The Design Lovers’ Guide to Colorado Getaways

If you swoon at perfectly designed interiors, and gather ideas for your own home by traveling to fresh locales, these four Colorado hotels belong on your list of worthy (and inspiring) destinations. Bespoke furnishings, calming color palettes, and chic details await your arrival.

Destination: Telluride

The Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection

Colorado’s palette changes with the seasons, but winter and summer vibes coincide at Telluride’s Madeline Hotel, which underwent a $10-million design upgrade in early 2021. “We wanted to create something that felt timeless,” says Liubasha Rose, creative director of Rose Ink Workshop, which oversaw the renovation. “It feels cozy in all seasons.” The vibrant hues of wildflowers inspired the deep blue walls and pops of red and green furniture in the restaurant and lounge area, while custom crown molding in the lobby appears to be sculpted from snow. (Look up: The white detailing in the ceiling beams was informed by ski tracks.) Together with plenty of reclaimed timber, light fixtures made from locally mined quartz, and the great room’s hygge vibes, the main floor exudes the feeling that you’re kicking off your ski boots in a European chalet. (Telluride’s steep slopes sit just beyond the front door.)

That relaxing atmosphere continues in the 83 reimagined guest rooms, where four-poster beds made from ebonized wood are backed by custom-made curtains patterned with woodland animals. Elevated details including emerald-green accents, twig desk chairs, and leather touches courtesy of Telluride’s Crossbow Leather make the spaces feel extra special. But perhaps the best example of the hotel’s mountain-modern aesthetic can be found in the lounge. A sculpted oak bar (built by Loveland’s Genesis Hospitality Corporation) and hand-blown-glass back bar create a dramatic après tableau. Across the way, a plaster relief mural by artist John Opella interprets the topography of the Rockies—which, like the Madeline, inspires all year ’round. Rooms start at $764/night; aubergeresorts.com/madeline

While You’re There

Three can’t-miss spots in and around town.

• Eat: Year-old LittleHouse is a restaurant-meets-deli-meets-bakery that serves scratch-made food for lunch and dinner—and an addicting chocolate cake anytime. littlehouseeats.com
• Play: Rent a cross-country setup at the Telluride Nordic Association and hit the trails at one of the six Nordic ski areas around town; your four-legged friend can tag along on dog-friendly routes at both Priest and Trout lakes.
• Shop: Downtown—take the free gondola down the mountain—is a designated National Historic Landmark District, and many of its Victorian-era buildings are now home to must-visit stores, such as Crossbow Leather and Mixx Projects.

Destination: Silverton

The Wyman Hotel

Silverton, in southwest Colorado, is known for being a rugged, hardy town. But when Shane Fuhrman and Haley Morgan bought a historic red sandstone building on its main drag, their goal was to create a boutique hotel that offered something new to the area. “It’s a very relaxing, calm [area] with huge mountains surrounding us,” Fuhrman says. “To have this warm, clean, soft place to come back to is really nice.”

The Wyman opened in May 2019 after a gut renovation of the 1902 structure. Morgan handled all of the design work and smartly preserved a number of architectural features, including the tin ceiling in the common area and the second-story maple floors (discovered beneath old carpet and linoleum). With help from a local artisan, the duo sourced period-appropriate glass to repair the fish-scale-paned windows above the front doors and had new door trim fabricated so everything would match the original, elaborate wood designs that frame the building’s front rooms.

The 15 guest rooms look like bright jewel boxes, with velvet curtains and bed frames in pastel pinks, sky blues, and rich greens; brushed-brass finishes add a subtle sheen. Groups traveling together will love the just-opened bunk room, a luxurious take on the traditional hostel with 10 extra-long twin beds (built by Loren Lew, a local contractor) that can be booked separately (thank you, blackout curtains) or as one space. Bottom line: The Wyman delivers a distinctly Colorado hotel experience. Rooms start at $210/night; thewyman.com

While You’re There

Three can’t-miss spots in and around town.

• Play: Heli-skiing the steeps at Silverton Mountain is on many an outdoorsperson’s bucket list, but beginners and families will probably feel more at home at Kendall Mountain, where there’s also an ice rink and tubing hill.
• Soak: Nothing screams “après” in Colorado quite like a cold beer and hot springs. Orvis Hot Springs, about 30 miles north of Silverton, is a little slice of paradise amid the scraggly peaks. (Heads up: The venue is clothing optional.)
• Eat & Drink: Avalanche Brewing Company whips up scratch-made pizza, tacos, wraps, and, of course, plentiful pints.

