3 Peaks bills itself as pet friendly. What it doesn't tell you and what you should know before making a booking, however, is that it's not human friendly, at least not to humans who dare to challenge the authority or otherwise incur the wrath of the hotel management.

Many of those who have rated this motel as terrible (and, btw, this property is just a motel, despite its overreaching name) have had similar problems. Reservations not honored, unexpected hidden charges, double bookings, resulting in an unpleasant encounter with, and let's be specific here, Deborah, a hotel manager who will not tolerate guests who cause her problems.

My transgression was that my dog, who we left behind when we went skiing, barked. I don't know for how long or how many guests were disturbed but, whatever, it's not right, not something that I was happy about and a situation that had to be fixed. But here's the 3 Peaks approach - lock the guest out of his room, scream at him in front of other guests in the lobby and threaten to throw him out and double-charged his card for the stay. I was at the wrong end of a tirade, absolutely rude and mean-spirited.

Even guests that don't experience such a personal encounter with the manager may notice signs of an environment where the customer is guilty until proven innocent and where the shady is the practice. There's a $100 charge on your card for "incidentals" which, considering there are no incidentals, is just a security deposit. There are no hangers in the main closet because "guests always steal them." There are extra charges for dogs and extra charges for people. And, if you bring a pet, there's an additional form to sign with so many restrictions that your pet would have to be dead to fully comply.

So, take your chances. You might be lucky and find your reservation is honored, your room has been cleaned before you arrive and, if you are also the sort of camping-mentality person who comes prepared with your own hangers, room enough for your clothes. You will be the ones who will find a motel, conveniently close to the casinos and gondola at a reasonable price. Or you might not be so lucky and have an experience more like mine.