I’m so excited to share today’s travel post with you. So many of you reached out about this trip and wanted to know more so here we go! If you have been following along on instagram, you know that I recently took a trip in October to Colorado and Utah. Well today I will be sharing my stay at The Broadmoor and its wilderness properties in beautiful Colorado Springs.
Also, just a heads up that if you didn’t catch it on my Instagram stories or posts – I saved a highlights for each spot on my profile – here, here and here.
Lucky for those of you in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Colorado Springs is only a quick 1.5 hour flight away. It is also a reasonable road trip if you are not comfortable flying right now. It was my first time staying in the Colorado Springs area and I was so impressed with how easy it was to get to and also, how close The Broadmoor is to the airport (just a 20 minute Uber or car ride).
This was also my first time at the property as it’s been on my list for awhile now. I am in love with their sister property on the East Coast, Sea Island and The Broadmoor was absolutely everything I imagined out West and more. From its history to impeccable customer service, no detail is missed.
We started by checking in at the main resort and were greeted by the hotel’s assistant manager, Alan, who set the hospitality expectations high for this trip! Afterward, we had a quick lunch at The Grille overlooking the 18th at the picturesque golf course. This was just enough time to recharge following our morning flight and fuel up for what was next.
CLOUD CAMP
For the first part of our stay, we were headed to Cloud Camp, a one of a kind wilderness experience at 9200+ feet on the top of Cheyenne Mountain. By now, you probably know how much I love this magical place. It completely stole our hearts – from the mule ride up to the hike down, yoga and stargazing hot tubs, award-winning dining & s’mores -it’s a luxury wilderness experience like no other that is truly like camp for adults and a perfect fit for yours truly!
Yes, mule rides up! I had some of you ask if this was the only way up. However, you also have the option to take the Broadmoor Escalades all the way to the top or you can stop about half way at the mule stables where you can hitch a ride the rest of the way – which I highly recommend.
The fall weather was absolutely perfect and we were guided by the fabulous Alicia up to the top. Truth be told, my mule Binxton was a lot larger than I expected (essentially the size of a horse) but he was my new best friend by the end. It was such a memorable experience up the private road with gorgeous mountain views and stunning fall foliage. The ride takes about 45 minutes or so and our luggage was sent up in the car awaiting our arrival. Also awaiting our arrival was Lisa, Cloud Camp’s incredible manager, who gave us a tour of the property before we headed to our own cabin.
I found this MAP of Cloud Camp super helpful to get an idea of what it’s like there.
We stayed in the one bedroom Mount Rosa cabin with a loft which was lovely and perfect for social distancing these days plus it was near some of the outdoor hot tubs! (You can see a full tour of our cabin HERE.) We were greeted in our cabin with a bottle of red wine and wellness kits with hand sanitizers and wipes – such a nice touch these days and much appreciated.
For other accommodation options, they have rooms in the main lodge as well as different sized cabins plus the Fire Tower Suite.
Additionally, what is also so wonderful about Cloud Camp is that it’s an all-inclusive experience – meaning that your rate includes just about everything during your stay. All your meals, snacks, drinks, transportation and an abundance of activities. It’s really incredible and well worth the expense in my opinion.
During our stay we enjoyed the evening cooking club which is a tradition there as well cocktails on the deck overlooking Colorado Springs. Dinner each evening is a delicious 4-5 course meal (come hungry! there are many surprise courses & options!) in the gorgeous lodge dining room near the fireplace. Meals are served at set times and it’s such a perfect spot to meet other guests. Typically, everyone is at one big table but due to COVID, they separated everyone by party, however, it’s still a really welcoming and safe atmosphere.
There is a flag ceremony each evening and s’mores by the fire after dinner. We enjoyed early morning yoga with Allie, gorgeous outdoor hot tubs in the woods for stargazing after dinner, guided hikes with Kate and of course, the mule ride. A note about the hot tubs because I receive some questions – they are open for everyone to use, we just “hiked” down in our robes from our cabin nearby and right now, they require a reservation so it’s private and all set up for you complete with fresh towels and bottled waters (bring your wine, if you’d like!).
This place is the perfect spot to disconnect some and enjoy the outdoors (no TV’s but don’t worry, there’s wifi and cell service!) . It would be such a nice choice for a honeymoon, babymoon, anniversary trip or a couples trip too. I seriously cannot wait for our next stay and I highly recommend the mule ride UP and guided hike DOWN scenario (send the bags!).
Every moment is taken care of, carefully planned and is luxury service at its finest. The other item to note about CC is that it’s a seasonal experience so it typically opens in April or May and will close up sometime in October pending the weather. However, they do have the option to book the entire property for the holidays – how amazing would a family Thanksgiving or Christmas be at CC? What a dream!
After our hike back down to the main resort – we grabbed lunch outside on the lake at The Hotel Bar and then Ashleigh happily helped us check into our next wilderness experience – The Ranch at Emerald Valley.
