!

  • Guest Tami H.
  • Date of stay 12/22/11
  • Review Submitted 01/06/12
  What a wonderful place to spend Christmas time with family! We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our stay here at Elk River Retreat. Lots and lots of space to lounge and just spend quality time with loved ones. Every room is equiped with a great television and the place is super comfy! We enjoyed preparing our meals from the fully equiped gourmet kitchen! Mom and I cooked up a storm and had a blast! The location is perfect! Even though it's just minutes from the downtown shops and grocery, we woke up in the mornings looking out the glorious windows feeling like we were secluded in the woods! So serene! Our family felt so comfortable and "at home" here. During our stay we enjoyed visiting with family, we toured the Stanley Hotel, we browsed the shops downtown and took advantage of some super sales! We also drove into the National Park and took the kids sledding, saw some big herds of elk, and enjoyed the ducks that fly in every day just right out the kitchen deck!! They almost eat out of your hand!!! Loved them!!! :-) We highly recommend this property. It has a very clean, spacious, home away from home feeling, and we definitely will stay here again. Thanks for providing such a comfortable space where we were able to enjoy a wonderful Christmas!!!

  Owner response: Thank you for the wonder words about our home. We are so pleased you and your family enjoyed your stay and had a wonderful Christmas. We look forward to sharing our home with you again in the future!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• This is the place to stay in Estes Park

  This is the place to stay in Estes Park

  • Guest Aneka
  • Date of stay 05/06/10
  • Review Submitted 05/11/10
  What a wonderful place to celebrate our son's graduation from CU-Boulder! The house was well equipped with all the comforts of home, conveniently located to the Rocky Mountain National Park and walking distance to downtown Estes Park. We really enjoyed sitting on the deck with our morning coffee while overlooking the river and taking in the mountain views. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

Fees:

• Property Damage Protection: $49
• Tax Rate 9.5%

Cancellation policy:

Guest Information Checklist Welcome to Elk River Retreat. We hope you have a wonderful stay. There are a few things you need to know about the house to make your stay better and to preserve the home for the enjoyment of future guests (these suggestions grow out of our experience, so forgive us if these sound obvious to you!) ·Check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out is at 10:00 AM, unless previously arranged. ·When on the porch or by the river, please be careful. Never allow a child to be on the porch, deck or down by the river alone. If a child is by the river, always use a life preserver on that child or have an adult present and aware at all times. The river flows swiftly and you are responsible for the safety of your family members and friends. YOU MUST PROVIDE YOUR OWN LIFE PRESERVERS APPROPRIATE TO THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE PERSON. ·Please dispose of all tampons, paper towels, Kleenex tissues and other paper products in the trash cans. DO NOT put anything in or flush anything down the toilet except for toilet paper. ·Please use trash can liners in all trash cans (provided under sinks in bathrooms and in kitchen). ·There is NO SMOKING allowed in the house. If you smoke outside, you must pick up your cigarette butts and dispose of them. Please DO NOT put cigarette butts in the yard, in the flower beds, in the river, in the bushes, etc. There are NO PETS allowed in the house, with the exception of certified Service Animals. Please turn the heaters to an energy saving 65 degrees when you leave for a period of time and when you check out. We have hot water heating with 3 thermostats: upstairs in the hallway across from the bathroom, downstairs in the Master bedroom and downstairs in the second river bedroom. ·Please eat only in the living/dining room area upstairs or outside. Please do not eat in the bedrooms. ·Please clean up any spills so that we don’t have stains or spills that get tracked throughout the house. ·Please clean the dryer filter after each load that you dry. ·Our entry door has a keypad. ·There is a broom with dustpan in the room off the kitchen, a vacuum cleaner in the downstairs coat closet and basic cleaning supplies under the sinks for your use during your stay. ·Please do not use the bathroom towels outdoors or for playing in the river. Please provide your own outdoor towels, if you plan on swimming in the river or Lake Estes. ·Trash is picked up on Friday mornings. Please put all your trash in trash bags and carry to the container at the entry of Pine River Lane. In the summertime, the container may be locked to keep out bears and raccoons. If locked, the combination is 5250 but the chain is probably held together by a carabineer. DO NOT LEAVE TRASH OUTSIDE HOUSE. ·Please remove shoes at entry and/or be careful not to track dirt throughout the home. ·Please do not set hot dishes or wet items directly on the wooden dining table or furniture. ·There is a gas fireplace in the living room and an electric fireplace in the Master Bedroom. Both have a separate switch for the blowers. Please do not leave the blowers on for extended amounts of time, overnight or when you are not in the home. In summer, the upstairs gas fireplace will be turned off as the lit pilot generates lots of heat! ·Fire extinguishers are located under the kitchen sink and under both downstairs bathroom sinks. ·If you light a candle, please extinguish that candle when you are not in the room and before going to sleep. The wireless code is on the back of the router, located in the main floor, behind the main TV. This will be provided again upon making your final payment. We will wash the linens and clean the house, but we need your help in doing a few things that will minimize the costs for all guests and keep our rates affordable. ·Remove all food items from the refrigerator and either take items home with you or throw them away. If you have spilled juices in the refrigerator, please clean the spills. ·Please remove the sheets on all beds that have been used and place sheets on floor or in the master bedroom closet by the laundry. ·Put all used towels in a pile on the bathroom floors. ·Turn the thermostat on the heater to 65 degrees when you leave. ·Load and start the dishwasher (all other dishes, pots and pans, glasses, etc. should be clean). Additional Information: ·Estes Park has two wonderful grocery stores: Safeway, located at the intersection of 34 and 36, and Country Supermarket, located at the intersection of Marys Lake Road and Highway 36/Moraine Avenue, on your way into Rocky Mountain Park. We are evenly located between the two, but in high tourist months, Country Supermarket is often more easily accessible. ·Feel free to read any of our books. If you cannot finish a book by the time you leave, feel free to take the book with you if it’s a paperback. When possible, leave a book behind as well, for the enjoyment of fellow guests. ·There are several pharmacies in town, should you need medication. Safeway has its own pharmacy and there is a locally owned pharmacy just east of Safeway as well. ·Please sign our guestbook before you leave. ·Call if you need anything! Tyler Sharp: 620-397-3757

100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.