My daughter and i had a wonderful time at Alta with the Rustler as our hotel. Dinner and breakfast were included in the room rate and we found the food great (she is a vegetarian and they accommodated her with many off menu entrees even though there were always some vegetarian options on the menu) and I always found more than one option that was very much to my liking. The breakfast brunch is excellent with many offerings of all types. The staff was helpful and pleasant and our room with a beautiful view of the mountain had the basics and was comfortable (there are rooms that have no view, but I recommend getting one with the mountain view as it is so pleasant to sit in your room (or on your balcony) and look out at the beautiful vista.

By no means do I want people to think that Rustler's lodge is a bad hotel; that's really not the case. BUT, it is absolutely not worth the fantastic amount of money that they get away with charging for their rooms. They charge around $700/night for a single room, or in my case $220/night for a shared dorm with three beds. This is absolute highway robbery. For $700/night/room or even $200 they had better have beautiful gleaming fixtures, new carpeting, clean washrooms, and immaculate spa facilities. What I found was a tiny single bed, paper thin walls where I was often kept awake late into the night, an absurdly small washroom with a bin with ear plugs (clearly they know there is a problem with sound transmission) and old fixtures. The carpets need to be completely re-done and the place needs to be renovated to bring it into the 21st century. No TV in my room, no TVs in main area, and the mens changeroom smelt like mould.

Again, I don't think it deserves a bad rating as its a beautiful hotel with great service, good (not great) food and average rooms; just when you charge $700/night it should look like a four seasons, not a holiday inn.

nb: other great features are location to slopes (quick ski over), chair lift built just for the lodge to bring you back up, and spectacular outdoor pool and hot tub where you can look at the hills. Again, not to be understated is the stellar service and beautiful bar.

Alta is world class skiing at reasonable prices. Rustler's is the toniest Alta resort. The rooms however are ordinary and dated but with incredible views. The location is perfect though the service is uneven. The pool and hot tub are in a majestic setting. Rustler guests are quite moneyed and quite friendly. Many grandparents treating their grandkids. If you love bargains though pass this pricey venue.