Already, Colorado has the advantage. With snow-capped mountains, flurrying snowflakes, and forests filled with evergreens, the state looks like the inside of a snow globe. So, it’s no wonder why thousands flock here every winter, not just for its epic ski slopes, but to experience Christmas the way it was meant to be experienced. If you want to skip the ski slopes for the holidays, there are several other fun and festive places for a Colorado Christmas vacation.
Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs
Dating back to 1893, historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs celebrates its 130th year in 2023 and is a classic choice for your Colorado Christmas vacation. The family-owned hotel still retains its blend of Victorian and Italian styling, mixed with mountain-town touches that look like something out of a postcard.
Over the years, the hotel was used as a temporary White House, as a place of healing for the U.S. Navy during World War II, and as a community focal point from its inception. A quick walk through the hotel, you’ll notice notable guests of the hotel including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown and the infamous “Diamond” Jack Alterie.
Now the hotel is a favorite destination for those looking to soak in the area’s hot springs and to ring a little holiday cheer. Starting in late November, into December, enjoy beautifully decorated fir trees, half a million-holiday lights, an annual tree lighting ceremony, breakfasts with Santa and festive touches around every corner. One of which are the artfully painted windows you’ll see throughout the property. While I was visiting this year, they were setting up for Christmas and I got to meet the woman behind the holiday window paintings — Angela Drake has been coming to Hotel Colorado to paint for the holidays for nearly 30 years!
Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in Denver
Probably one of the most iconic hotels in Denver to celebrate the holidays is the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. For 35 years, the historic downtown hotel has hosted its annual Champagne Cascade event, which kicks off the holiday season every November before Thanksgiving.
The main event of pouring the champagne features a master swordsman using a Napoleonic saber to sever the bottlenecks of Moet & Chandon, which are then poured into the uppermost glass of a two-story, 5,201-glass pyramid, overflowing to the glasses below. The crowd gathers in the seven-story atrium and many more peer over the balconies from floors two and three to get a bird’s eye view of the sabering and champagne cascade.
Before the Cascade, the lighting of the famous Denver Debutante Chandelier gets the crowd going as the 25×25-foot, 2-ton chandelier gets lit, highlighting all the holiday decorations, including 250,000 crystal beads, 60,000+ LED lights, 500 pounds of glitter, and 4,800 ornaments. The picturesque scene is complete with Santa Claus greeting children and ballerinas from the Colorado Ballet dancing with sugar plum ferries in their heads.
Holiday events at the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa
The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa continues to celebrate the holidays with its traditional Holiday Tea. The hotel is famous for the tea parties it hosts year-round, but it’s extra special during the holidays and is one of their most popular times to book. My friends and I booked our “tea time” in June for the upcoming holiday season!
They also host Christmas Eve and Day brunches, a New Year’s Eve dinner and party, plus a host of other festive activities. But for me what is so fun about visiting during the holidays are the decorations. It truly is magical.
Christmas at Gaylord of the Rockies Resort in Aurora
One of the best ways to spend your Colorado Christmas vacation is with a visit to the Gaylord of the Rockies. A Santa pre-approved basecamp for Christmas adventures, Christmas at Gaylord of the Rockies has become a holiday tradition for locals and travelers alike. The massive hotel and convention center, located just 10 minutes from the Denver International Airport in eastern Aurora, is your one-stop destination for all the Christmas cheer you can handle in one season.
The entire hotel is decked out in twinkling Christmas trees that line the lobby, pop-up holiday bars serving festive favorites, holiday music that fills the air, and a multitude of activities and events that say “Merry Christmas” in every possible way. I went for the first time this year with my family and we loved it!
Things to do during Christmas at Gaylord of the Rockies
ICE! Is the main attraction, where ice sculptures from across the world, carve more than 2 million pounds of ice to create a winter wonderland scene that’s chilly but warms the heart. This year, ICE! brought back to life the holiday classic from Warner Bros., ‘A Christmas Story™’ It is a site to behold. Once inside you suddenly realize, that everything around is made of ice.
At the end is an ice slide, which of course I, my sister, my brother-in-law, and my 3-year-old nephew went down. The two-story-tall ice slides wind through ice tunnels and arches and is a quick 5-second ride that you can do as many times as you’d like.
Be prepared to be really cold. The exhibit is kept at a whopping 9 degrees Fahrenheit to keep everything frozen. I brought a beanie, gloves and a winter jacket. If you want an extra layer of warmth and want to go down the slide, be sure to pick up the signature blue parka.
Other events include the “Cirque: Spirit of Christmas” show. It’s what you’d expect from the famous Cirque du Soleil shows with jaw-dropping aerial performances and acts that defy gravity. Take a stroll through Mistletoe Village where you can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, train to be a toymaking elf, build your own gingerbread house, and more. Carolers greet you as you enter the village and this is where most of the holiday activities take place.
Book your stay
I suggest spending the night as a staycation (if from Denver), a fun layover from DIA, or even just passing through during your holiday travels. Enjoy spacious, modern rooms that can be booked with adjoining rooms for families. That is what my family and I did. We had five adults and a toddler and the two queen adjoining rooms were more than enough.
Christmas at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs
Located in Colorado Springs, The Broadmoor is one of Colorado’s premier hotels. Best known for its spa, golf links, adventures, and larger-than-life sugary displays during the holiday season, The Broadmoor is an unforgettable Colorado hotel experience. While I have never stayed here during Christmas, I have many friends (with families) who have and they rave about it.
In November, The Broadmoor kicked off its holiday season with the unveiling of its annual over-the-top gingerbread display: A Lightning Bug Canopy Boat. Past gingerbread creations have included trains, chapels, and even cars. This year, they added a boat to the holiday list in celebration of its history and new upcoming boating experiences.
The gingerbread boat was crafted using over 958 lbs. of powdered sugar, 475 lbs. of flour, 1,801 eggs, plus a canopy with candy including candy canes, gumdrops, macarons, meringues, peppermints, and jellybeans. Guests can see it inside the resort’s main building mezzanine where it will remain afloat through New Year’s Day.
Beyond its over-the-top gingerbread displays, The Broadmoor features millions of dazzling holiday lights, festive seasonal menus, the Classic Broadmoor Holiday Show, the resort’s 12 Days of Christmas events (December 20-January 1), plus family-friendly holiday programming. And of course, Santa will even be visiting The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway station.
Other hotels for your Colorado Christmas vacation
I recently spent a few days in the summer at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Known as America’s favorite log cabin hotel, the historic Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is the largest wood structure in North America. Its cozy great room is picturesque in summer and I bet even more so in winter.
It was spectacular in the summer, so I can’t even imagine what it must be like during the holiday season. This year, guests can embark on “16 Days of Wonder” where the resort offers a host of family-friendly activities, special visits from Santa, and an intricate chocolate display. Would you expect anything else from the Ritz Carlton?
The Aspen Meadows Resort in Aspen will host a new holiday reindeer village complete with carolers along with snowmen building and s’mores by a cozy firepit. An outdoor bar will serve steaming hot cocoa and mulled wine. There are also sleigh rides, gingerbread houses, and cookie decorating. The resort also celebrates all eight nights of Hanukkah with menorah lighting and traditional latkes.
C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colorado transforms into a snowy paradise for the holidays. Take in the Rocky Mountain scenery and festive fun with gingerbread house making, Christmas karaoke, and a visit from Santa via horse-drawn sleigh. This is also a great place during the winter for cross-country skiing in Colorado and ice skating on their pond. You can’t get more COLORADO than that!
