Amazing and delightful visit!

Guest: Pat (Los Angeles, California)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 12/01/11

My husband and I had an awesome stay here not only because it was clean, quiet, and a lovely apt., but also because Al was the perfect host. He was available if we needed him, and stayed away (in the house next door) when we didn't. Al is a charming storyteller and guide for the Crestone area - we were enrapt!. This lodging is conveniently located between the various spiritual centers in the area and the town of Crestone. The view from the apt. is excellent, and the spa (a short walk from the apt.) is nice and hot on a cold night. We prepared most of our meals in the small but well-supplied kitchen as we had no desire to leave in the evenings, although there are a few restaurants in town.

Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing, romantic getaway.

Beautiful property right in the foothills

Guest: Rick & Jill (New Prague, MN)
Date of Stay: 09/26/10 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

Our stay in Crestone was wonderful with this apartment to come "home" to in the evening. We stayed 3 nights and did a lot of hiking. The bathtub was wonderful to soak in after all our long hikes. The sunsets from the tub were awesome :) We listened to music, and played games in the evenings, and even read a few of Al's library collection of books. A different read, but some were quite interesting. The bed.... the best part of our whole trip! Made it hard to get up in the morning. Without a doubt the best sleep we have EVER had. Felt well protected by Al's dogs (I am not a big dog lover, but these dogs were very lovable, and really well behaved but did not bother you unless you called them to you) The views from the apartment were outstanding! If we make it back to this area of CO again, without a doubt we would see if the place was available. Much better than a hotel room. Only thing I would list in write up is that the refrigerator is a dorm size (3.6 Cu ft.) with a very small freezer, and no coffee pot :( Other than that, it was a perfect getaway. Thanks again Al, our stay was awesome!

Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, sightseeing, girls getaway, romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

Great Private Location

Guest: Sean (Nashville, TN)
Date of Stay: 08/08/10 Review Submitted: 08/16/10

We had a great time here, our first (brief) visit to Crestone. The apartment had a warm, pleasant feel. Lots of "new wood" smell. Well equipped kitchen that met our basic needs during our stay. Very comfortable. Al was a very gracious host, helping us get to know and understand the area better. His two big labs were also gracious canine hosts as well! The spectacular views (the valley during the day; the Milky Way at night) were well worth the trip. Sleeping with the windows open and taking in the cool cross breeze made for a comfortable, peaceful sleep. Definitely recommend this apartment!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway.

Perfect home base for exploring Crestone!

Guest: Baloo (Moraga/California)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/31/10

We just spent a week at Al's beautiful little place in Crestone and totally loved it! The apartment is lovely, well cared for, with a nice bathroom (tub and shower), a small but well equipped kitchen, a comfy sofa in the living room, a small shelf library with unusual interesting books, a king size bed (!!!) with the best mattress we ever slept on, a stereo but no TV (but who needs one out there?). All of the appliances and fixtures are top of the line. Al and his 3 dogs are super friendly and Al had many, many interesting stories to tell about the area. He even took us out to some spots we wouldn't have discovered on our own. If we would have stayed at any other place in Crestone, our experience would not have been the same. We certainly recommend this place ahead of any others! Apart from exploring Crestone, we did visit the Sand Dunes (absolutely worth a visit!) and took a day trip down to Taos, NM (3 hrs). The newly opened Bliss Cafe in downtown Crestone is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children.

If you are looking for quiet this is the place.

Guest: Denise (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 07/07/10 Review Submitted: 07/18/10

The apartment is even nicer in person than the pictures. My husband and I along with our 13 year son spent a week at "Al's place". It is very clean, spacious and bright. An added benefit is that Al is very knowledgable about the area and can offer input on subjects you won't find in a tour book. We will definately stay again on any future visits to Crestone.

Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Great little mountain retreat

Guest: W&C (Lamar, CO)
Date of Stay: 06/25/10 Review Submitted: 07/11/10

My husband and I loved everything about this property. Al, is a very gracious host. The views are beautiful and Al has lots of books, games, and music for guest use. We normally are huge tv watchers and were a little unsure about there not being a tv, but were very pleasantly surprised that we had such an enjoyable time without it. Would love to go back and visit again.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway.

A lovely place!

Guest: ShannonM (Boulder, CO)
Date of Stay: 05/06/10 Review Submitted: 05/08/10

Our stay at this property was great! The apartment is charming...a new wood smell, great decor, and all you need. The views were awesome! It has a deep bath for soaking and a separate shower. It was all very clean and well cared for. Al was full of helpful information, very hospitable, and has lots of interesting stories about the area. I highly recommend it! We will certainly be back. Thanks, Al! - Shannon (Boulder, CO)

Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Spectacular experience - wonderful hospitality

Guest: bodhitree (Hotchkiss, CO)
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

We just returned from a weekend visit to Crestone and stay at Al's beautiful cabin. The cabin itself is very nice and new w/ a wonderful bed which made for the best night's sleep I've had since I can remember. Al did a fantastic job on finishing the cabin and it is certainly anything but rustic as one might expect from a cabin experience. Custom woodwork and concrete countertops with top-of-line appliances adorning both the kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom has an extremely nice bath and separate shower unit that offer a view of nature, pure water and a superb shower overhead spigot in a large tiled area. In addition to the large bath tub there is a brand new outside hot tub that is very privately situated within the heavily treed property filled with many species of birds to enjoy. Truly a paradise! Having just arrived from a stay at a hotel in Colorado Springs, this experience was without doubt a super-bargain in comparison. In addition to the accommodations Al could not have been a more gracious and informative host. We learned more about the Crestone area than we could have in many months of research and I found this to be very valuable from an outsider's point of view. Our kids (two boys) had a wonderful time as well. Al took the time out from his own schedule to guide us around to some spectacular places that were truly amazing. I could go on and on... needless to say we will definitely be back. We couldn't have found a better place to speend our weekend at Crestone. Thanks so much Al... we really appreciate it!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Spectacular

Guest: MitchR (Dallas, TX USA)
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 04/01/10

The photos don't do it justice. The view from the apartment is spectacular. One side faces the mountains which fill the windows completely while the other side offers a wide open view of the valley floor. Apartment is clean and well funished. Very comfortable. As mentioned Al is a fountain of information on the San Luis Valley. He was extremely helpful in giving local directions as well as offering a guided tour of some of Crestones local landmarks. I highly recommend this property! I will be back!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Guest: Chrysti Hagen (Wheat Ridge, CO)
Date of Stay: 08/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/19/09

This is a special place indeed, made all the more special by the owner Al. He is a wealth of information on great things to do in the area and genuinely wants to see you have a great stay. The place is so quiet and so beautiful. Sitting out on the deck I couldn't decide whether to face the mountains or the valley! Both are spectacular to look at. I hadn’t seen the Milky Way for quite some time until this trip – there is no light pollution out here. Great amenities, comfortable beds, every basic need is provided here and then some. With the Great Sand Dunes originally being the primary goal for our trip, we discovered that we’d found the best value in the area staying here as a “home base”, a short 2 hour drive to the dunes, and so many other things to do and see. I plan to make a return visit in the future, pick-up where four short days left off and this is where I will stay!

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