7 Most Luxurious Boulder Resorts

Valet, fine linens, plush bathrobes, beds that feel like clouds, pristine service. If you know where to stay, your hotel room can be a highlight of your vacation.

Sure, many travelers come to Colorado for its camping. But sometimes, you don’t want to lie on a rocky floor in a sleeping bag and dig a hole to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, you want to go all out. You know, treat yourself.

In that case, here’s where you want to stay.

Here are the seven most luxurious places to stay in Boulder, Colorado.

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1. Hotel Boulderado

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The Boulderado is one of the most memorable ways to spoil yourself in Boulder. This historic, landmark hotel is located in quite possibly the best location in downtown, steps from the Pearl Street Mall, the Boulder Theater and some of the city’s finest dining.

Step inside this glamorous building and you’ll immediately be transported to another era; the Victorian-inspired decor melts with modern amenities to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Rooms come standard with an evening turn-down and newspaper during weekdays. For added luxury, ask about the limo or town car service. The hotel offers multiple electric car-charging stations and takes great strides to be environmentally friendly.

Even though it is steps from award-winning restaurants, the Boulderado also has its own great dining and bars on site, including a sultry, speakeasy-style bar in the basement called License No. 1. This bar has an important history, too; it was one of the first bars in town to get its license to serve alcohol in 1969 after the Prohibition ended.

The Hotel Boulderado dates back to New Year’s Day 1909, when Boulder was just emerging from being a cowtown. In honor of its opening day, the Boulderado holds an annual New Year’s bash that’s one of the most exciting in the area.

The tall brick building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and over the years, it has put up a handful of famous folks, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Helen Keller, Robert Frost and a long list of celebrities.

Local tips: Dine at the on-site Spruce Bar. The lobby is also a lovely community gathering place, where you can grab a cup of Boxcar Coffee, snacks and cocktails. Find a workstation and tap into the free wifi to caffeinate and catch up on work in one of the most beautiful buildings in Boulder.

Also, for an extra special and intimate night, ask about the Pine Street Guesthouse Suites, located off-site but nearby, and still managed by the Boulderado. Choose from several different, elegant suites, equipped with the likes of granite countertops, kitchens and separate living room space.

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2. St Julien

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The St Julien Hotel & Spa in downtown Boulder has earned an impressive resume as one of the top resorts in Colorado.

It’s Boulder’s only AAA Four-Diamond, Forbes Travel Guide Four Star Hotel. It’s a distinguished member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts LVX Collection. Condé Nast Traveler named the St Julien one of the 25 Top Hotels in the West (the only hotel in Boulder on the list).

But the honors don’t stiffen up the place. The St Julien is sophisticated but without the attitude. It brings guests the finer offerings of travel in a relaxed, unpretentious way. You know, just like Boulder.

The elegance and contemporary luxury of this resort is unmatched. The St Julien features 201 rooms, including two-room suites. All rooms come with large bathrooms with slate floors, DirecTV (even HBO and the NFL Ticket) and Italian linens. And of course, a robe and slippers.

The award-winning, 10,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility includes a 50-foot, indoor pool and hot tub, plus 12 treatment rooms, a full-service salon and a boutique.

Local tip: Some of the spa treatments are made out of products grown in the St Julien’s own herb garden.  

Even though it’s a block off Pearl Street and walking distance to a seemingly endless list of great restaurants, you can also dine on site at Jill’s (French and American food; also has amazing brunch and vegan food), share a tea Saturday afternoons and say cheers at the T-Zero Martini Bar later in the day.

You can see Boulder in the rotating locally made artwork on the walls, hear it in the live music in the lobby and experience Boulder in a handful of only-in-Boulder packages. Ask about packages that allow you to build your own itinerary, from a guided photography hike to outdoor education courses.

Also in Boulder style, this locally owned hotel also employs green initiatives to minimize waste and reduce the imprint on the environment.

