After 2 weeks of travelling around and eating out every night we had decided make use of the kitchen facilities on our first night at Purgatory Village. On checking in we asked how far the local supermarket was. We were advised that it was a 32 mile round trip. Having had a long day driving we decided against that and asked about restaurants on site. We were advised that nothing was open but there was a good restaurant a short drive away. I am sure that a mid week visit in September is very different to a visit in the height of the sking season but the complex was like a ghost town. During our 2 nights there we saw more workmen tha fellow guests.
I understand that most of the condos are privately owned. It would seem to follow that there will be some significant variations between one condo and another. The 2 bedroomed, 2 bathroom condo that we had was excellent. It was certainly large enough for the 4 adults in my party. Everything was very clean and the quality of the furnishings were first class. Clearly some of the recent reviewers were not so lucky.

We got a King Hotel room through Expedia. Being the off season, it was only $82 plus tax (I notice they are going for 68 now). The place was fairly empty except for a wedding party. So four dots for value. The staff was very friendly, so four dots for service.

So, what didn't we like? First, the rooms were small, there was a bed, TV stand, night stands and not much else. We had to sit on the bed. Secondly, the bed was very hard, my wife and I both ended up with a sore back. Finally, the King Hotel is half of a suite and we could hear the people next to us talking through the shared door. They probably heard the TV in return.

Another issue was that the pictures on the various websites were misleading, the reservation said we would have cook ware which led us to assume that there would be a microwave. But we didn't get either. On the other hand the room was cleaned but reading the views, it seems to be hit or miss.

So, we will try somewhere else next time. And would suggest you do the same.

I was looking for a romantic getaway for my wife and I. This required a 2 bedroom space, one bedroom for my 2 year old, so when I saw a room that, in high season, goes for $700+ a night for $150/night on expedia up in beautiful Durango, I jumped at it.

The good: This was a VERY large room. Plenty of room for 4, and 6 could be done "comfortably" (a relative term, more on that later). There were 2 fireplaces, somewhat stocked with wood. A modern kitchen, stocked with enough utensils and pots and pans to easily prepare a meal for 4. 1 3/4 baths with 3 (count em) 3 TVs, 2 of which were flat screen. 2 separate patios, one was huge.

The weird: Shag carpeting from the 80s? Mauve paint on the walls. VERY mismatched artwork on the walls. A very modern dining table with a VERY 80s plastic flower arrangement on it. Asian inspired bedding in the master bedroom... speaking of which, a queen in the enormous master suite and a king in the cramped second bedroom? A hot tub on the roof that they tout, but only 2 of the 10 sets of jets function. The jacuzzi tub in the master suite had a wall around it that would have been VERY difficult to get into if you are not young and limber. Lastly, for a hotel that would be charging so much in just a couple months, it was certainly off putting that the hallways of the hotel were wallpapered by amateurs (NOT pros) and the paper was old and pulling away from the walls. Overall, it was just really weird where the management decided to upgrade and where they didn't. Kitchen, 3/4 bathroom, comforters on the beds, dining room table, TVs, living room tables, lamps, and washer and dryer? Check; all new within the last few years. Patio furniture, sheets, mattresses and box springs, sofa and chairs in the living room, paint on the walls, carpeting throughout, jacuzzi in the master bedroom, and ALL of the doors and wood trimming? VERY outdated/old. Some is obviously original and some (sheets) are just wear and tear items that should be thrown out/replaced every few years.

The ugly: Shortly after arriving I was following my son around the large patio and found 2 spider webs, a mostly smoked cigar, and a few dozen cigarette butts. Ok, so they forgot to clean the patio... Then the master bathroom, the toilet had "evidence" of not having been cleaned. The jacuzzi bath... when do I take a bath? Never, so I thought a jacuzzi sounded nice. There was soap scum all over it. There was mold (to me a good sign that it is rarely cleaned) on a fair amount of the tile, and a great deal of mineral deposits on the faucet and the shower head. Yuck! Then the bed, that my wife and I were trying to enter romantically, was not only without a mattress pad, the sheets were EXTREMELY old and pilled, and were suspiciously off-white. We called the front desk which was manned by a very nice, VERY stoned young man (I haven't been out of college that long) and told him the situation, which he remedied about 30 minutes later, but after offering to switch our rooms, but unfortunately, my son was asleep... it was already after midnight. The bed itself... The box spring was broken, no kidding, broken. The mattress (which I saw first hand because my wife and I had to change the sheets) was old, at least 20 years, and heavily stained. It was not that long ago that I used to stay in $30/night rooms because I just couldn't afford any better... those rooms had more comfortable beds and linens than this. The pillows (which we also changed) were like lumpy pieces of polyester, and the casing on one of them was heavily ripped. The garbage in the master bedroom had a great deal of trash from the previous guests. My wife found a fake fingernail on the carpet of my sons room... I could keep going but I'll stop there.

In all, I was kinda shocked... I know, I know, I should have said something. But I really didn't think it would have done any good. It's not like other rooms would have had a more comfortable bed in them. The simple fact is that the owners/management, and the housekeeping, very clearly don't care. They know they have an audience that's there for the mountain, and they can rip them off and the lack of comfort or cleanliness of their rooms is inconsequential. The only thing that made me feel better was the fact that I didn't pay near what they normally charge for the room. If I had paid $700+ a night I would have demanded my money back. This is yet one more experience that has left a sour taste in my mouth about this extremely over-priced ski area. I have never really loved the skiing and thought it was really over-priced when compared with others in the area (Taos, Wolf Creek, Silverton Mtn. and Telluride (costs more and worth it)) and now the realization that their lodging is not only overpriced, but also clearly poorly run. I hope for their future guests sake that they are inspected and fined soon, because the cleanliness of the room was definitely not up to code. The only reasons that I gave this 2 stars is because of the price that I paid and the fact that I did not give them a chance to make it better. As I said, I didn't think it would have done any good and would have been a pain for my family.

Oh well. Lesson learned.

My wife and I booked 4 nights at this condo/hotel, we checked into a very small dated room to the immediate sound of a dog barking through an adjoining door in our room. Not only are pets not allowed but we were also not aware of the setup of this place. Most of the rooms they rent out are bedroom suites of larger condo's owned by Texans. Rather than like a normal hotel that has adjoining rooms with 2 sound proof doors in between, these units have one door that you can see light around. So needless to say you can hear every word the people in the condo next door are saying. Around 11pm I had enough of our neighbors loud partying and called the front desk where an extremely rude employee argued with me despite me being very nice about the situation. I nicely asked to be moved and I was told "we're booked".......It was early august, th empty parking lot and dead hallways indicated otherwise. I had enough and requested to be checked out and refunded immediately where I was once again lied to that they were completely booked. No attempt was made to accomidate us due to the horrible situation that they actually charge tons of money for. If you're looking for a quiet, private place to stay, this is NOT IT.