Broadmoor Rolls Out New Renovations

Chose a golf resort to please your lady rather than the ranch retreat for which you yearned? Ended up at a tennis resort for your hubby when all you needed was a swiftly flowing stream for fly-fishing? Vacation regret—don’t let it happen to you. For travelers with competing interests or for those who are simply in the market for alpine luxury, the Broadmoor, located outside Colorado Springs, is a messiah among resorts.

More than 750 suites, guest rooms, cottage, ranch, and brownstone accommodations—set among a national forest, award-winning cuisine, golf courses, spa, pools and tennis facilities—feed into most every mountain vacation fantasy. But no matter which accommodation is reserved, all guests are privy to plush furnishings, modern amenities, spectacular views and gourmet cuisine during their stay.

If superior views are what you seek, then look no further than Broadmoor’s aptly named Cloud Camp. Accessed only by a 4-wheel drive vehicle, atop a mule (yes, you read that correctly), or by joining a three-hour guided hike, the 8,000-square-foot main lodge and private cabins are perched at 9,200 feet atop Cheyenne Mountain. Luxury collides with the rugged Rocky Mountains. Guests can partake in daytime and nighttime “camp” activities, including guided nature walks in Pike National Forest and then retire to the lodge for gourmet meals.

The all-inclusive Ranch at Emerald Valley, located over 8,000 feet elevation, offers Broadmoor guests the opportunity for horseback riding, fly fishing in mountain lakes, and biking and hiking alpine trails. At the end of your active day, sample a new merlot while soaking soar muscles in an outdoor hot tub as the sun recedes behind towering peaks.

But for the serious angler who views non-fishing activities as silly distractions, reserve a spot now at the new Broadmoor Fishing Camp that will open in 2015 along the banks of Tarryall River. Five miles of private waters flow through grassy meadows, curving bends and canyons. Opportunities abound to reel in photo-worthy catches.

Follow the sloping landscape downhill to three golf courses, which readers of Golf magazine bestowed with the honor of Number 1 Golf Resort in North America. Renovated by Nicklaus Design, the Mountain Course flaunts the Rocky Mountains’ natural beauty as wide fairways and large greens suited for all abilities offer nearly constant mountain vistas.

But if you prefer to swing a racquet instead of a nine-iron, reserve one of the resort’s cushioned hard courts and Har-tru courts, or take cover in a bubble-enclosed court in winter months. The award-winning tennis facilities offer camps for all ages and abilities, in addition to lessons, drills and round robins.

Between mule rides, fly-fishing and setting a personal golf best, spend a morning or the entire day at Broadmoor’s spa. Opt for a lavender herbal bath soak before a relaxing Ashiatsu Deep Therapy massage (unless you have an aversion to feet) or a Chardonnay Sugar Scrub for a glow like you’ve never experienced even after “sampling” half a bottle.

A vacation would not feel complete, however, without breaking diets and marveling over dishes you have neither the time nor the skill to cook. The Broadmoor boasts more than 10 restaurants, cafes and lounges with memorable atmospheres to fulfill every craving. Wash down fish & chips with a pint of ale while listening to ragtime pianos at the Golden Bee. Select a bottle of wine to accompany authentic Italian dishes (handmade pasta is a must!) against a backdrop of exposed wooden beams and terra cotta tile at Ristorante Del Lago.

Although we must all return to our daily lives at some point, the words mounted in the mezzanine lobby echo the sentiment shared by many Broadmoor guests, ““Au revoir but not goodbye.”