When a fire forced the evacuation of guests at the Expedition Lodge two weeks ago, help arrived from across the street.
Matt and Jenna Boston, general managers of Murphy’s Resort, opened the doors of the lodge late into the night to house more than two dozen displaced visitors — including a group of junior school students visiting Estes Park for the annual robotics tournament who had been evacuated from the pool area in the cold and wind when the Expedition Lodge’s fire alarm triggered.
The Bostons live on site at Murphy’s Lodge. When firefighters from the Estes Valley Fire Protection District and the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority arrived at the neighboring hotel to fight the two-alarm blaze, Matt Boston walked across the street to see how he could help.
“Matt just went over and asked what they needed,” said Pat Murphy, owner of the 58-room motor lodge. “They had all these school kids who had been in the swimming pool. They had to evacuate, so they were standing outside in their swimsuits, towels in hand. It was cold and windy that night.”
Boston offered rooms to the group and invited them to wait inside Murphy’s Lodge’s community room while staff prepared to check everyone in.
The fire at the Expedition Lodge broke out about 8:30 p.m., and although the front desk at Murphy’s Lodge typically closes at 10 p.m., the Bostons quickly pivoted to help the displaced guests.
Office manager Enrique Rodriguez — who had been preparing to go home on a quiet Friday night — stepped up to stay and assist.
“He said, ‘No, I’m staying. I want to help,’” said Murphy, who was proud of how the Resort’s staff responded.
Inside Murphy’s Lodge, families gathered in the community room while staff organized the process of assigning rooms. Guests were given numbers and checked in in order.
Matt Boston kept guests comfortable while they waited, making popcorn and coffee. Meanwhile, Jenna Boston and Rodriguez managed check-ins at the front desk.
In total, 26 rooms were needed, and the process took roughly two hours to complete.
“They just tried to make everyone as comfortable as possible and get them settled for the night,” said Murphy.
The effort did not go unnoticed. Several of the displaced guests later posted appreciative reviews online, thanking the Murphy’s Lodge staff for their kindness during a stressful situation.
“That’s what caught my attention,” said Murphy. “I read those reviews, and it was very obvious how grateful people were for the way they were treated.”
While the Estes Park lodging community does not maintain a formal network to handle emergencies between hotels, the response that night demonstrated how local hospitality workers can step up when needed.
“There’s enough bad news in the world,” said Murphy. “Sometimes it’s nice to hear about people just helping other people out during a bad time.”
Murphy said other area lodging properties, including the Blue Door Inn, a few doors down from Murphy’s Resort, also offered rooms for displaced guests as the situation unfolded.
For the Bostons and their staff, the response was simple: neighbors helping neighbors — and travelers — when they needed it most.