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3. Homewood Suites by Hilton

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While Homewood Suites by Hilton isn’t a luxury hotel, per se, it’s one of Boulder’s finer, upscale places to crash for an extended visit in Boulder.

All newly renovated rooms here are suites (one- or two-bedroom), with fully-equipped kitchens (even full-size refrigerators), plus guests get a full, hot breakfast every day and evening socials Mondays through Thursdays. You’ll find high-end features, like granite countertops, soft linens, fluffy pillows and multiple TVs with HBO, ESPN and more. Rooms feel more like an apartment than a hotel.  

Some rooms include a wood-burning fireplace.

Work up a sweat in the fitness center and then relax in the outdoor pool, with a great view of the mountain range.

And Homewood Suites offers some unique features, for an extended-stay hotel. Too busy to get groceries? Homewood offers a grocery shopping service. Don’t want to deal with Boulder’s increasingly awful traffic? Take the free shuttle to downtown.

Homewood Suites received TripAdvisor’s 2016 Certificate of Excellence.

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4. Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast

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The Briar Rose is not your traditional, luxurious resort. This is how to do luxury, Boulder style. This B&B classifies itself as “eco-luxe.”

The Briar Rose, located in central Boulder, is a stunning Victorian mansion transformed into a romantic getaway, inspired by both vintage decor and zen influence.

In fact, one of the innkeepers here is a Zen monk. You will feel that energy and peacefulness when you walk through the door.

It’s the details that make the Briar Rose the next level up: full-service, homemade, organic breakfast every morning (in the dining room or delivered to your room); unlimited fine, loose-leaf tea and fresh-baked shortbread butter cookie service all day long; fresh, filtered water from Boulder’s own glacier, Arapahoe Glacier; and service driven by mindfulness and kindness.

Staff here serves as a personalized, super-concierge, eager to call you a cab, make dinner reservations and tend to every tiny detail, such as placing flowers on your tea tray and adorning the property with cheerful flower arrangements.  

Stroll through the flower-filled gardens, sit by the wood fireplace, center yourself in the meditation room and read a book on the sun porch.

The Briar Rose offers 10 guest rooms, each decorated and set up just a little differently. You may find a fireplace, private hot tub, antique furniture, a sitting area, mountain views, writing desks, a rain shower, pedestal sink or hand-painted art on the walls.

On the green side, the Briar Rose uses only organic cotton sheets and towels and all bath products are eco-friendly. Cleaning products are environmentally friendly and they recycle and compost whenever possible.

The Briar Rose claims to be the only inn in Boulder that belongs to and is inspected by the Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers of Colorado, and it’s also involved with the Green Hotels Association and the Boulder Hotel and Motel Association.

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5. Hyatt Place Boulder

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The Hyatt Place is an ideal place to stay if you enjoy the fine details that are expected in a Hyatt, with a set-up ideal for business travelers.

This hotel is located right on Pearl Street (although east, past the walking mall) in central Boulder.

Although it might not be classified as luxury, the Hyatt Place does feature some amenities that you’d typically only find in a higher-end place.

It features 150 rooms that are 20 percent larger than average hotel rooms, according to Hyatt. Some rooms have lovely views of the Flatiron mountains. Suites come with kitchenettes. All rooms have HDTVs and bathrooms with granite countertops. Also, if you’ve ever slept in a Hyatt Grand Bed, you’ll be happy to know these rooms have them; they’re basically clouds brought down from the sky and tucked into a hotel room.  

In the common area, grab a Starbucks to start your day and a glass of wine to end it.

The hotel also boasts plenty of meeting and event space.

Also, check out the Hyatt House Boulder/Broomfield, not far outside of Boulder in Broomfield, for a sophisticated but relaxed place to crash slightly closer to Denver. The Hyatt House even has an outdoor pool.

