Of course Colorado
has many motels and hotels, as well as bed ’n’ breakfasts and every
other sort of tourist accommodations you’ll find anywhere else. And clearly
it is not possible to list all lodging options here. What we will attempt to do
here is to list those with particular qualities of interest to riders touring
Colorado on their motorcycles. For example, when we ride we try to find motels
with larger “family units” that will accommodate four or five or six
people, thereby reducing the expense compared to getting two or three rooms.
This
page is going to take a while to develop. Your suggestions and recommendations
are very welcome at .
| Motel
or Hotel and Location | Description/Review |
| Almont/Taylor
Reservoir – Taylor
Park Trading Post, Cafe, RV Park and Cabins, 970-641-2555 | Galen
Gibson recommended this one, saying "the trading post restaurant is to die
for at the Taylor Reservoir cabins. I would give this food 4.5 stars." He
didn't say what the cabins are like. |
| Aspen – Hotel
Aspen and Molly Gibson Lodge, 101 W. Main St., 888-271-2304 | I
have no personal knowledge of this one, but when someone contacts me and tells
me they welcome bikers I take their word for it that they're motorcycle-friendly.
They're in Aspen, very close to downtown, and from their website it looks like
a nice place. Most anything in Aspen is pricey so be aware of that, but Scott
Olpin, the manager, tells me they recently lowered their rates to be more competitive.
Scott recommends you call ahead to check as rates change frequently. They also
offer free wi-fi, breakfast, and parking. |
| Cripple Creek
– Gold Rush Casino
and Hotel, 209 E. Bennett Ave., 1-800-235-8239 | OK, this is your
basic casino hotel but unless you're going to hit a bed & breakfast this is
really one of the better places to stay in this town. It's clean, modern, and
you get the breakfast buffet with the price of the room. And if you are the gambling
sort, it's right in the heart of town where you won't need to do anything but
walk. |
| Denver – Staybridge
Suites, 7150 S. Clinton St., 720-895-2322 | I don't know this place
either, but they contacted me to say they are motorcycle-friendly, and they have
suites that accommodate up to six people. That's always something we like to find
when we travel in a group because it costs a lot less than multiple smaller rooms.
They have lots of parking, a complimentary hot breakfast buffet, and Sarah Fleming
tells me they "would be willing to work out a reasonable rate for your bikers." |
| Dolores – Cozy
Comfort R.V. Park and Mountain Retreat, 1501 Central Ave., 1-800-877-7218
or 970-882-2483 | OK, this one is a little different. This is an RV park,
so if you're hauling your bikes out and need a place to be headquarters you might
want to consider this one. They also have one luxury motor coach you can have
for $70 per night. Brenda and Tony, the folks who run it, are riders. Tell them
you found them here and you'll get a 20% discount. |
| Durango
– Adobe Inn,
2178 Main Ave., 970-247-2743 | Our experience at the Adobe Inn was mixed.
There were nine of us and we got four rooms. Two beds per room so one person had
a hide-a-bed. Unfortunately for the three in one room, the air conditioning did
not work. There was also no linen for the hide-a-bed. The guy at the desk said
he would take care of it but never did. For the rest of us it was a fine place.
A bit noisy because it's on the main drag, but so are most all of Durango's motels. |
| Durango – various | Good places to stay in Durango
include the Quality Inn and the Super 8 on South El Camino Del Rio near both the
Harley and the Honda dealerships. More expensive and maybe worth the $ would be
the Strater Hotel or the other fancy historic place I can't recall the name of,
maybe the Palace or is that the good restaurant attached?? ( The historic hotels
in Durango would also require reservations as might most motels.) |
| Fort
Collins – Comfort
Suites Fort Collins, 1415 Oakridge Drive, 970-206-4597 | Rachel
Crowther, the General Manager here, contacted me to say they are very much motorcycle-friendly.
If you are familiar with Comfort Suites/Comfort Inn I presume this is what you
have come to expect. The website says they offer free wi-fi, continental breakfast,
free local calls, and have a pool and hot tub. Mention you found them here and
Rachel says you'll get a 15% discount on your room rate. |
| Gunnison
– Water
Wheel Inn, 37478 W. Hwy 50, 1-800-642-1650 or 970-641-1650 | They
hosted our fall color ride for the last two years. We've stayed at the WWI many
times. Always friendly. Lots of good riding out of Gunnison. (Recommendation by
Larry H.) |
| Ignacio – Sky
Ute Casino and Hotel, 14826 Highway 172 N, 970-563-3000 | Several
of our group are big on gambling so the Sky Ute is a favorite stop of ours. We've
stayed there several times. One reservation at this time, however. They are just
about to open a much bigger casino and hotel and have let maintenance on the old
facility slide. The new one is just up the road and it looks like it's nearly
complete. We'll definitely be back. |
| Kremmling – Allington
Inn, 215 W. Central Ave., 800-981-4091 | This is a brand new hotel
just set to open on Jan. 2, 2009. I haven't seen it, much less stayed there, but
we stayed at the Allington Inn in South Fork and they were extremely motorcycle-friendly.
