We were expecting an older hotel that was clean. Instead we got an older hotel that was pretty dirty. Not filthy, but stuff like chest-level lights in the bathroom were caked in dust. The chairs in the room were badly stained and looked nasty. It was nice having the fridge, microwave, and wireless, but that was all negated by the cleanliness.

On a cross-country camping/road trip mid-March, after days of snow-camping...we got hit with a sideways-blowing ice-storm and could barely see to drive. So we pulled over in Salida and commenced driving around looking for a cheap place to crash...all the hotels, even the run-down fleabag ones were around $70 and most of the front desk people weren't even polite. Ready to give up, we pulled into Aspen...which I thought looked like a nicer hotel than we could afford...and voila, a room for under $50. The front desk man was amiable and even dispensed some Advil for our headaches! Sure, it's not the Hilton, but our room was spotlessly clean, cozy and even came with some extras like a fridge and microwave (and a space heater, which we did not need, but turned to fan setting for ambient noise.) I thought the Hershey kisses were a cute touch too. The important things were there — easy access to the car, a good shower, decent bed and pillows — but I could see how it could become a noisy hotel. I could hear doors slamming, etc., but our neighbors were for the most part polite and we slept like dogs! For a clean, nice, cheap place to crash for the night, and an oasis of politeness after the other rude clerks, we couldn't have asked for more!

We spent one night at this hotel as part of our road trip through Colorado. It was ok, reasonable value for money and the staff were very friendly.

My boyfriend and I visit Salida on a regular basis (he has a Monarch Mountain season pass) and have stayed with the Aspen Leaf on two occasions - once in February of 2007 and the second time in November of 2007.

In February we got a great corner room with two double beds, these cute built-ins, and a nice bathroom. It wasn't anything luxurious, but it was comfortable and fit our needs. Even though it was a smoking room, it wasn't overly "smoky" smelling. And, since it was on the back of the building, it was very quiet. We also loved the fact that there was a microwave and fridge in the room.

In November we got a smoking room in the opposite building with a King-sized bed. The bed was uncomfortable, the pillows flat as pancakes, and the room smelled very strongly. And there only appeared to be 4 other occupied rooms the night we were there, and the rooms on either side of us were occupied. At a hotel with so many rooms, you would think that the front desk might separate guests a little more if possible.

Aspen Leaf is not the best hotel in town, but it's not the worst. I just think there are better values out there.