Manitou Springs, Colorado, is a small town of approximately 5,000 people located 4 miles west of Colorado Springs. The town is at the base of Pikes Peak and is named for the two dozen mineral springs in the area. The arrival of the railroad in 1881 accelerated the town's growth and tourist trade, resulting in the need for hotels and other lodging. Manitou Springs continues to draw tourists, and some of its old hotel buildings still stand today.
The Cliff House at Pikes Peak is in Manitou Springs and was built in 1873, several years before Colorado became a state. Some of the notable guests in the hotel's history include Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Dickens. The hotel's 54 rooms are decorated in late-1800s style and the 17 suites are each named for one of the hotel's famous guests. The hotel is about a mile from the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which takes visitors to the summit of Pikes Peak, and less than a mile from the Miramont Castle Museum, which offers education and exhibits about Manitou Springs history and the Victorian era. There is one restaurant and one lounge at the hotel and both have access to the 700 wines in the hotel wine cellar. The Cliff House Dining Room serves American cuisine, such as steak and seafood, while the Red Mountain Bar and Grill offers choices such as pizza and chicken wings. The Cliff House Veranda is open during warm weather and serves food from the Cliff House Dining Room menu.
Antlers Hilton Colorado Springs is in downtown Colorado Springs, about 6 miles east of Manitou Springs. The hotel is a block east of Tejon Street, a primary downtown thoroughfare that has bars such as the Irish pub Jack Quinn's, and dining options such as the Mexican restaurant Jose Muldoon's. The hotel is also adjacent to Judge Baldwin's, a microbrewery that has live music on weekends. The Pikes Peak Center, which has concerts from national recording acts, is less than a mile away. The hotel is near local attractions including the Garden of the Gods, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which are all less than 6 miles away. There are 292 rooms at the Hilton and some have mountain views. The Antlers Grille is on-site and is open for breakfast daily, as is the Hilton's coffee shop, the Mocha Bean. Guests can use the indoor pool or fitness center and some pets are welcome at the hotel for an additional fee.
Located approximately 10 miles southeast of Manitou Springs in Colorado Springs and less than 4 miles from the downtown clubs and restaurants, the Cheyenne Mountain Resort offers views of the Rocky Mountains and has an 18-hole championship golf course. The course is set near a 35-acre lake that guests can use for sailing, swimming and bumper boating if the weather permits. The resort also has 18 tennis courts, squash and racquetball courts, an indoor/outdoor aquatic center for swimming, and a recreation center that offers day and evening yoga and fitness classes. Hiking, biking and jogging trails are also nearby. There are 316 rooms and suites at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, each with a private balcony or patio. The resort has three restaurants on-site, including the Mountain View Restaurant, which serves cuisine that the resort calls Colorado fusion, featuring dishes such as buffalo ribs with mushroom salsa and chipotle yams or stuffed poblano chilies.
