Hotels in Colorado Springs

Best time to visit Colorado Springs

The spring temperatures of 50 – 65 degrees Fahrenheit make for ideal hiking conditions in Colorado Springs. If you are visiting in early March, try to make sure your preferred hotel has reopened, in case it was closed for the winter. If you have planned a trip in May, book your accommodation in advance since the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony draws large crowds to the city at this time. If you visit Colorado Springs between September – October, you can witness the beautiful fall foliage in the parks and surrounding mountains. Summer months from June – August attract hordes of tourists resulting in high room rates, a shortage of rooms and crowded attractions. Winters are not brutally cold, and hotel rates are at their lowest, but visitors should note that some hotels remain closed during this season.

Getting around Colorado Springs

A compact urban landscape and streets laid out in a simple grid-like pattern make it easy to explore the downtown area on foot. However, some of the most popular attractions that tourists typically visit in Colorado Springs, are not walkable. Having your own transport is the best way to get to most attractions and surrounding areas. Look for deals on rental cars with momondo. Taxis and ride-share services like Uber are available throughout the city. The city’s public bus system has 22 routes, many of which start or end in the downtown area. However, the buses are mostly used by local commuters and their reach to tourist areas is limited. Base fare for a single ride is $1.75 USD. With 120 miles of paved urban bike paths, and over 60 miles of mountain bike trails, you may want to consider cycling through the city. Companies like Criterium Bicycles and Ted’s Bicycles rent road and mountain bikes for $30.00 – $50.00 USD per day.

Best places to stay in Colorado Springs

Apart from being a mining town, Colorado Springs is blessed with the most attractive hues and all-encompassing natural beauty. The city boasts views of the scenic Pikes Peak, blushing cliffs of the Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon, the purple-tinged Colorado Rockies and the amber waves of the Great Plains. There are no distinct neighborhoods, but Colorado Springs can be broadly divided into north, south, east and west. Based on your itinerary, choose where you wish to stay and try to select a hotel that is close to the attractions or activities that interest you.

Downtown Colorado

Downtown Colorado Springs has a small-town vibe with metropolitan amenities. The wide, tree-lined streets feature an interesting mix of traditional and modern architecture. The city offers plenty of parks and museums, and a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Stay at The Mining Exchange, A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa. An exquisitely restored former stock exchange for mining companies, this hotel offers refined rooms with exposed brick walls, custom artwork and granite desks, just steps away from the dining and attractions in the area. You can also consider the spacious rooms and suites with modern styling and amenities at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Colorado Springs Central.

Northeast Colorado

Northeast Colorado is dominated by the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus, while northwest Colorado is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Stay at one of the big chain hotel properties, such as the Residence Inn by Marriott Colorado Springs North / Air Force Academy hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites Colorado Springs – Air Force Academy – I-25 North hotel, Baymont Inn & Suites Colorado Springs hotel, or the Colorado Springs Marriott. You can also check out The Lodge at Flying Horse that features luxuriously appointed, spacious villas. Each villa has a private terrace that overlooks an 18-hole championship golf course or offers views of the Rocky Mountains Front Range.

Southeast Colorado

Southeast Colorado boasts a number of lakes and parks, and is home to the Colorado Springs Airport. Most of the international chains have properties close to the airport. Check out hotels such as the Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs Airport, TownePlace Suites by Marriott Colorado Springs South, Holiday Inn Colorado Springs, or Hilton Garden Inn Colorado Springs Airport.

West and Southwest Colorado

West and southwest Colorado are where you’ll find the towering red spires in the Garden of the Gods, the Red Rock Canyon Open Space park, and the Cave of the Winds Mountain Park. The starting point of the picturesque train ride via Pikes Peak Cog Railway is also in this part of the city. Stay at the Garden of the Gods Club and Resort, a one-of-a-kind place that artistically reflects its natural surroundings. Apart from elegant rooms and suites, the hotel offers a host of onsite facilities, including a 27-hole championship golf course and a state-of-the-art sports club. You can also check out The Broadmoor, an award-winning resort where you can explore the picturesque mountains, streams, and canyons as you try zip lining, horseback riding or fly fishing. The resort also offers a wide range of rooms, suites, cottages, a luxurious spa, and several other distinctive amenities that promise to make your stay unique.

Cheap hotels in Colorado Springs

In downtown, stay at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center or the Howard Johnson Express Inn – Colorado Springs. Closer to the airport, you have the Crossland Studios Colorado Springs – Airport hotel or La Quinta Inn & Suites South Airport 981 hotel. South of downtown, you can stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Colorado Springs South hotel. For traditional bed & breakfasts, consider the Crescent Lily Inn set in an 1898-dated Victorian home with intricate interior woodwork. Enjoy the individually decorated rooms with private balconies and stay within 2 blocks of the shopping, dining, and entertainment downtown. Check out Lofty Living Bud & Breakfast that offers loft-style accommodation, an onsite spa, and several other complimentary extras.

Colorado Springs primarily caters to 2 types of travelers. The nature and adventure enthusiasts, and the art and culture aficionados. On one hand, you can pack your cameras, put on your hiking boots, and head to the Pikes Peak sights or explore other nature trails in the area. On the other hand, you can spend your days browsing through a host of funky art galleries, historic districts and quirky museums. Create your own itinerary or incorporate a few of these suggestions for a unique Colorado Springs experience.

• Explore the Garden of the Gods Park and admire the magnificent natural red rock formations. These look like carved deities, but are actually the result of several years of tectonic upheaval.
• Drive, hike, or enjoy a scenic train ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to reach the 8,000-foot-tall Pikes Peak range. Rich in natural beauty, the pink granite mountains have inspired many poets and songwriters, including Katharine Lee Bates who penned the words to the patriotic song, “America the Beautiful”.
• If you want to avoid the long drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, go hiking, biking, and explore the interesting wildlife in other parks that are close by. Spend a day at the North Cheyenne Cañon Park spread over 1,600 acres of differing altitudes at the bottom of a 1,000-foot-deep canyon. The park features a vast array of wildlife, miles of hiking trails, and a swim-worthy area in the North Cheyenne Creek. You also have the 5,000-acre Mueller State Park, just 30 miles from Colorado Springs.
• Enjoy a brisk walk, go hiking, or bike on various trails that wind through the striking red cliffs of the Red Rock Canyon. Stay till sundown to enjoy live entertainment and movie screenings at the park’s open-air pavilion.
• Enjoy a guided tour of the United States Olympic Training Center, and visit the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• If you are traveling with kids, make a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, located at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain. Kids can feed some zoo animals and take a spin on the chairlift-style, open-air ride.
• Explore over 7,000 species of butterflies, moths, beetles, spiders, scorpions, and other deadly bugs at the May Natural History Museum, also known as the ‘Bug Museum’.
• Drive on route 115 off I-25 and spot the entrance of the Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Bunker, a military installation and defensive bunker that has featured in several movies. The bunker still operates in a classified capacity and is not open to tourists.
• Make a trip to Manitou Springs, a small neighboring town in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The town exudes a charming vibe reminiscent of the hippie-era, and is filled with art galleries, funky boutiques, and outdoor cafés.
• Explore the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum that highlights regional history. The museum also features a small, but excellent collection of Victorian “fancy craft hair wreaths, and historical relics such as the alleged first jawbone ever used to identify a murder victim by her dental records.
• Get a glimpse of the city’s rich history as a Colorado Gold Rush mining town at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry.
• Spend a few hours in Old Colorado City, a historic district within Colorado Springs that maintains its 19th-century ‘Wild West’ vibe. It is home to several locally owned art galleries, quaint shops, and plenty of mom and pop restaurants.