7 Best Hotels in Boulder and North Central Colorado, Colorado

Built in 1995 with rough-hewn timber, this rustic yet modern lodge is an excellent choice for those who want to be smack dab in the middle of Nederland, 10 minutes from Eldora Ski Resort. Upstairs guest rooms have cathedral ceilings, and those downstairs have gas fireplaces; all are spacious and have coffeemakers, mini-refrigerators, and microwaves. The hotel has a wood-beamed lobby with seating areas, as well as a laundromat.

Cute and no-frills, this mom-and-pop motel is adjacent to the Boulder Creek Path near the mouth of Boulder Canyon, far from Boulder's bustle yet a few minutes' walk from downtown. With its knotty-pine siding, red doors, and colorful flower boxes, this motel has a distinctive charm. The cabin-style rooms are simple but cozy (and quiet). Pets can stay, too.

Built in 1920 and on the National Register of Historic Places, this lodge is perched on the hillside overlooking Grand Lake and has 70 cabins, a swimming pool, a hot tub, picnic tables, a playground, and sundecks. The cabins are comfortable if a bit small, with wood-paneled walls and leather couches. Head to the main lodge to feast on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or simply relax on a porch swing and fill up on what are arguably the best views in town.

This 1909 beauty beckons with a soaring stained-glass ceiling and large helpings of Victorian charm in its gracious lobby; opt for a room in the historic wing, with spacious quarters filled with period antiques and reproductions. The north wing is also plush and comfortable with contemporary Rocky Mountain decor. The hotel has two restaurants: Spruce Farm & Fish features nouvelle farm-to-table-style cuisine, while the Corner Bar is less formal with sports TVs and a spacious outdoor patio. Downstairs, the speakeasy-style License No. 1 bar is always hopping.

Families and dog lovers enjoy these comfortable, charming, whimsically decorated log cabins, which have such unique touches as cow-spotted walls, canoe-paddle headboards, and wooden ducks swimming on the ceiling. Guests can cast a line for trout in the adjacent canal, roast marshmallows at the communal fire pit, or fire up the barbecue in the courtyard.

Perched regally on a hill, with a commanding view of town, the Stanley is one of Colorado's great old hotels, featuring Georgian colonial–style architecture and a storied, haunted history that inspired Stephen King's novel The Shining. The Cascades restaurant offers lunch and dinner, while the renovated Whiskey Bar serves Colorado's largest selection of whiskeys and scotches and Brunch & Co. in the Lodge offers daily breakfast and lunch. 

Surrounded on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park, this 860-acre family-friendly property has attractive, clean lodge rooms (with either queen, full, or bunk beds), simple cabins for two to four people, and larger cabins that can sleep as many as 88 people. Cook in your cabin or sidle up to the all-you-can-eat buffet. On-campus activities include yoga classes, arts and crafts, ecology classes, minigolf, archery, and climbing.