Weekend Away: Top Colorado Romantic Getaways

It is easy to spend an entire weekend at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs and never feel the need to leave its grounds. This is a true destination resort that does romantic weekend getaways very, very well. From the moment you drive through the gates and down the grandiose driveway, you’ll feel special. The five-star, five-diamond resort resembles a lakeside European village with old world elegant buildings sprawling across multiple acres.

You can stay at one of the elegant rooms and suites in the main resort, but for a truly unique romantic weekend getaway, book into their Cloud Camp. The luxury “wilderness” camp is located about 3,000 feet above the Broadmoor campus at the top of Cheyenne Mountain. The all-inclusive experience can host just 32 guests in 11 cabins and seven rooms. All are five-star elegant. Meals are served family style at a long wooden table in the grand stone and timber main lodge, so you’ll have a chance to mingle with the other guests. During the day, there are all sorts of activities, from hiking to horseback riding. Cloud Camp guests also have access to all the Broadmoor’s amenities, from swimming pools to an award-winning spa.

Colorado’s swankiest mountain town is also one of its most romantic. Nestled in a valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks and groves of aspen trees, it is easy on the eyes. The town itself is equally charming. It dates back to the late 1800s, when it was a rip-roaring silver mining town.

A luxury landmark property, the Hotel Jerome is Aspen’s oldest hotel and is perfect for a romantic getaway. The Jerome first opened its doors in 1889, during the height of the silver rush. It was designed to resemble a grand European hotel from the same era. Today, it pays homage to its Wild West past with memorabilia in public spaces — spend some time in the cozy lobby lounge. Decor in the rooms and suites is mountain elegant. Couples will like the spacious one bedroom suites with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing Elk Mountain Range views and king beds with luxuriously soft sheets.

After a day skiing Aspen Mountain, pay a visit to Hotel Jerome’s speakeasy Bad Harriet for a sexy après experience. The bar has a “secret” pairing menu that is well worth tasting — one day you’ll get a whiskey cocktail and a mini taco, on another it will be tequila and a petite pastrami sandwich.

In an isolated box canyon in southwest Colorado, Telluride is perfect for a digital detox romantic getaway. The town dates back to the 1880s, when it was a silver mining boom town. With just one main street lined with Victorian-era buildings surrounded by the San Juans’ craggy peaks, it still has a whimsical, romantic Wild West vibe.

With only one table, which can accommodate up to 12 people, The Tunnel is the most intimate dining experience in Telluride. The speakeasy-style restaurant requires a password to access the trap door that leads inside. Once in, you’ll be treated to a six course Chef’s tasting menu paired with wine. Reservations for this experience are made through OpenTable.

The Hotel Madeline is a year-round favorite for couples. At the base of the ski resort, it offers ski-in, ski-out access in winter and hiking trails in summer that start right at its front door. If The Tunnel just whet your appetite for private dining experiences, you can also create a dinner fit for fantasy suite night on The Bachelor with a personalized chef-crafted fine dining experience set up to your preference in your room. They’ll even arrange for flowers and candlelight.

The town of Frisco serves as a convenient base for exploring a number of Colorado ski resorts, including Copper Mountain and Breckenridge. Copper Mountain is the closest resort to Frisco, just 10 minutes away. It is home to wonderfully varied ski terrain, ranging from easy greens to powder packed back bowls in winter, as well as beginner focused downhill mountain biking, among a slew of other activities, in summer. With a more affordable price-point than neighboring resorts like Vail, it also doesn’t break the bank to have an epic vacation here.

The Frisco Inn on Galena is a romantic bed and breakfast just steps from the shops and restaurants lining Frisco’s Main Street. Arrange in advance for champagne, chocolate and roses to up the romance factor upon arrival to your room. Follow that up with a side-by-side couples massage treatment at the spa. The Inn can also book a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through nearby Frisco Adventure Park. These conclude at a heated tent where you are served a three-course dinner.

Romance reigns at the remote Dunton Hot Springs Resort in the middle of the San Juan National Forest, around 25 miles southwest of Telluride. Book one of the cabins with indoor or outdoor hot spring fed tubs for complete privacy while soaking. The cabins are meticulously decorated with mountain chic decor and come with wood-burning stoves and decks.

There are also five hot springs to sink into in a few different locations around the property, including a 19th-century bathhouse. The pools are between 85 and 105 degrees F and are mineral rich, known for their strong concentrations of dissolved iron, manganese and lithium that have supposed health benefits like improving circulation and converting blood sugar to energy. Other activities on offer at Dunton include winter heli-skiing and summer horseback rides. The resort is an all-inclusive experience, so there is no need to fret if you can afford another drink at dinner.

Waking up at the Arrabelle at Vail Square, you will be forgiven if you think you’ve been transported to a European mountain village in your sleep. The architectural style of this resort and Lionshead Village surrounding it is purposefully designed to resemble a Swiss or German alpine village. Inside, the Arrabelle is opulent without feeling overdone. The rooms and suites are elegant and romantic thanks to canopy beds, fireplaces, walk-in showers and soaking tubs. If that weren’t enough, they also come with butler service.

Celebrate your romance with a side-by-side couple’s escape massage at the Arrrabelle’s spa. After the treatment, you’ll have time to enjoy a private soak in the in-room Jacuzzi while sipping champagne and enjoying a specialty dessert sent down from the restaurant.

With its thriving culinary and arts scene and multitude of craft breweries, distilleries and cannabis dispensaries, Denver is a fun city for a romantic weekend getaway. Head to the Ritz-Carlton, which is Denver’s OG five-star, five-diamond property and has a very walkable location in the heart of downtown. From here, you can easily get to LoDo, Larimer Square, Union Station (where you can catch the train directly to and from the airport) and the Theater District.

Spend the day exploring the Mile High City. Then ease into the evening with the Couple’s Spa Escape at the hotel’s luxe day spa. Scheduled as the day’s last treatment, it means you and your significant other will have the entire spa to yourselves. The side-by-side experience begins with a full body exfoliation followed by 50-minute massages. Afterwards you will have free reign over the spa facilities (and no one else will be in there). Grab dinner at Elway’s, just off the lobby on the main floor. The modern steakhouse serves hand-cut steaks as well as seafood entrees. Try the Steak & Cake, which includes the addition of a crab cake (a house specialty) with one of their cuts of beef.