We stayed two nights at the Far View Lodge in September, which gave us one very full day in the park. I would absolutely stay here again on a return trip to Mesa Verde. Not only was it much more convenient than Cortez or even the camping areas, but also the rooms have been updated recently - new floors, vanity, furniture and paint. There is a small fridge in the room and a balcony to sit on and overlook 30 miles of mesa and watch the sun rise. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a relatively small room in an older national park lodge with creaky floors, but I was pleasantly surprised. And you can’t beat the value. Recommendations: (1) Make lodge reservations early, (2) make a reservation at the restaurant a few days before, (3) get tour tickets online two weeks ahead, (4) stop by the Far View ruin sights before your tour (we were tired by the end of the day), (5) stop by the visitors center and museum. We did Cliff Palace at 11 am and Balcony House at 2 pm. In between, we got lunch across from the museum and visited the museum.