The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
It’s been just over five years since a new hotel opened in Breckenridge (the last one being Gravity Haus in December 2019), but the drought has finally ended. Hotel Alpenrock, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, debuted in January, making it the portfolio’s first property at a major ski resort.
The 205-room hotel (near the base of Peak 9) is the result of a two-year renovation of the former DoubleTree. And although it’s the collection’s first foray into slopeside luxury lodging, its design blends seamlessly with Breckenridge’s atmosphere, thanks to large-scale ski photographs on the walls, carpets patterned after topographic maps, gondola-shaped light fixtures, and reception desks designed to look like granite boulders.
If you’re planning a visit before ski season ends—or looking ahead to summer vacation—follow these five tips to make the most of your stay.
1. Splurge for a suite.
Whether you’re driving up from Denver or flying in from the lowlands, you’re likely going to be lugging a whole bunch of stuff. Hotel Alpenrock was wisely designed with that truth in mind: All of the rooms feature king beds—an homage, the team says, to Breck being called “Colorado’s Kingdom” when it was left off of maps in the mid-1800s—and ample space to spread out your gear to dry, including plenty of coat hooks. But to really give in to creature comforts, we suggest reserving one of the property’s 24 suites (rates start at $421 per night). They’re decked out with kitchenettes, dining tables, sitting areas, and soaking tubs.
2. Bring your kids along.
Hotel Alpenrock takes some of the stress out of traveling as a pack. Not only are the rooms sizable, but there’s a hot cocoa bar in the lobby on Thursday afternoons, s’mores on the weekends, board games in the lobby (which you can enjoy while you read a book by the two-sided glass fireplace), two sizable whirlpool hot tubs (best visited midday when the skiers are still on the slopes), and a slopeside ski (and bike) valet, so you won’t have the little ones stopping every two seconds to drop their gear on the ground during the five-minute walk to the Quicksilver Super Chair.
There’s also a woodland creature ready to lead little ones on a number of adventures: Kids can call the Magical Moose Hotline to hear a bedtime story; nosh on a moose cupcake at the main restaurant; and, this summer, follow a moose track scavenger hunt. (A moose plush toy may just find its way into their suitcase at the end of their stay.)
3. And your dog, too.
Dogs and mountains are the perfect pairing. Hotel Alpenrock gets that, which is why even pups (who require a $75 fee) get special treatment. At check-in, your pooch will receive a doggie bag filled with treats and waste disposal bags (leave no trace!). After a day spent playing in the snow and strolling down Main Street, Fido can curl up on a Pendleton bed to catch some z’s. The hotel even provides Yeti dog bowls, and an outdoor dog-wash station will be available this summer for when you can’t convince your golden to stay out of the snowmelt.
4. Don’t skip the hotel restaurants.
Hotel Alpenrock offers four on-site dining concepts, so you can spend more time adventuring and less time figuring out where to enjoy your next meal or cocktail. Before you hit the hill, grab a latte and a fresh-baked pastry from the coffee bar. Be sure to swing by the grab-and-go food station near the front desk to stuff a snack in your shell. Aprés ski, sidle up to the fireside bar at the Carter for a warming bowl of elk green chile, or try the sourdough pizzas and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts with bourbon-balsamic glaze at Edwin. Fun fact: The two concepts are named after Edwin Carter, a local gold prospector turned naturalist. (The hotel can arrange a private, docent-led tour of the Edwin Carter Museum in town for those who want to learn more.)
5. Enjoy a nightcap based on your personality at Breck’s first speakeasy.
Breckenridge has never been much of a cocktail town, but that’s changing with the introduction of Canary. The adults-only, tin-ceilinged speakeasy—Breckenridge’s first—inside Hotel Alpenrock is all about bespoke drinks. So even though there is a menu of classic cocktails, beer, and wine, we recommend leaving your fate in the bartenders’ hands. Share your favorite spirit and the sympathetic flavors you lean toward (for bourbon, that might be peach or ginger, for example), and let them whip up a concoction that’s a perfect match. In our case, that was a nonalcoholic tipple with pineapple, ginger, and thyme.
