Dear Mayor Donaldson and Mr. James Craven,

I am writing to ask for your help in saving the Hotel Monte Vista from total destruction. I'm a frequent visitor to Flagstaff and in the past I've always made it a point to stay at the Monte Vista because it's a historic downtown hotel that's close to restaurants and shops in Flagstaff's nicely restored central core.

So I was very disappointed to discover during my recent stay that this lovely old lady has been turned into an overflow area for the hotel bar. Yes I know I should expect a certain amount of noise at any downtown hotel on a weekend, but conditions at the Monte Vista have now deteriorated to the point that it's not just uncomfortable, it's downright dangerous.

During our first night there, downtown Flagstaff was essentially under the control of a drunken mob that kept the streets in an uproar until nearly 3:00 in the morning. Some sort of assault took place just below our window around 2:00 a.m., and the police were eventually called, but they should have been on the scene hours earlier to prevent chaos.

On Saturday night, there was a noisy party on our floor until midnight. After two trips to the desk, I finally convinced the night manager to ask for quiet, but only after threatening to call the police. The party then moved to the third floor. Bar patrons helped themselves to our "shared" bathroom all night long, screaming and yelling and running up and down the halls until 2:00 in the morning. The night manager never came up to see what was going on, although the party-goers must have passed right by the front desk.

There are two problems here:

1. failure of the police to maintain order in downtown Flagstaff, and
2. hotel management has shirked its responsibility for maintaining basic comfort and safety on the property.

Here's why I think both the City of Flagstaff and the hotel owner need to be concerned. The Hotel Monte Vista is an important cultural and historic resource, and I believe it is a key element in the revival of Flagstaff's downtown core. When I next visit Flagstaff, I WILL NOT be staying at the Monte Vista. And if I'm not staying downtown, it's unlikely that I'll be spending anywhere near as much time and money eating out and shopping downtown, either.

If you think this is a letter from one cranky customer, I suggest you read recent reviews of the Monte Vista at Trip Advisor. Here are headlines from the most recent reviews:

"Worst night of my Life!" Nov 26, 2007 G_NineArizona, Arizona

"Worst Hotel Experience Ever!" Nov 23, 2007 traveladdictaz, arizona

"Truly Haunting experience" Nov 7, 2007 YSL1212, Chandler, Arizona

"Videotape your every movement for evidence in an on site criminal trial" Nov 5, 2007 kkobra, Tempe

"Might as well sleep on the street in front of the bar doors" Nov 4, 2007 AbdulNAiesha, North Phoenix

Pay attention! These are your customers speaking!

I understand the lure of the lucrative combination of college students and alcohol, but I think you need more than a successful bar to keep this hotel — and downtown Flagstaff — a lively, fun and safe place to visit.

They don't make hotels like the Monte Vista anymore. When it's gone, you won't be able to replace it with a building that has anywhere near its native charm and character. Please protect this hotel so the students who are partying there today will feel comfortable returning years from now when they have children, high-stress jobs, mortgages ... and oh by the way ... disposable income!