1-800-full-of-crap

When most people want to stay at the lodge in Mesa Verde they call the 1-800 number posted on the website to make their reservations. This number connects you to our central reservations, where they will tell you all about the lodge, the park, different packages you can by, etc. So when you actually get to the park, you already have a pretty good idea about what you paid for and what you are going to see! Great system right?

Wrong.

The thing about central reservations is they are actually located in Phoenix and most of the people who work there have never actually stayed at the lodge, or even been to the park. They go off of what they have been told to say, sometimes adding in their own special twists to make you want to get different packages or stay longer. Now, I'm not saying central reservations is bad, and I'm not saying that they intentionally mislead people. All I'm saying is that They do not have to deal with the people in person once they arrive at the park and do not have a view of the dwellings from their window, or when they find out that we don't have a swimming pool, and there are no tvs in the rooms.

At least 3-4 times a day I apologize to guests over and over while they complain and yell about how they were told such and such, and it turns out that isn't true, and they want me to fix it. It's like they think we are lying to them when we tell them that no, there really is NO SWIMMING POOL. We are not hiding it from you. We just don't have one.

The other day there was a woman who was almost Irate because she did not have a view of the dwellings from her window. I explained to her that the dwellings are about 30 min. down the road from us in different canyons, I'm very sorry for the confusion, we will make sure the people she made her reservations with are aware of what she was told and what the truth actually is, can we offer you free breakfast, you really do have one of our best views, I'm sorry for the confusion. and on and on. But Nothing I said would calm her down. She just Wanted to be angry I guess, because she just kept calling back and complaining. Over 5 times. and every time, I apologized and began asking What would she like me to do to make her stay more enjoyable? No.. I'm really sorry. There are No rooms at all that have a view of the dwellings..... You have one of the best views that we have available here...... I'm really, very sorry.... Why don't I just transfer you to my manager?

She called the manager over 5 times that night as well. I understand why she was angry, but at the same time there was Nothing else we could do. I feel sorry for that lady. Instead of just accepting that we had done our best to make her stay more comfortable and enjoying her vacation, she decided to stay angry over something no one could fix and let in ruin her night. :(

But anyway, if you decide to visit Mesa Verde (which you really should, because not only am I here, but it is a great place to learn about and see) and you make reservations through the 1-800 number, don't be angry if something they told you isn't 100% accurate. Oh, and September is a great month to come! It's warm in the day and really cools off at night, and it really isn't too busy because most families with kids have already gone back to school. :)