The breathtaking scenery of the surrounding Rocky Mountains and world-class skiing make Colorado a prime tourist destination. Whether its skiing, snowboarding, fishing, whitewater rafting or mountain biking, Colorado offers every outdoor activity imaginable. For those looking for a more relaxing vacation, Colorado also offers shopping, casinos, scenic trains and natural hot springs. Visitors to Colorado can choose to stay in one of many Colorado historic hotels. These historic Colorado hotels combined with Old West charm, a breathtaking backdrop, top notch hospitality and rich histories make them a vacation in themselves.
Hotel Colorado, located in Glenwood Springs, opened in 1893. It served as a meeting place of the wealthy, with one of the first European style spas in Colorado. It also served as a temporary home to President Theodore Roosevelt during a three-week bear hunting expedition. Tradition has it that the hotel is the birthplace of the teddy bear. After President Roosevelt had an unsuccessful day of hunting, hotel maids presented a stuffed bear pieced together with scraps of cloth to him.
Castle Marne is one of Denver's grandest historic mansions. Located in the Wyman Historic district, Castle Marne was built in 1889 by William Lang. Each room combines Old West elegance, Victorian charm and modern day conveniences. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with original cherry paneling and original Lincrusta wallpaper from England. The Parlor boasts a magnificent mahogany fireplace with dolphin carvings, as well as a baby grand piano. At check-in, a full afternoon tea is served to guests in the Parlor. Weddings, honeymoons, business meetings and other special events become memorable events when hosted at Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast.
Hotel Boulderado is located in the downtown historic district of the city it was named after, Boulder, Colorado. Boulder's first luxury hotel is surrounded by the peaks of the Rocky Mountains as well as restaurants and places to shop. The five-story Italianate brick building was funded by a stock subscription service at a cost of $131,664. It was opened on New Year's Day 1909 to instant success. The lobby features a stained glass ceiling, and there are antique and reproduction-style furnishings throughout. The hotel is charmingly antiquated, but has all the modern conveniences of today. Each room contains a flat-screen TV and high-speed wireless Internet access. Hotel Boulderado has 160 guestrooms and over 10,000 square feet of meeting and wedding space. On site is Q's Restaurant, offering American contemporary cuisine and the Corner Bar.
The Broadmoor Hotel, located in Colorado Springs, was purchased by Spencer Penrose in 1916. Penrose, with a vision to create the most beautiful resort in the world, teamed up with his wife and a team of architects, designers and European artisans. The result is an exquisitely crafted Italian resort with a curved marble staircase, chandeliers, ornate moldings, hand-painted beams and ceilings, and a carved marble fountain. All three golf courses at The Broadmoor Hotel were designed by famed golf-course architects. In 1995, the hotel opened The Broadmoor Spa, Golf and Tennis Club, which offered a full-service spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, a golf clubhouse, three restaurants, and golf and tennis pro shops. During the summer visitors can relax under the sun or in the shade of the cabanas. They can also take a dip in the 11,000 square-foot swimming pool with water slides, and then take a dip in one of two 14-person whirlpools. Eight presidents and many celebrities, including John Wayne, Clark Gable and Elton John, have visited the hotel.
Surrounded by the 14,000-foot San Juan Mountains in Telluride, Colorado, the New Sheridan Hotel was built only four years after Telluride was founded. The hotel was built in 1881, during the San Juan Mountain gold rush, to accommodate the increasing number of prospectors and profiteers of the growing mining town. Destroyed by a fire in 1894, the new hotel was built in brick, next door to the burnt lot. As the town of Telluride evolves, so does the hotel. The hotel contains 26 recently renovated rooms along with the Historic New Sheridan Bar, the Chop House restaurant and the Parlor Cafe.
