Colorado is America's great mountain state. More than fifty peaks rise above 14,000 feet, and its ski towns, from Aspen and Vail to Telluride and Breckenridge, are some of the most famous in the world. But the Colorado Rockies are just as memorable in summer, when the wildflowers bloom, the aspens shimmer and the trails lead up to high lakes and passes, and in autumn, when whole mountainsides turn gold.
The state's mountain hotels are as varied as its landscapes: five-star ski-in ski-out hotels, a Victorian landmark in the heart of Aspen, a restored ghost town with natural hot springs, a cowboy guest ranch and the hotel that inspired The Shining. These are the 18 Colorado mountain hotels in our collection.
The best mountain hotels in Colorado at a glance
- Best for ski-in ski-out luxury in Aspen: The Little Nell
- Best grand log lodge: The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
- Best for families in Breckenridge: One Ski Hill Place
- Best value ski hotel: Limelight Hotel Snowmass
- Best for history: Hotel Jerome
- Best for hot springs: Dunton Hot Springs
- Best for a cowboy adventure: Vista Verde Ranch
- Best for a grand resort: The Broadmoor
- Best on a budget: Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs
Aspen and Snowmass
1. The Little Nell, Aspen
Best for: skiers, food and wine lovers and couples
The Little Nell is Aspen's only five-star, ski-in ski-out hotel, set at the foot of Aspen Mountain beside the Silver Queen Gondola. With 92 rooms and suites, many with fireplaces and balconies, world-class food and wine and impeccable service, it is the hub of Aspen's glamorous après-ski scene. Read our review of The Little Nell.
2. Hotel Jerome, Aspen
Best for: couples, food and drink lovers and anyone who loves historic hotels
Built in 1889 during Colorado's silver boom, Hotel Jerome is the most characterful luxury hotel in Aspen, its red-brick and sandstone façade watching over Main Street. It is not ski-in ski-out, but it is the beating heart of town, and its J-Bar is an Aspen institution. Read our review of Hotel Jerome.
3. Viceroy Snowmass, Snowmass
Best for: families and groups who want space and slopeside access
Viceroy Snowmass is the most polished ski-in ski-out address on Snowmass Mountain, its two towers rising beside the Elk Camp Gondola in Base Village. Studios and residences of up to four bedrooms have full kitchens and fireplaces, and there is a slopeside heated pool and a large spa. Read our review of Viceroy Snowmass.
4. Limelight Hotel Snowmass, Snowmass
Best for: families, groups of friends and dog owners
The most fun place to stay on Snowmass Mountain, the Limelight sits right beside the Elk Camp Gondola and an outdoor ice rink. Breakfast is included, a climbing wall wraps the façade, and the lively lounge serves wood-fired pizza and live music, at prices well below most slopeside hotels in the Aspen area. Read our review of Limelight Hotel Snowmass.
Vail and Beaver Creek
5. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek
Best for: couples, families and anyone who dreams of a grand log lodge
Built from massive timber beams and stone in the spirit of the great national park lodges, Bachelor Gulch is the grandest ski lodge in Colorado, with its own ski-in ski-out access on Beaver Creek Mountain. Wood fires crackle in the soaring Great Room, and the spa has a candlelit grotto. Read our review of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch.
6. The Osprey at Beaver Creek, Beaver Creek
Best for: couples and keen skiers
The Osprey may be the closest you can sleep to a chairlift in North America: the Strawberry Park Express is about 26 feet from its ski valet. With just 45 rooms, a heated pool deck and a fireside bar, it is the most stylish small hotel in Beaver Creek. Read our review of The Osprey at Beaver Creek.
7. Four Seasons Resort Vail, Vail
Best for: couples and families who want five-star service and a superb pool
Between Vail Village and Lionshead, the Four Seasons has spacious rooms with stone fireplaces, a heated outdoor pool looking up at Vail Mountain and a spa with 13 treatment rooms. It is not ski-in ski-out, but the ski concierge and the nearby gondola make mornings effortless. Read our review of Four Seasons Resort Vail.
8. The Sonnenalp, Vail
Best for: families, couples and loyal returning guests
The Faessler family opened their first Sonnenalp in the Bavarian Alps in 1919, and their Vail hotel brings the same warm, Bavarian-style hospitality to the heart of Vail Village, with a spa of 27 treatment rooms and a supervised kids' club. The lifts are about four minutes' walk away. Read our review of The Sonnenalp.
9. The Arrabelle at Vail Square, Vail
Best for: couples and families who want the gondola on their doorstep
With its painted façades, clock tower and gabled roofs, The Arrabelle looks as though it has been lifted from an Austrian town square. It has just 62 rooms, a rooftop pool with mountain views and one of the best ski valets in Vail, steps from the Eagle Bahn Gondola, and the square becomes an ice rink in winter. Read our review of The Arrabelle at Vail Square.
