I first came to the Rustler 20 years ago, and it never disappoints in the warmth of its service, its convenience to the mountain, its enveloping atmosphere, and meal options that change daily. Alta is for skiers, not shoppers or posers. The Rustler nestles really well into that context.

We were skiing at Alta and a snowstorm hit earlier than forecasted, so me and my three daughters got stranded up at Alta. The roads were terrible and people were stuck all down the mountain, so there was a line of cars 3 hours long. And (this one's on me) we didn't have enough gas to wait in the line for several hours with the car on (it was 11 degrees outside). So we decided to go to the Rustler lodge and get some dinner to wait out the traffic. When we arrived, since we weren't guests, I explained our situation and asked if they had any rooms available (they didn't) or if I could sit in the almost completely empty dining room and buy dinner for my family. They refused saying that the dining room was reserved for guests. So I asked them if we could wait in one of the similarly almost empty sitting rooms while the traffic died down a bit and they said no, essentially turning us out into the storm. I rarely post a negative review, but I was so disappointed with the lack of humanity that I felt it was warranted in this case. With that, we walked up the road to the SnowPine Inn and received exactly the opposite treatment. Apparently, they have the same "guests only" rule, but they waived it due to the storm and welcomed us to come in and buy dinner and sit by the fire. They offered us the use of chargers for our phones and were kind and generous to us while we waited. We were so grateful.

In my opinion, and in my over 57 years of being a lucky guy who has gotten to travel and see the world, the Rustler is the best hotel I've ever stayed in. Why? The mix of casual comfort and high level of service and care, friendly staff, great rooms, delicious food, the best hot tub and pool set up anywhere, its location as a ski in and ski out to one of the most magic ski mountains in the world (a skiiers' paradise), the heart stopping views, and on and on --- it's just a very special place. The manger of the Hotel - Kate Pollard (along with her husband Tom - former mayor of Alta) - is a consummate pro. She is always head down and working, handles people with an unteachable mix of warmth and "no bs," manages her staff to be friendly and competent, always handles difficult issues with aplomb (I recently witnessed her deal directly and seriously with a group of men who had harassed one of her waitresses and she somehow managed to treat them like the kindergartners they had acted like while also being calm and actually kind about the whole mess). Kate and Tom put the Rustler over the top, and it was already my favorite place to stay. I am sure others may find something to nit pick, but not this happy guest. Can't wait to go back.....