Basecamp Boulder

Great stay, very friendly staff!!!

Nice option for a comfy motel in Boulder. A unique space with a fun atmosphere with activities, bar/coffee, and a hot tub for guests. There is a usable gathering space and fire pits. It is a motel, and so it can be noisy if guests are enjoying themselves in the evening or with cars (and alarms) at night outside your room. Staff was warm and helpful.

This place has undergone a few changes since I stayed here years ago, but few or none are actual improvements for guests. They appear as if they were done by someone who has never stayed in a motel. Motel 6 rooms have microwave ovens. My BaseCamp room did not. Bargain hotels everywhere have coffee in the room. My BaseCamp did not. There was an electric kettle, with a broken lid and a cord that dangled behind the desk, but was not connected to power. In fact the cord was several feet short of being in reach any outlets, and there was no place it could be put to reach one. But even had the kettle been easy to use, there were no “hot” cups nor coffee packets. Really? Free coffee was offered in the bar by the lobby, but it did not open until 8 a.m. Rooms that cost above $125 or so have fridges. My BaseCamp room did not. Being near the door the single overhead light left most of the room dim. The bedside reading light was fine, but the switch was located out of reach for someone lying in bed. The shower door to the combination shower and tub did not fit properly so when one showers, the bathroom floor gets soaked, including the bathmat. Liquid soap, shampoo, and conditioner are provided, but are bolted to the wall at the far end from the shower, and are chest high, so to use them when taking a bath one would have to stand up to reach them. I have no idea how many bath takers stay in motels these days, nor how many climbers stay at BaseCamp, but back in my mountain days after a long time on the trail, a hot bath was a tonic for aches, pains, and attitude. If I had to clamber upright every time I needed soap or shampoo, I’ve had been inclined to pry the locked-down soap holder off the wall with my ice axe.