We had a wonderful stay and experience at Murphy's River Lodge and in Estes Park. The room was clean and quaint with everything we needed. The fireplace added cozy charm on the cool evenings and we enjoyed watching elk graze from our balcony. The breakfast room had plenty of choices for breakfast and morning drinks (hot and cold). NIce pool and hot tub area. The staff was so welcoming and very informative on places to eat and fun things to do. The Rocky Mountain National park is very close and a beautiful place to visit and hike. Thanks Murphy's Lodge for a great stay.

I almost hesitate to mention it (and, sincerely, we nearly forgot), but our room turned out to be uncleaned from the previous guest and it is important to note that there was little hesitation toput us up in another room to cool our heels after being on the road a couple of hours with a 4 year old and 9 month old both ready freed. While the room was smaller than what we needed, and was previously reserved anyhow, so staying in that one wasn't a great option, in the end, they made amends by offering a free night's stay in the future, and we certainly look forward to taking advantage of that with at least another 2, if not 3, night stay.

After that was sorted out, we settled into our own two bed ground floor unit and were pleased to find that the fresh furnishings and finishes in the first room were also found in ours. I inquired at checkout regarding this and, if I recall correctly, the work was just done over Fall/Winter 2011 by a new proprietor (I may have misunderstood the timing and it may have been 2010, but everything's bright and clean regardless.)

As for amenities, there is the aforementioned indoor pool, though we did not take dip ourselves this visit; there is the free "continental" breakfast (located upstairs from the pool with a not unreasonable amount of seating), which consists of nearly-to-a-tee the exact fare we've encountered at this level of lodging throughout the U.S., so no particular issue here (though perhaps they could use another double toaster?); they have a decent selection of DVDs/players to borrow in the office.

It is clear they intend to build a good reputation with their guests, even those of us who were brought in at a very low rate through Living Social. Considering what qualifies as a "good view" when you're in this proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park, what they don't have in that department, they make up for in overall location: They are just minutes to walk into downtown and or a drive into "The Park" (via the Fall River Rd/Hwy 34 entrance.)

Overall, the experience was very good and helped ensure a memorably pleasant local family vacation. When considering lodging in Estes Park and for visits to Rocky Mountain National Park, Murphy's River Lodge should be at the top of your list!

Stayed a week at Murphy's River Lodge and it was amazing! Coffee on the deck with the most beautiful view. Rocky Mountain National Park is only around 4 miles away. We walked downtown Estes Park every day. The Managers Loretta and Bruce are awesome people, very friendly and always making sure we had everything we needed. Their staff always had a smile and a hello. Rooms are very clean and the beds and pillows are wonderful. The river runs right behind the lodge and was wonderful to listen to. Very relaxing and a great place to stay! I would definitely recommend this lodge if you are looking for a great getaway.