What’s New for Colorado Group Travel

 

By Beth Buehler

 

Everyone likes to check out the latest and greatest. Attendees are no exception. Plugging into what’s new for Colorado group travel can help boost attendance at your meeting or event. Here is just a sampling of new and upcoming happenings for hotels, restaurants, ski resorts and more.

 

Front Range Happenings

Boulder has two new hotels for Colorado group travel, meetings and events: Moxy Boulder opened in May and Limelight Boulder is slated to launch in fall 2025. Moxy Boulder is located on University Hill near the University of Colorado Boulder campus and has 189 guest rooms, more than 5,300 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, and a fitness center. The activated lobby features the Moxy Bar and lounge area where hotel guests are greeted with a Got Moxy cocktail or mocktail at check-in.

 

Limelight Boulder, located on the northwest corner of the CU Boulder campus, has 250 guest rooms, 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, a restaurant and a spacious outdoor plaza. The property will be all electric and LEED Gold certified and have electric vehicle charging, recycling and composting programs, and a community fund to support local environmental, educational and community nonprofits.

In terms of what’s new for Colorado group travel, there is a lot going on in the Denver metropolitan area. Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora has been busy in 2024 unveiling several restaurant and bar concepts, introducing the redesigned Grand Lodge and adding the Mountain View Pavilion. The pavilion has 12,118 square feet of indoor gathering space, more than 14,000 square feet of outdoor terraces and patios, and 15,000 square feet of turfed lawn areas.

 

In downtown Denver, there also is significant hotel restaurant news. The Ritz-Carlton, Denver has completely refreshed its signature restaurant, Elway’s Downtown. The steakhouse has an updated look and revamped menu that is inspired by local ingredients and Colorado cuisine. The restaurant has three private dining rooms that can accommodate a total of 160 guests, including a chef’s table for up to 15. In addition, #7 Elway’s Lounge can be booked for happy hours and cocktail receptions.

 

At Limelight Denver, Citizen Rail restaurant has transitioned into Ajax Downtown, a sister restaurant to Ajax Tavern in Aspen. Coal-fired cooking techniques are at the heart of many dishes on the menu that incorporate produce and beef raised in Colorado. Groups can book the bar and a semi-private area for gatherings.

In the south Denver corridor, the Kimpton Claret Hotel, located in the Belleview Station area, opened in July. The 19-story property has 190 guestrooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space and two culinary concepts, the Italian-inspired Saverina and Halo Rooftop Bar.

 

Meanwhile, Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek, is introducing a new 1,845-square-foot rooftop event venue, The Peak, this winter. Located on the sixth floor, The Peak will hold up to 130 people and features views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver’s skyline.

 

The 125-year-old Livestock Exchange Building at the National Western Center is being transformed into The Exchange, a contemporary working mercantile and commercial hub. The Exchange will serve as a hub for the next evolution of traditional Rocky Mountain industries, including agriculture, food, water and energy, alongside Western-heritage restaurants and artisan retailers. Construction is slated for completion in late 2025, with plans to open ahead of the National Western Stock Show in January 2026.

Farther south in Colorado Springs, the 375-room Hotel Polaris opened on Nov. 14 in the new TrueNorth Commons mixed-used development at the north entrance of the United States Air Force Academy. The hotel offers 26,000 square feet of indoor meeting space; six food and beverage outlets, including the ninth-floor rooftop bar; an outdoor pool and sun deck; and a full-service spa and fitness center. Hotel Polaris also has the only in-hotel flight simulators in the U.S.

 

Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs has joined the Destination by Hyatt brand, which presents new options for groups, leisure travelers and World of Hyatt members. The property has more than 40,000 square feet of function space and 316 guestrooms and suites.

 

In the Mountains

What’s new for Colorado group travel in mountain towns? In effort to meet the growing demand for train travel from Denver to the slopes, Amtrak Winter Park Express is beginning service earlier this year to encompass the holiday season and is expanding to five days weekly for nearly three months, meaning there will be 69 roundtrips this season, which is 29 more than last season. Winter Park Express will operate routes the last two weekends of this year and the first weekend of January (Friday-Sunday) before running on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from Jan. 9-March 31.

