Idlewilde by the River

These cabins have a great location, right on the Big Thompson River, but they are old, not well maintained, and their cleaning crew needs training (or they just don't care). The shower was disgusting, dirty, moldy and the shower curtain had mold and a mysterious red algae growing on it (see photos). I wore my flip flops to take a shower. The bed was horrible, no support, and I think the lower half of my body was at a 45 degree angle from my head. Sheets were old and stained, not even sure if they were changed from the previous occupant. The foundation of our cabin (#5, Ataloa) is caving in, as the floor sloped down as you walked from the bedroom to the bathroom, and the toilet is unstable (wobbled when you sat on it). The carpet was stained. I spoke to the women staying in the #6 cabin next to us and they agreed that the cleanliness of their cabin was also not adequate. Thank goodness we were only there for one night. After we checked out, I spoke to and emailed the Operations Manager, Armand, and requested some monetary compensation for all the issues with our cabin. I never got a reply nor any refund. Do yourself a favor and try one of the many other cabin options in that area.

Stay Here! It is just wonderful! They have everything you need (and more), the cabins are beautiful (we stayed in three over the week we were there), the location is perfect. The river is gorgeous, with lots of wildlife to watch from your back door. Mike and Beth were amazing. They go out of their way to be sure you are as happy as possible. By the time we left, they felt like friends. When back in Estes Park, that's where we'll be.

We enjoyed our stay at Idlewild very much. Our cabin was clean and well stocked. There were some new updated kitchen items that we were the first to use, it appeared. The grill right outside the door was very handy as well. Being able to sit outside by the river listening to the rushing water of the Big Thompson was very relaxing. For us, the close proximity to the Rocky Mountain National Park was important as we spent three days in the park. Mike and Beth were very friendly and helpful and provided good communication. They were also responsive to any questions or concerns we had. We would highly recommend Idlewild by the River as an option for lodging when you visit Estes Park.