This past Christmas, I gifted my mom a vacation of her choosing. I’ve found as we get older, the days, weeks, and months fly by, so I am trying to be more intentional to slow down and plan vacations with my mom, who is always there for me and so deserving of a fun weekend away. My husband offered to watch the kids for the weekend, but my mom wanted to bring them on the trip as well, which changes the pace, but brings so much extra joy, chaos, and fun/funny memories.
My mom always likes to share her favorite places with us, so she picked The Broadmoor for our trip as I was the only one in the family that had not been and it’s great for adults and kids alike. Our trip was in late-January, so we were fortunate to see some snow, but the holiday crowds had died down, which was a treat.
If you recall, we previously did a blog post about the Broadmoor after a Thanksgiving trip, where we outlined all there is to do, the history, and hotel amenities. This post will provide more details about which activities we did, the pros & cons (if any), and hopefully help you tailor your best vacation.
Arrival
The Broadmoor is in Colorado Springs, which is a short direct flight from Dallas. The airport is small and simple to navigate. What made it even easier was The Broadmoor has a booth at the baggage claim entrance, so you feel welcomed before even grabbing your bags. We were greeted by one of the staff members and they helped us gather our luggage and take it to the shuttle. We were the only ones on the shuttle, so we were able to chat freely with the driver who was very knowledgeable about the hotel and surrounding area, which helped us plan our activities for the weekend.
Upon reaching the hotel, the shuttle driver, valet, and doorman assisted our arrival to check-in. The check-in process was smooth; however, we did request the room previously stayed in (seen in the prior post), and it took about 30 minutes and the manager to find the room. We reserved a Superior room, and they claim the initial room they placed us in was in that category, but it was substantially smaller than the one we ultimately received and all 4 windows looked out at HVAC units on the same level and no Juliet balcony. The bellhop and front desk were kind through the process and with photos and explanations, they were able to find a new room for us.
The Room
We opted to stay in “Broadmoor Main” because we love the charm of historical hotels, which you get more of in the original building, which was built in 1918. Our Superior room was perfect for two adults and two kids. I saved the hotel number because I’d love to stay in this exact room again! There was a ton of floor space in front of the beds where the kids played, and the bathroom had a separate door for the water closet. The kids loved the large soaking bathtub and my mom, and I loved the double vanity. Our view was incredible and the Juliet balcony was wonderful to open to watch the snow fall or do “science experiments” with the girls to see if their ice cream would melt outside in the freezing temperatures. Spoiler alert, it didn’t melt at night but did during the day when it warmed up .
Dining
During our trip, we ate at La Taverne, Golden Bee, The Grille, Play at the Broadmoor, Café Julies, and room service. The food was delicious at all locations, and the hotel made it very easy to get to each restaurant with complimentary shuttles and wide and open walking trails. My favorite restaurant was Golden Bee and we ate their twice. With young kids, we couldn’t stay and enjoy the piano player, but this restaurant had the most energy and the bee stickers were a highlight for the kids. The kids favorite dining choices were room service and Café Jules for their daily ice cream.
Activities
If this were an adult trip, we likely would not have hit the pool, but with kids, this was a highlight for them and a great way to get out some energy on a cold day. We arrived early to the pool, so we were the only ones there for probably the first hour. As it got closer to the lunch hour it did get more crowded. Our room was a bit far from the pool building, so we brought a change of clothes and changed in the locker room. This made the transition from swimming to dining easier with the kids, but we were glad we opted to shower on the earlier side because the women’s locker room was a bit tight when 5+ people are in there at once.
The Broadmoor is a 15-minute drive from Garden of the Gods, and the resort has an amazing partnership with Escalade where you can get a complimentary rental car to explore the area. The hotel was helpful providing tips to make our experience at Garden of the Gods as seamless as possible with young kids. Ellen visited previously and they got out of the car and hiked a bit. For this trip, we opted to drive through the Garden of the Gods and experience it from the comfort of our warm Escalade. There is a cute general store we popped into for a bathroom and snack break. They sold everything under the sun, so my oldest enjoyed exploring all the nick knacks while my mom stayed in the car with the youngest who had fallen asleep. After experiencing Garden of the Gods, we stopped in the town of Manitou Springs for lunch and some light exploring before heading back to the hotel.
The resort has a bowling alley that we enjoyed one evening. It was crowded, but since we told the attendant we were only going to play for 30 minutes, she squeezed us into a slot before the next reservation, which was a real treat. The bowling alley has food and drink service at the lanes as well as a full restaurant with TVs, which is an ideal place to enjoy a sports game or two. I recommend if you call and the restaurant says they are fully committed to pop in and try to get a table as a walk-in. When we showed up to the “fully committed” restaurant, every table was empty. When we spoke up about them having availability, they seated us and during the entirety of our meal, we were the only table in use. This day was the NFL Division Playoffs with Denver, so most of the hotel was glued to the TV to see if Denver would win. Our guess is they had a lot of reservations for later in the afternoon to watch the game and didn’t account that we were only needing space for an hour. We had a great experience, and the staff was very nice and helpful once we were seated.
Another resort amenity we enjoyed was the movie theater. As mentioned above, everyone was excited about the Denver Patriots vs Buffalo Bills playoff game, so the Broadmoor projected this in the theater for the guests to enjoy. This is a complimentary amenity, and a booth was set up outside the theater with snacks and beverages for guests to purchase allowing everyone to stay satiated without having to walk far and miss any pivotal plays.
The shopping at the Broadmoor was also a highlight. There are 20 shops, which can suit everyone’s needs. There is a Yarid’s shoe store, which is a favorite of ours as it brings back many happy memories shopping there at The Greenbrier and The Homestead. There are also golf & tennis shops, a kid’s store, a women’s shop, an art shop, and many more. If you forgot to pack anything, you don’t have to go very far to find a replacement! My youngest picked out this pink bunny at the children’s shop while I was giving her a piggy back ride and before checking out, she had fallen asleep on my back snuggling her new Jelly Cat bunny.
A favorite memory from my childhood, that I’m now seeing in my kids, is the excitement of exploring large, historic resorts and embracing the grandeur. On this trip, we found an empty ballroom and played music and watched the girls dance like they were at a ball. This is a wonderful activity with kids because they can get their energy out while maintaining the relaxing atmosphere for the other guests in the more formal sitting rooms.
Looking ahead
We accomplished a lot on a quick weekend trip but have much more to do and explore at The Broadmoor. I’d love to come back some time in the summer to enjoy the outdoor pool, ride the cog railway, go to the zoo and more. Fortunately, The Broadmoor is easy to get to, so I foresee many more trips ahead.
If you are interested in booking a trip to The Broadmoor, reach out to me at Janie@PerennialTravels.com to begin planning your trip today!
