My husband and I booked a room for 3 nights at the Cortina, based on reviews from other travelers...as well as a very enticing nightly rate. We arrived and were greeted by a very nice desk clerk. I looked around the lobby and it was very nice, spiral staircase, plenty of seating, fireplace, rustic charm, lots of information and brochures in the kiosk. We were given the option of a room on the top (2nd) or first floor. We chose the top floor because as we were walking in from the parking lot, we could see that each room on the top floor had a private balcony.
We took the elevator up to our room, opened the door to the biggest room we have ever stayed in. Huge log bed, a walk in dressing/closet area that could have been converted into another bedroom, and a gigantic bathroom with an enormous corner tub.
At first, it seemed too good to be true, all this space! Very excited, I went to the back of the room to the door that would open on our balcony. It was actually more like a deck, but the wood was warped and curling up. I was afraid to stand on it. The write-up for this hotel said that it had been renovated, but they obviously skipped the renovations in this part of the complex. The log footboard on the bed precluded watching tv in bed, as the top log blocked the view. The tub was so huge and high, that I needed to have my husband help me in and out of it, as there is no handrail available. However, the shower was good, and the water was hot, so we handled that. The air conditioner was very loud, but it totally pumped out nice icy-cold air, which was refreshing. The description online also said there was an indoor pool....well the pool used to be indoors, but now it doesn't have a roof. Don't know what happened there, but the water was nice, and there was a spa as well. There was a complimentary continental breakfast buffet as well, which was located in the basement.
The complex seems to cater to a wellness group, called New Life, and the Cortina has been hosting it for several decades. The rooms that those guests were occupying seem to have been the renovated rooms.
All in all, I can't really complain about the Cortina. The staff was very nice, the room was very clean, despite it's awkward layout, and the location was great for hikers.