First, what not to do. There was a thread about Spruce Lodge in CO, but I think it got pulled. Appears it wil be under new ownership this yr though. Good luck to them, can't wait to go back there!
Don't gouge for gas (we know it's expensive and plan to pay more, but not $0.50 more/gal than the place next door who you know has fresh gas 'cause there's a ton of sleds there).
Friendly service, not costly, but the little stuff, like don't charge me $2 for a phone call to the parts shop when I'm spending hundreds at your place.
Warm cabins, plenty of hot water is a must, otherwise I don't care how modern or fancy the place is as long as 2-3 people cantake a nice shower and the heat works. (community hot tub is a plus, but you get what you pay for when staying in the woods. I'm there to ride, if I wanted all the amenities, I'd have stayed in town at the Marriot)
If you offer food/alchohol, then offer it all the time, or at least when you say you will, not just when you feel like being open. If people come there expecting to eat breakfast or dinner in your dining room, it sucks whenyou get back from a day's riding and the place is closed for dinner without you knowing (hour drive to town).
Don't lose the keys to the liquor cabinet. ( Happened, couldn't geta drink on the night the dining room was open.)
Don't make me wait 1/2hr for you to come out and pump the gas into my sled for me (see 1st paragraph). I'm alerady paying more and don't mind if I pump it myself if you're busy, I'm standing out there anyway and I can read the pump. I'm not gonna cheat you on a gallon of gas. I'm staying there already and you can go look later if you think I cheated.
DOn't ask me to fire up my diesel truck 3 different times to move it so the XC skiiers can park next to the door of their cabin. Mine's 100' from my cabin, you told me to park there, and yes, I have a truck and trailer. I didn't get the sleds up here on top of my Hyundai!
Oh and don't b!tch when you can smell diesel exhaust in the lobby. Again you told me to park there, it's -20F out and I have to drive an hour for dinner beuase you weren't serving tonight. Didn't see it in the brochure.
Soooo, I know this is a bunch of whinin', but this place was a perfect example of how not to run a lodge.
Bottom line what I ould look for is, doesn't need to be fancy (price dependent of course). Good food with large portions (can only be 2 or 3 items on the menu 'cause it's tough to stock a restaurant in the boonies, as long as it's GOOD). Warm cabins w/ plenty of hooks to hang gear. Fireplace or woodstove a plus just for the ambiance. Gas, premium, for sleds. Host (ess) knowledge of area with good reccomendations for newcomers to the area, and good rapor with the local sled dealers so they have good parts availability with commonly bent/broke parts.
And someone mentioned a shop to work on your machine. That would be key. I have an enclosed trlr now, but anyone with an open trlr will get your business for life when they come back in with a twisted up front susp, it's cold and snowin', and you say "pull it around back into the garage, you cna work on it there, just clean up and turn the lights off."
Last thing is advertising. The locals could know you have the best place WY, but you need the tourist business to keep the place full all winter.
Good luck!
)