THE RANCH AT EMERALD VALLEY
Just like Cloud Camp, the beautiful Ranch at Emerald Valley is also all-inclusive and full of so much to do – a true luxury ranch experience. It would be the perfect place to take your kids or for a family reunion (which they host plenty of!). It sits at about 8400 feet in the heart of the Pike National Forest. For transportation, the Broadmoor fleets also take you to and from this special secluded place.
The Ranch’s friendly manager, Craig, greeted us with Fall sweets (gluten free for me!) and a welcoming tour. We had arrived just in time for happy hour (which we are told is all the time!). This MAP was also helpful in getting to know the property.
I was so impressed again here with the staff and level of service – nothing like it. The Ranch at Emerald Valley also has a main lodge with a bar and dining room along with a porch and camp fires outside.
We stayed in the Fir Cabin, which was right next to the main lodge and near the lakes. The historic cabin had heated floors and its own fireplace – and we certainly needed it as we woke up to 30-something degrees (you can also see more of our cabin HERE). Both Cloud Camp and The Ranch at Emerald Valley really cool off in the evenings and mornings so packing layers is highly recommended.
We spent the afternoon with a fly fishing lesson (my first time!) and then fly fishing at our leisure with cocktails. They have so many activities to choose from – horseback riding on autumn trails, archery, hiking on trails of all levels, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, lawn games, horse shoes, outdoor hot tubs and more. There is lots to do for kids too and it’s a very family friendly spot.
Everything at the Ranch is very laid back, on “mountain time”, as they like to say. Before dinner we enjoyed hot toddy’s outside followed by a delicious meal – lobster for me! They also have delicious s’more kits for the lodge fires but we opted for extra wine outside instead.
Oh yes, and I’d be doing you a disservice if I failed to mention the Cowboy Coffee! One of my favorite things about the REV was this coffee! It’s made with love and mud and starts flowing by the fire early in the morning. It was so delicious that I even took one to-go for our fall hike one morning and fishing. Be sure to try a cup (or two!).
On the morning we left, we took a quick trail hike through the forest full of Aspen trees and other fall foliage with mountains and creeks all around. At the end of our hike, we decided to canoe across the lake back to the lodge. It was seriously the most perfect morning and activities like this are what make this place so special. There was one else around and all of the activities there are mainly outdoors and most importantly, felt very safe right now.
Just like CC, REV has a seasonality to it due to the seasons so it typically will close for a few months by Halloween each year. Also, fun fact – if you’re up for it, you could actually hike from CC to REV too!
THE BROADMOOR SPA AND SOUTHLAKE SUITES
For our last night at The Broadmoor, we stayed at the main resort and checked into a Southlake Suite with lake views and a lovely patio. The suite was gorgeous with a fireplace, a bathroom full of monogrammed “B” towels (perfect for me!), a living room and separate bedroom. The Southlake Suites are also separate from the larger hotel towers so it felt very private and quiet.
While golf is a main activity at the BM – so is the Broadmoor Spa, which was divine with mountain view relaxation rooms and I checked myself in. It was truly the perfect way to relax and spend the afternoon after all of our many activities at CC and REV. This was my first facial after a long hiatus and I opted for the Legacy Facial along with dermaplaning with Ashleigh – complete with a fresh mask at the end. I left with glowing and bright skin. Masks were required in all areas of the spa as well.
After the spa, we headed to dinner at La Taverne, the Broadmoor’s legendary steakhouse. We ordered oysters (east coast and west coast) with champagne, the tuna appetizer, steak and dessert with a port tasting. Our waiter, Aaron, was so helpful in picking our menu items and like everywhere at the Broadmoor, so welcoming and hospitable.
Another item I found really interesting was all the wine on display in the hallways outside the restaurant. Being the wine nerds we are, we enjoyed seeing all the old empty bottles from all over the world that were stored there during prohibition.
The next morning we had breakfast in the Lake Terrace Dining Room (gluten free avocado toast for me!). I also have to say that if you have any food allergies, I found all of the experiences to be extremely accommodating with many suitable options.
After breakfast, we headed out on the road to Aspen for the weekend and then onto Moab, Utah to check two new national parks off our list.
The Broadmoor absolutely blew me away – each 5 star experience was one-of-a-kind and I found that there is something for everyone. They have also done quite an excellent job with COVID pre-cautions and a “B” safe motto – masks are required indoors, around others and everything is set up to be socially distant and safe without losing its hospitality, charm and famous service.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you’re planning a trip too!
I think it would be so fun to stay at the BM with kids in the summertime with their pools or holidays with all their decorations. And if you want my recommendation, if you have kids, I think it would be so nice to bring them (+grandparents or an aunt like me) to the resort and then sneak away for a night at Cloud Camp too!
Special thank you to The Broadmoor and their team for an incredible stay this fall!
