I was very pleased to learn not all Days Inns were dirty, smelly hotels. This Days Inn was very clean, with a welcoming feel.

The front desk clerk was very nice. The room was very clean and a good size, the bed was comfortable, and the pillows were big and fluffy! We had a mini-refridgerator in the room but no coffee maker. They provided a big tube of tooth paste and a Noxzeema wash towel. The breakfast was typical, and the eating area was really small, but the owner got everyone talking which added a real homey feeling.

At the one end of the hotel, they have a small, but very nice, outdoor garden area. I had a cup of coffee out there in the early morning and found it very relaxing.

The Burger King right next door was clean and made a pretty good burger.

There's nothing to do in Salida, but it's a good place to stop for the night.

For the price we paid for this room we weren't expecting much but were pleasantly surprised. The hotel and rooms were very clean and the place overall seems very well presented. Staff were friendly and so was their little four legged canine! Can't fault the hotel at all. Salida itself we found disappointing, downtown though historic seems a bit down at heel and seedy, full of young peoples bars and not many places to eat. We drove back to the bland highway 50 area and ate in a restaurant with equally bland food.

The lobby is decorated in a nice rustic style (logs, stone) in keeping with the town's mountain surroundings. Other nice amenities:

* Free wireless internet. You don't need to ask for a password because their network is wide open. I tested the connection speed and got 1077 kbps.
* Hot tub is great, especially if you just got off the ski slopes.
* The complementary toiletries go beyond soap and shampoo... you also get toothpaste and a few others
* Heat lamps in bathroom
* Large televisions w / 60channels including HBO
* Very clean
* Good price

On the downside,
* the orange juice in the continental breakfast tasted slightly fermented
* the heating units are noisy, even on the "low" fan setting
* lots of "foam" in the hot tub

PRO - As far as the sleepy town of Salida is concerned, this Days Inn is average as compared to the rest of the world for a one star hotel. Staff was friendly when greeting us and whenever we left for the town -- which by the way Salida doesn't have much in the way of places to eat/drink on New Years Eve. Rooms were exceptionally clean. The doors and walls were paper thin and at the time, there was a bunch of kids roaming the hallway, which is fine since it was New Years Eve.

CONS - As were getting ready to leave at 10:30, the cleaning lady who was working on 1 Jan 06 was insistent that the front desk wanted our room cleaned. I reminded her that check out was 11:00. It was kinda tough to see her point of view when the adjacent hotel rooms were still uncleaned when we left. When we walked downstairs, she was literally lounging in the customer's lounge area staring at us as if she really wanted us to leave.

Bottom line -- Don't look for things to do in Salida, CO on New Year's Eve. We were there to ski at Monarch Ski Resort, which was equally not so great. If you are going to stay in in Salida, CO, stay at Days Inn for clean rooms, mostly good staff and inexpensive rates. Just watch out for the cleaning lady.