The management tells me the same will be true in Kremmling. |
| Lake
City – Alpine
Moose Lodge, 1221 North Highway 149 | Art Bartlett posted this recommendation:
Bruno, the owner/operator of this quaint old-style motel, is a world class French
cook, and cooks regularly in the attached restaurant. Excellent food, decent lodgings,
and a wonderful view. A must see when traveling through Lake City! |
| Lamar – Blue
Spruce Motel, 1801 S. Main, 719-336-7454 | This is an older motel,
AAA-certified, and while it is not in the luxury category, it is decent. Our one
complaint would be the bed. On her side of the bed, my wife sank way down and
if I got too close I would almost be dumped on top of her. If you just want a
place to sleep this motel will do. If you want something fancier and newer go
to the north end of town. |
| Lamar – Days Inn, 1302
N. Main | A bit pricier than the older motels on the south end of town,
the Days Inn is pretty much what you would expect. It is newer, has all the expected
amenities, and costs more. No complaints. |
| La Junta –
Mid-Town Motel, 215 E Third Street, 719-384-7741 | The Mid-Town Motel
bills themselves as "The Quiet One" because they are two blocks off
the highway, while all the other motels in town are right on US 50. Of course,
they're right on the main east-west street through town so there is traffic, but
it's still quieter. More importantly, the place is clean and well-kept. Our room
even had two recliners. It cost us $46 for one night in May 2007.Incidentally,
for breakfast we recommend the Copper Kitchen, just a few blocks away in downtown,
116 Colorado Avenue. Juevos Rancheros are good. |
| Leadville
– Innd of the Line Bed & Breakfast, 719-486-0557 | The brand
new B&B opened in June 2007 and we stayed there in July 2007. It's still a
work in progress but don't worry about that. Jane and Bob have a nice place here
and made us feel very welcome. And it's just a two-block walk to the heart of
downtown.In addition to the very pleasant rooms, it has a great upstairs front
porch where you can look out at the Leadville
Colorado & Southern train station (Innd of the Line – get it?) and
watch the train and passsengers. If you're into B&Bs, this is a good one. |
| Leadville – various | Leadville is a great destination
and has a good selection of accommodations. There are about a half dozen modest,
older motels in town, one newer and bigger one, one very new and even bigger (more
expensive) one, and hee historic old Delaware
Hotel. In addition, there must be about seven bed and breakfasts in this small
town. Reservations are necessary whenever there is an event
going on in town because they all fill up quickly. |
| Monte
Vista – Best
Western Movie Manor, 2830 US Highway 160 W, 719-852-5921 | Watch
the drive in movie from your room. Restaurant on site is good. Not far from Wolf
Creek Pass and Slumgullion Pass. (Recommendation by Larry H.)The OFMC has stayed
here as well and we liked it, too. |
| Montrose – Best
Western Red Arrow, 1702 E Main Street, 970-249-9641 | Hosted the
2008 Rockies Gold. Very motorcycle friendly. Lots of good riding out of Montrose.
(Recommendation by Larry H.) |
| Ouray – Box
Canyon Lodge, 45 Third Ave., 800-327-5080 | The Box Canyon Lodge
and Hot Springs is one of your first lefts coming into town off Red Mountain Pass.
It's a comfortable, reasonably priced place to stay and has the advantage of having
hot springs on the property. |
| Ouray – Victorian
Inn, 50 Third Ave., 970-325-7222 | The rooms were very clean, bedding
was wonderful, and a big room! The room included both a king size bed, couch,
and refrigerator. We and another couple arrived on our motorcycles and were welcomed
by Jan. We were able to park right outside our door and they provided cloths for
wiping down the bikes. Two hot tubs were steps away. Jan & Brian Lisk recently
bought the hotel and are doing many upgrades. They were very welcoming and friendly.
Jan is great for recommendations on restaurants, and the “must sees”
in the area. The prices were competitive for the area. Ouray is a beautiful place
to visit with a lot of outdoor activities. The Victorian Inn is the perfect place
to stay while enjoying it. (Recommendation by Steve and Terie Anderson) |
| Saguache – Big Valley Motel, on the north side of US 825,
719-655-2524 | The Big Valley Motel is definitely not a luxury stop, but
if you need a place to spend the night, and/or you like staying in beautiful little
towns, you might like it here. Make no mistake, it's clean and well kept. It's
just very basic. They do have a larger room with three beds, though, so that can
be a good thing – it was for us. There's no air conditioning but it gets
cool enough at night that you don't really need it. |
| Salida
– Day's Inn,407
E. Highway 50, 719-539-6651 | This is your basic Day's Inn, and there are
a lot of other motels on this strip, so take your pick. This one does happen to
be right across the street from a Kawasaki/Polaris shop, if that matters. Anyway,
the place is clean and has all the amenities, including free computer access in
the lobby. We did have a bit of a run-in with the proprietress, so be sure to
nail down the particulars of your reservation in advance. |
| Salida
– Simple Lodge &
Hostel, 224 E. First St., 719-650-7381 | A change of pace here.
This place offers private rooms for $50 apiece, which I take to be singles. It
also has "multi-person bunk rooms" where the price is $21 per person.
Located close to bars, shops, and restaurants, the Simple also has hosts who know
the area and are happy to help you plan your rides. |
San
Isabel – The
Lodge at San Isabel,
CO 165, 719-489-2280 | San Isabel is a
tiny town along CO 165, in the mountains southwest of Pueblo. It's also just about
15 south of Bishop
Castle, one of the more fascinating tourist attractions in the area. The road
itself is well worth riding, and if you're looking for a place to spend the night
you could do a lot worse than the Lodge. Rates range from $65 to $130 per night
and the higher priced rooms hold more people. Meals are available from a connected
restaurant. |
| South Fork – Allington
Inn, 182 East Frontage Rd., 1-800-285-6590 | South Fork is a wide
spot in the road before you go up over Wolf Creek Pass and down to Pagosa Springs.
This is one of several motels. It is clean and modern and the lady at the desk
suggested we park our bikes directly out front under the canopy. It definitely
met our description of motorcycle-friendly. |
| Steamboat Springs
area – Columbine
Cabins | This is my own recommendation. My wife and I have stayed
here and had a great time. This place has a varied collections of cabins, of all
sizes, and it is as close to being in the wilderness as you can get on a paved
road. In fact, the paved road ends here. To get to Columbine, take the turn at
the west end of Steamboat Springs, toward the airport, and keep going. |