Breckenridge
10. One Ski Hill Place, Breckenridge
Best for: families and groups who want ski-in ski-out residences
Right at the base of Peak 8, the heart of Breckenridge's ski area, One Ski Hill Place has spacious condominiums with kitchens and stone fireplaces, pools and hot tubs, and even a private two-lane bowling alley, making it one of the best family ski hotels in Colorado. Read our review of One Ski Hill Place.
11. Gravity Haus Breckenridge, Breckenridge
Best for: active couples, groups of friends and design lovers
The coolest place to stay in Breckenridge combines a modern take on the Swiss chalet with onsen-style hot tubs, a sauna and cold plunge, a serious gym and a coffee bar that locals queue for. It is dog-friendly, a short walk from the lifts and Main Street, and excellent value. Read our review of Gravity Haus Breckenridge.
Telluride and the San Juan Mountains
12. Madeline Hotel & Residences, Telluride
Best for: families, groups and summer festival-goers
Telluride may be the most spectacularly situated ski town in North America, a Victorian mining town in a box canyon ringed by 13,000-foot peaks. The Madeline, an Auberge resort in Mountain Village, has ski-in ski-out access, an outdoor pool and a free gondola down to town. Read our review of Madeline Hotel & Residences.
13. Dunton Hot Springs, San Juan Mountains
Best for: couples, small groups and wellness seekers
Founded in 1885 and abandoned by around 1918, the mining town of Dunton has been restored, cabin by cabin, into one of the most original hotels in North America, with hand-hewn log cabins and natural hot springs at the end of a dirt road deep in the San Juans. Read our review of Dunton Hot Springs.
14. Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs, Ouray
Best for: couples, road-trippers and ice climbers on a budget
In Ouray, the little Victorian mining town known as the Switzerland of America, this friendly lodge keeps a secret behind the building: four redwood hot spring tubs terraced up the mountainside, reserved for guests alone. Soaking under the stars with the San Juans all around is one of Colorado's great simple pleasures. Read our review of Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs.
Beyond the big resorts
15. Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge, Crested Butte
Best for: powder skiers and groups booking a whole lodge
In Crested Butte, often called Colorado's last great ski town, Eleven's historic lodge pairs guided cat skiing at Irwin with a rooftop hot tub and chef-prepared meals. In winter it is usually booked as a whole lodge, making it one of the most exclusive ski stays in North America. Read our review of Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge.
16. Vista Verde Ranch, Steamboat Springs
Best for: couples, families and anyone dreaming of a cowboy adventure
Hidden in a high valley north of Steamboat Springs, this all-inclusive guest ranch has just a dozen log cabins, each with a wood stove or fireplace and a private hot tub on the deck. Days are spent on horseback, on cross-country skis or in a horse-drawn sleigh. Read our review of Vista Verde Ranch.
17. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park
Best for: film fans, history lovers and visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park
Built in 1909 above Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, The Stanley inspired Stephen King to write The Shining after a stay in Room 217 in 1974. It runs daily ghost tours, and it is an affordable base for the park's trails. Read our review of The Stanley Hotel.
18. The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
Best for: families, golfers and food lovers
A pink Italianate palace beside a lake at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain, The Broadmoor opened in 1918 and is the only property in the world to have held a Forbes Five-Star rating every year since 1960, with golf, a five-star spa and its own wilderness retreats. Read our review of The Broadmoor.
When to go to Colorado's mountains
The ski season usually runs from late November to early April, with the most reliable snow from January to March. Christmas, New Year, Presidents' Day weekend in February and spring break in March are the busiest and most expensive weeks, while early December and late March offer better value. Summer, from June to September, brings hiking, festivals in Aspen and Telluride and wildflowers in the high country, and late September is the season of golden aspens, one of the most beautiful times of year in the Rockies.
How to plan a trip to Colorado's mountains
Denver International is the main gateway: Breckenridge is about two hours away, and Vail and Beaver Creek two to three hours, depending on traffic and weather on the I-70. For Aspen, Vail and Telluride, flying into the local airports, Aspen/Pitkin County, Eagle County and Telluride or Montrose, saves hours on the road. For help choosing a resort, see our guides to Colorado's big ski resorts compared and Aspen's four ski mountains, or read about the best ski-in ski-out hotels in North America. Explore all our hotels in Colorado.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best mountain hotels in Colorado?
Our favourites include The Little Nell and Hotel Jerome in Aspen, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch and The Osprey in Beaver Creek, Four Seasons Vail, One Ski Hill Place in Breckenridge, Madeline in Telluride, Dunton Hot Springs, Vista Verde Ranch and The Broadmoor.
Which Colorado hotels are ski-in ski-out?
The Little Nell, Viceroy Snowmass, Limelight Hotel Snowmass, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, The Osprey at Beaver Creek, One Ski Hill Place and Madeline in Telluride all have ski-in ski-out access.
Where can I stay in Colorado on a budget?
Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs in Ouray, The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and Gravity Haus Breckenridge are among the best-value stays in our collection.
When is the best time to visit Colorado's mountains?
January to March for skiing, June to September for hiking and festivals, and late September for golden aspens.