Destination: Colorado Springs

Kinship Landing

As fun and invigorating as travel can be, it also often involves some bumps along the way. That’s why the group behind Kinship Landing—who are experienced world travelers themselves—kept things simple at their year-old hotel, an anchor of downtown Colorado Springs’ revival. It’s “functional design,” says CEO and co-founder Bobby Mikulas, who worked with local Echo Architecture & Interiors on the design. “We wanted things to feel and look and be handmade.”

Upon walking through the front door, guests are immediately greeted by a fresh take on the hotel lobby: a jade-colored bar, hanging chairs, and the Greenhaus, where abundant plants hang from a gabled ceiling. A garage door opens to a patio outfitted with fire pits and a building-size mural by Denver-born artist Zane Prater. Contactless check-in offers weary travelers a break from making small talk. And the seating area for Homa, the on-site cafe and bar, is as much a kitchen table for guests as it is a hangout for locals.

In some of the 34 private guest rooms, custom lofted beds made from knotty alder—and topped with Tuft & Needle mattresses—separate the sleep space from the sit-or-stand desks. Six eight-person bunk rooms and a camping deck, where you can literally pitch a tent while enjoying access to a (heated) private bathroom, are also available. It all jibes with the team’s philosophy for the property—“everything you need and nothing you don’t”—which sounds like a pretty great motto for vacations, too. Rooms start at $49/person for a shared bunk room, and go up to $350/night for a king suite; the camping deck is $89 for a group of up to six; kinshiplanding.com

While You’re There

Three can’t-miss spots in and around town.

• Go: Satisfy your competitive side at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, a tech-savvy, immersive venue where you can up your knowledge for the next trivia night and race an athlete on a 0.1-mile-long track.
• Eat: You can feel extra good about digging into your cup of joe and breakfast sandwich at Switchback Coffee Roasters, which focuses on sustainable sourcing and roasts its beans right in the Springs.
• Shop: Ladyfingers Letterpress is more than a stationery store—though it carries a fabulous collection of cards. Its focus on local and sustainable goods makes customers feel even better about their purchases.

Destination: Denver

Clayton Members Club & Hotel

Cherry Creek North has seen a hotel boom in recent years, but Clayton, which began taking reservations in May, sets itself apart as a combination boutique hotel, members club (think: Soho House), and dining destination. But the best part is that hotel guests have access to all the members-only areas, including the rooftop pool, coworking space, fitness center, library (stocked by Tattered Cover Book Store), and two private restaurants. (Two other on-site eateries, Of A Kind and OAK Market, are open to the public, too.)

Colorado’s rich history influenced much of the design by New York–based firm AvroKO. The custom lobby fireplace took its cues from the gold and minerals discovered here, and Of A Kind restaurant’s ceiling evokes the Denver sky. Oak is a consistent theme throughout the building, providing a light, airy quality even as the wood nods to old-timey cabins. Brushed-brass light fixtures add a luxurious, of-the-moment feel. The 63 guest rooms (one of which is a two-story penthouse) are thoughtfully appointed with midcentury details: armoires with dark-blue vinyl doors, striking wood vanities, and relaxing sea-green fabrics.

The Clayton is also a hub of creativity. Art awaits around nearly every corner, and many of the member events, which hotel guests are welcome to attend, are centered on artistic endeavors, such as gallery-like exhibitions and poetry readings. A stay at this new venue offers an immersive entrée into Denver culture—a place where “hotel” means a whole lot more than just a spot to lay your head. Rooms start at $279/night; claytondenver.com

While You’re There

Three can’t-miss spots in and around town.

• Go: Just four miles down Speer Boulevard awaits Meow Wolf’s delightful Convergence Station. The arts collective’s third permanent location, which opened in September, features the work of more than 100 Colorado artists and invites hours of wandering and discovery.
• Drink: Five Nines is Clayton’s covert cocktail lounge, tucked behind OAK Market. The expertly crafted drinks make for a sexy pairing with the space’s gemstone-hued fabrics, dim lighting, and live entertainment.
• Sweat: Just because you’re on vacation, you don’t have to skip your workouts: Barry’s brought its high-octane bootcamp classes to Cherry Creek North in April. Order a protein smoothie to refuel afterward.