Clarion Hotel the Belle, New Castle

If you've ever read "The Shining," then you'd get an idea about this place. While it may not be nestled in the Colorado hills like the hotel in King's book, this inn-on-the-hill seems to be eerily secluded, and ripe for a B-horror movie plot, complete with an adjacent cemetery. On the way up the winding narrow road to the chateua de Bridgeview, we were tailgated and then almost cut off by a driver who needed to desperately pass us on his way to meet his love--the hotel clerk. Needless to say, she wasn't very interested in checking in any customers. The room wasn't much better than the service. We had to walk around in shoes because the carpets hadn't been vacuumed, and the tub had more pubic hairs than the hotel had guests. Sitting on the chairs in the room required the use of towels, since the cushions were so badly stained. All in all, the only good thing about staying here was their Continental Breakfast. With an assortment of bagels, english muffins, fruits and cereals, there's enough of a variety to please even the pickiest of early risers. The coffee was fresh and the milk wasn't sour, so I guess they get stars for something. Lo and behold, though, our stay was soured even further. Between exiting our room and taking the stairs to the main level, we had to navigate through young kids running wildly in the halls. Apparently they were the children of one, if not both, of the female room attendants we saw that morning.