The Four Corners area of southwestern Colorado is a big tourist destination for nearby Mesa Verde National Park and other attractions. That would usually mean a stay in the small town of Cortez. While there are a few hotels and motels in Cortez, this property is almost assuredly the first and only choice if you want a quality stay.

A qualifier at the outset: my stay at this property was unique, because it was for a consulting project in the area. So, I stayed from June through mid-September, given the lack of extended stay options in the Cortez area. How I viewed the property was in terms of a long-term business traveler, which really isn't how it should be assessed. So, I will try to review this in terms of the tourist/short-term traveler.

The property is older, but is largely well-maintained and clean. That is commendable for a "high-traffic" property that is almost always at or near full capacity, particularly in the summer tourist season. It is on the east side of Cortez, along the main highway through town. So, there is easy access to area services and attractions (e.g., less than 10 miles to the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park).

I was placed in a 2-queen-bed room on the third (of three) floor, with a view facing west towards the Sleeping Ute Mountain. With a couple of exceptions - contingent upon the other travelers in the hotel on any given night - the third floor was very quiet. The room was pretty basic, though - given the nature of my stay - a "college-boy" style refrigerator was placed in the room to allow me to keep some drinks and groceries. There were some signs of wear in the room - including the refrigerator - but everything was in working order. The beds were comfortable, the climate control in the room was easy to control and more than sufficient, and the bathroom/shower facilties were acceptable. If there was a drawback, it's that the layout of the room made it semi-inconvenient to sit anywhere except for the beds, and also to comfortably use the desk for computer use.

The TV in the room was a wall-mounted, flat-screen, HD unit, which is increasingly common in most hotels. The wall mounting kept it in a fixed position, so you could not turn it to an angle that was easier to view from another spot in the room, but that was a minor issue. Channel selection was excellent; it always amuses me that short-term stay properties typically have a more diverse, larger channel selection than extended stay properties do.

There is an on-site, indoor pool and jacuzzi; however, as much as I wanted to use it, it was frequently overrun with other travelers (particularly kids). It also was not the type of pool that was designed for swimming laps.

The hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast, with a mix of hot and cold food options. It was good, if not somewhat unremarkable.

There is a good laundry facility on-site; however, the major drawback is that it is in the Mesa Verde Conference Center building, which is detached from the main hotel. That meant hiking your laundry back and forth across a segment of the parking lot. There is also a very spacious, decent exercise room on-site, but like the laundry facility, it is over in the conference center building.

Another drawback of the property is that there is only one elevator. Depending on the occupancy and the time you are coming or going, it could be a long wait as people either tried to move their luggage or bored kids kept riding it. Sometimes it was easier and faster to use the stairs, though that's not a viable option for travelers of a certain age or physical ability.

Parking was ample and easy to obtain, no matter how busy the property was. The property obviously catered to motorcyclists, and allowed them to park near the main entrance. While a nice touch, it could sometimes clog up the entry and exit to the property.

Customer service among the front desk staff and housekeepers were mostly good. There were a couple who often worked the afternoon/evening shifts that were always pleasant and had a good sense of humor. The breakfast staff was so-so; there were a couple of them that sometimes acted as though the guests were imposing on them.

The staff also brings up a couple of other interesting observations that I made during my stay. Frequently I would see the hotel employees - in their off-time - using the pool, laundry, and exercise facilities. As much as I travel, I can't ever remember seeing employees using guest facilities in this manner. Maybe it's considered a staff perk, but I thought it at least slightly inappropriate. More concerning was that on a couple of occasions, I saw housekeepers servicing the guest rooms while visiting with whom I could only figure were friends or family. They clearly weren't guests, and were roaming the rooms more freely than the housekeepers. That made me a little leery, because it raised a question of who had access to guest rooms (and any valuables in them) when the guests were away.

For a city the size of Cortez, I was quite surprised at the diversity and quality of dining options in town. Visitors will have to drive for most of them, but none are very far. There is a small restaurant/bar called Koko's on-site; the service wasn't particularly great, and the prices a little steep, but the food was good. I would also strongly advise against the Denny's that is next door to the hotel, as the cleanliness, food quality, and service there was terrible.

All in all, it was a reasonable stay. Again, I stayed much longer than the average guest due to work, but it was largely better than I expected for lodging that was not intended for extended stay travelers. Given the heavy amount of traffic through this property, I would recommend that travelers making plans to stay or stop over in Cortez make reservations prior to their visit. Lodging drops off in availability and quality in Cortez, and given its relative remoteness, travelers could be hours away from lodging of similar quality if they do not plan ahead.

Please never make me go back again. The rooms were outdated, and I layed towels down on the beds because I wasn't sure what I was laying on. The pool was old. Ok, my kids loved our kids suite, which included multiple bunks in their "fort holiday.". They thought it was the coolest room ever! Also, laundry facilities were appreciate on this driving trip. Wish we had driven a little longer and stayed in the cute town of Durango.

This was probably the very best Holiday Inn Express that we have ever encountered, and we've seen quite a few. From the time you check in to the time you leave, you really "feel" the great Southwest in the decorations and amenities. The hotel is located in a quiet area and we never heard any traffic noise. The room itself was fine, the beds comfortable and both wired and wireless internet service was very quick. The bath area was bright and roomy. The only item that could be improved upon was the exhaust fan in the bath area that really didn't do a good job. Other than that, it was just fine. The flat screen TV had both HD and analog channels, which was a nice plus. Upon check in we received a coupon for a free drink at the lounge across the parking lot, which we did not use. The breakfast was one of the very best with lots of selections, both hot and cold, and was very well attended and kept stocked. In all, a very, very pleasant experience. While the price was a bit high, in so many cases you get what you pay for, and for this HIE you get a great experience. We definitely would stay here again.

We were heading from Albuquerque to Salt Lake City to visit family. This hotel stay was perfect from check-in to check-out! The service was the absolute best. Cassandra, the awesome morning desk clerk, had some ideas for us when we asked about local swimming areas. She actually phoned her lovely aunt before 7:00 AM who gave us turn-by-turn directions to a swimming area in the mountains! Seriously, You just can't beat that kind of service anywhere!! (Thank you, Cassandra. And... Thanks, Aunt Jerry!)

We had a lovely king suite with a hot tub and couldn't have been happier! There was a little sitting area complete with flat screen TV, microwave and fridge, A wonderful, comfy king bed, desk area and large jetted tub completed this huge room. Plenty of fluffy towels too!

The entire hotel was spotless! The pool and hot tub area was very nicely kept. The lobby was inviting and just above there is a sitting area with a fireplace. Breakfast was better than the average Holiday Inn Express, with plenty of choices. The bar was well stocked by a very friendly, efficient hostess.

Just perfect! We travel and stay in hotels a lot. This Holiday Inn Express in Cortez is the absolute best of the best!