Retro Inn in Cortez, Colorado takes you
back in time. You might land anywhere from the 1950s to the
‘80s. Well, not really
but that is how it feels. If you plan to visit the Four Corners
area of Colorado, Cortez is the perfect hub and Retro Inn is a
fun place to set up your base camp while you explore the
Ancestral Puebloans (AKA Anasazi) sites.
It's about ten minutes
from Mesa Verde National Park.
You know you have arrived when you see a
vintage RV parked in the front of the lot with some pink
flamingos around it. My favorite bit of nostalgic decor is Elvis
sitting on a bench in the dining patio outside the office. The
desk clerk told me they were looking for Marilyn Monroe to join
him but so far, had not found the right one. (I bet back in the
day, plenty of guys experienced that same thing.)
There are grills and tables in the patio
area also so you can DIY in nice weather and eat picnic style.
While waiting for the charcoal to heat up, you could play a game
on a life-sized chess set.
Each room is numbered for the year it
represents and decorated accordingly. You get a real key with a
numbered keychain fop on it not a card that your phone can
deactivate. All the doors are painted in bright clean colors.
Inside, all the rooms are clean and spacious. They all have
keurig coffee maker, shower tub combo, mini fridge, microwave,
big cable tv, alarm clock and a desk or table.
The beds are comfy and
everything works perfectly. The free wifi was a little slow in
my room but worked.
There are two motorcycle themed rooms.
Another is retro-themed TV shows from back in the day,
Andy and Barney's
picture over one bed and Hoss, Little Joe, Adam and Pa
Cartwright's over the other. Room 1964 is filled with Beatles
paraphernalia as might be expected. Those of us of a certain age
recal that as the year "I Want to Hold Your Hand" rocketed to
the top of the American Rock and Roll Chart and John, Paul,
George, and Ringo came over the pond to begin "The British
Invasion." The 1983 room
was decorated with original Star Wars posters in honor of the
release of "Return of the Jedi" the third Star Wars saga.
I was way back in the fifties on Route 66.
My room had lots of old fashioned mechanic shop signs and now
extinct oil companies logos. The bath was all pink and aqua. It
brought back many old memories.
The personal are friendly and
knowledgeable. The lobby and dining area are done up to fit the
theme; big bold black and white tiles with neon orange cabinets
in the breakfast section. They began serving breakfast at 6:30
if you need an early start on your day. It's a pretty
substantial breakfast for a continental free one, good selection
of breads for toast, yogurt, bagels, cereal, fruit, juices,
coffee and nice choices of teas.
If you're looking for sophisticated and
cookie-cutter style, this is not for you. You're not in a
typical chain here. But as you can see this place is original.
Each room is different. It's a fun recreation worthy of a museum
of that era.
For more info:
http://www.retroinnmesaverde.com/index.htmll
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