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6. Alps Boulder Canyon Inn

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This long-time B&B in Boulder brings the highest class in a mountain setting. It’s like living in a stunning mountain chalet surrounded by nature in the canyon, yet only a short drive from downtown.

The Alps is a AAA, Three-Diamond awarded property offering premium service and amenities. It was also named a three-star property by the Mobil Travel Guide, Preferred Accommodations by Frommer’s and Top of the Town by 5280 Magazine, among other honors.

The building, constructed in the 1870s, is also classified as a historic landmark. It was originally built as one of the state’s very first resorts for people traveling to mining districts.

Although it maintains its historic charm and story, it has been polished and reworked to now offer visitors some of Boulder’s finest accommodations.

The Alps has been hosting travelers in its 12 romantic and unique rooms for nearly 30 years. Each room is decorated differently, but you may find stained-glass windows, antique fireplaces, private whirlpools (double jacuzzi tubs or two-person bubble bath tubs), French doors, private porches, rain showers and designer bath products.

Cozy up by the fireplace in the lobby or in your private room with fresh cookies. Stroll through the gardens or along the nearby Boulder Creek, look for wildlife and enjoy the crisp mountain air. Or ask the concierge to arrange dinner, plan a ski trip to Eldora or book you an entertaining night out.  

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7. Bradley Boulder Inn

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The Bradley Boulder Inn is luxury, on a small and personal scale and right in the heart of downtown.

This luxurious, adults-only B&B offers 12 unique rooms with features such as fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, mountain views, balconies, soaking tubs, fluffy down pillows, original artwork, oversized windows, French doors, flatscreen TVs and designer bath products. All rooms have a private bathroom.

Start the day with delicious breakfast and wrap up the day with a free wine, craft beer and cheese hour. Relax in the great room next to the fire, with a cup of tea and baked goods.

Guests here get free parking (priceless in downtown), health club access, wifi, a business center and more.

Other Luxury Lodging in Boulder 

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Boulder: This hotel is part of Boulder’s new-ish Hiltons on Canyon collection (with its partner hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn). What you get there: two different price points and lodging styles in the same area. This collection opened late 2017.

The Embassy Suites by Hilton is an all-suites hotel (per the name, obviously). In the two-room suites (with a living area and a separate bedroom), you’ll find upscale furnishings, an HDTV, fridge, microwave, coffee maker and more. Upgrade to a studio suite for more space, or request a suite with a balcony view of the Flatirons.

The hotel has an outdoor plaza, a two-story fitness center, Boulder’s biggest ballroom (6,510 square feet) and an on-site bar and restaurant. The Brickstones Kitchen and Bar serves burgers, flatbreads and other indulgent options.

The highlight here: Boulder’s first and only rooftop pool. It’s a saline-based pool, so no stinky chlorine.

Guests also get a complimentary made-to-order breakfast, an evening reception (hello, free wine) and access to some of the amenities at the Hilton Garden Inn nearby.

The Hilton Garden Inn: The Hilton Garden Inn is the slightly more casual (but still upscale) sister of the Embassy Suites by Hilton. You can stay in a regular room here or a one-bedroom suite with a separate living room. Rooms feature local artwork on the walls.

Every room has a mini fridge, HDTV with cable, Keurig coffee maker and microwave, with access to the fitness center, pool and 24-hour business center. In fact, this hotel is ideal for business travelers. Rooms even have ergonomic chairs, and there are great meeting rooms to reserve. Not to mention the decor, which is quirky and cute.

Residence Inn Boulder Canyon Boulevard: The Residence Inn on Canyon, which opened in September ’17, is ideal for extended stays. All rooms have fully equipped kitchens and plenty of space for working. There are two meeting rooms on site, too.

The Residence Inn offers studios and one-bedroom suites, all with separate living room areas. Free hot breakfast is included in your stay, and so are social cocktail hours at the end of the day.

The hotel also has a fitness center, indoor pool, whirlpool and a barbecue and picnic area outside.