Following the first week of the season, we were curious to hear from the guests how they felt the week went with all the new precautions and safety practices in place. It was heartwarming to read these comments, and also this review on Tripadvisor. Thanks to our wonderful guests for being game to come experience VVR during our first week of the summer!
- Happy Hour with Horses. Hands down one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.
- Kids program. You guys ‘get it.’ You truly do. The program is a wonderful mix of riding 1x/day and other games/activities. Lots of interaction with the counselors and just old fashioned ‘play/game’ time. But ‘structured’ game time with counselors. It makes a difference, and you have really dialed that in, and your kids counselors were OUTSTANDING!
- Oh the food. So one week at VVR did not help me lose my Covid-19-19 lbs. But wow, it was worth every calorie. The cold soups, the fancy dinners, the BREAKFASTS! In my experience it is really hard to ‘shine’ in breakfast. There is the general understanding that there is only so much you can do with breakfast foods, but you seem to break that mold. Wow. Just wow.
- The small touches your cabin crew did every day in our cabin really show your level of hospitality. LOVED the ‘hide the moose’ game for the kids. And the cabin crew also arranged their animals/books/toys in silly arrangements each day. The kids had fun looking for the moose and showing us what antics their own stuffed animals were getting up to each day.
- I rode a mountain bike for the first time in 10+ years, and I was so excited to do that at VVR. Greg was awesome. I told him I was a mountain biking weenie right off the bat but wanted to try something ‘a little bit’ adventurous. Tall order, but he came through with the PERFECT compromise of getting-the-sea-legs-back start to beginner-off-road level trail on the way back. He didn’t even bat an eye when I did the ‘clown peddle’ (i.e. lowest gear) for most of the trip, which caused us to go approximately 1.5 miles per hour. A true gentleman! My husband really enjoyed both his fishing experiences and especially his archery trip with Zach! He said that “Zach made the trip”. He said his face hurt from smiling so much the whole time because of Zach’s antics with his guided hunting expose with the fake critters in your field.
- I really liked having most nights “off.” I don’t know if that was due to Covid or on purpose, but we liked that free time.
- Thank God (or I guess Vista Verde in this case) for little amenities. I know this may not sound like much, but the hot tubs on the patios should be a BIG SELL for your amenities/accommodations. While I am comfortable swimming in a pool with others, I typically prefer to just soak in a hot tub on my own with quiet. (Covid or not!) Your private hot tubs are unique and ultra-relaxing/scenic and kept me from returning home sore:-)
- Your horses! You honestly have a REALLY good-looking herd of horses. That takes a lot of time and money. Well done. Their feet look good, they are ALL fit and healthy, their coats look good. Kudos. And tell Sam that I want to come back and ride Memphis again once he is trail-ride ready! He does a great job with training your horses.
- A few final ‘shout outs’ to staff: Cholly was a rock-star. I sure didn’t expect a wine tasting for ONE PERSON but that was probably one of the most fun tastings I’ve had. He is so knowledgeable about both the food program and the wine. Sarah was one of our regular servers and was amazing. We had fun conversations at the table, and she is so personable and attentive. I already mentioned Greg (biking guide), who didn’t laugh at me during my 1 bike ride per decade and made it seem like it was ‘normal’ to stop every 5 minutes for water and air. So give him a raise for sure. Wranglers: Alex was one of my favorites! She was a great conversationalist and very confident on the trails. Kids counselors (all of them) = pure gold. Finally, not sure who the two gals were digging the holes for your horseshoe pit, but they were a hoot. The kids came around to literally sit and watch them dig holes, and somehow turned it into a competition. They were sweating bullets trying to dig their hole the fastest, and the kids were rolling on the ground laughing and cheering them on. They didn’t have to dig those holes in 10 minutes flat, but did for entertainment! What troopers.
- We realize you all can’t do many of the things you usually do (staff dining with guests, etc) but don’t feel the need to apologize for it! I truly think your guests ‘get it.’ Everyone sitting around the tables just seemed glad to be there. One dad admitted to me that he and his teenage son even teared up the last night for having to leave. I know you may feel the need to ‘explain’ things a bit more with guests, but I wouldn’t get into the weeds too much with it. If they are there, they “get it” and no apologies necessary. Long story short, don’t stress so much about what you can’t You can still offer SO much, and that’s what guests care about who are coming this summer.