 

The train departs Denver Union Station at 7 a.m. and arrives at Winter Park Resort at 9:11 a.m. before going on to nearby Fraser, with an arrival time of 9:41 a.m. The return trip departs Fraser at 4:05 p.m. and Winter Park Resort at 4:35 p.m. and arrives in Denver at 7:05 p.m.

It’s a convenient option for both individuals and groups to avoid traffic on Interstate 70, plus it’s a chance to relax in reclining seats, watch the views through large windows, and enjoy Sightseer Lounge and a café that sells snacks and drinks. For information about group travel, call 800.872.1477.

 

Farther west, in Vail, Vail Resorts is teaming up with Avanti Food & Beverage, which has food halls in Denver and Boulder, to open a location in Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak base area in early 2025. Avanti Vail will be a collective space with multiple culinary offerings that highlight local chefs and restauranteurs. The goal is to offer an array of food and drink options at an approachable price point.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail is unveiling two new offerings before the end of the year after the recent debut of its redesigned spa and specialty suites. The Chalet is a fully renovated guest-only ski lounge and concierge experience while Tavernetta Vail is a new flagship restaurant created in partnership with Frasca Hospitality Group. Tavernetta Vail’s menu spans the diverse regions of Italy and will feature an all-Italian wine list (as well as Champagne) and a selection of Italian-driven spirits and digestifs.

 

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley has completed an extensive refresh of all 230 guest residences in time for ski season. All the rooms have been upgraded with new mountain modern furniture, Western artwork, lighting, flooring, bathroom vanities and mirrors, and more. The guest residences range from studio suites to three-bedroom condominiums, and all feature a kitchen and a gas fireplace. The previous room furnishings were donated to Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley and Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley to be sold at local ReStore locations.

 

In addition, The Westin Riverfront opened the Lookout Bar this summer. The après ski destination is located next door on the fifth floor of the One Riverfront development and serves craft cocktails, delectable bites and more.

Nearby, Beaver Creek Resort has announced its new culinary event series, The Alpine Table: A Cabin Chef Series. Building upon last year’s sold-out collaboration, the expanded event will feature three weekends of dining experiences. The resort’s culinary team will collaborate with guest chefs from regional Michelin-recognized culinary brands to create a multicourse tasting menu and wine pairings inspired by each cabin’s style. The event includes Beano’s Cabin and Blackbelly Market & Restaurant (Boulder) on Jan. 26-27; Zach’s Cabin and Beckon (Denver) on Feb. 23-24; and Allie’s Cabin and Tavernetta Vail on March 27-28. While there is limited seating available, groups can use the idea for their own Beaver Creek gathering.

 

Like Beaver Creek, Keystone Resort is also part of Vail Resorts and added more than 550 acres of lift-served terrain with the debut of the Bergman Express lift last winter. Currently, transformations are underway in Keystone’s River Run Village with the construction of Kindred Resort, which is anticipated to open in summer 2025. Kindred will feature a 107-room branded RockResorts hotel, 95 luxury residences, a slope-side ballroom and pre-function space, a spa, three restaurants, resort retail and equipment rental, and a new home for Keystone’s Ski & Ride School. Vail Resorts is managing the hotel and the meeting and event space.

 

Located at mid-mountain on Snowmass, The Cabin (formerly Lynn Britt Cabin) has been renovated and expanded. Groups will benefit from an extended patio, outdoor grill and bar area and a larger list of bookable experiences including après parties, live entertainment and snowcat dinners throughout the winter season.

 

To keep abreast about what’s new for Colorado group travel, visit Destination Colorado Meetings’ website frequently and sign up for the organization’s newsletter. Destination Colorado Meetings connects meeting and event planners with the latest information to make their jobs easier and experienced suppliers in the state.

 

Top Photo: Courtesy of Elway’s Downtown

 

Colorado native Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 19 years, served as editor of Mountain Meetings magazine for more than a decade, and was on the team that introduced Southwest Meetings + Events. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.