The Broadmoor
P.O. Box 1459
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1439
Tel: 800-634-7711 Fax: 719-577-5700
http://www.broadmoor.com
As reviewed by Eva and Hal Lilienfeld.
Overall Impression -
    
To paraphrase Mies Van Der Rohe – “Broad is More.”
1) Physical Plant -
   
This magnificent resort hotel, located at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain, has every possible amenity. There are numerous buildings surrounding a small, beautiful lake. The views from most any spot are breathtaking. Since we arrived in the heart of the summer, time, at every turn were abundant, colorful, hanging plants, as well as gorgeous
shrubs and flowers. The hotel has 11 restaurants and lounges; a nightclub; 45 holes of championship golf; nine tennis courts; indoor and outdoor swimming pools; a spa and fitness center, riding stables, upscale shops, and, of all things, an on-premises movie theater. One caution – when making your reservation be sure to have your exact room requests and specifications confirmed in
writing with a confirmation number. Trusting souls that we were, we made ours six months in advance and, upon arrival were advised cavalierly that the only availability was a “smoking” room. Very disturbing! After much hassle and intense negotiation, a non-smoking, upgraded room was magically uncovered. Not the kind of treatment one would might expect from a world-class hotel. Fortunately that was the one and only glitch in an otherwise incomparable stay.
2) Guest Rooms -
   
There are 700 guest rooms and suites. We had an elegant, comfortable, well-appointed room with king bed, replete with down quilts and quality linens. Our bathroom was relatively small, but had all the necessities (all “toiletries” plus hair dryer and a terry robe) Everything was tidy and reasonably priced, given that we were there during
the off-season.
3) Recreation -
Snow bunnies we’re not, yet we can certainly understand why ski, skating and sledding aficionados flock to the Broadmoor with its myriad of winter wonderland activities with Jack Frost nipping at your nose. But as for we self-proclaimed sun-worshipping, warm-weather revelers, we were very much in our element – the element of surprise at the practically limitless number of
things one can do in the summer season. Here are our two favorites:
Pools and Spa
Indoor-heated and outdoor pools are large and very inviting. The outdoor pool is spread out in such a way that it appears to be an extension of the lake. We enjoyed having lunch at a covered area proximate to the pool. The Spa and Fitness Center has treatment rooms, an exercise facility, a lap pool and Jacuzzi.
Hiking and Sightseeing
As inveterate hikers we were struck by the almost limitless number of places to indulge our passion, whether for a couple of kilometers or many miles. Points of interest include Garden of the Gods (above), U.S. Air Force Academy, Seven Falls, Monument Valley Park (formal gardens), Maneton Cliff Dwellings and Museum.
4) Restaurants –
From among the three of the 11 restaurants to which we availed ourselves, the most and concomitantly expensive was the Penrose Room (above). To our somewhat jaded New York taste buds, the food was good but unremarkable. A notable exception, the sublimely rich soufflé. When placing your advance order for dessert, our companions and we learned to
reduce our intake to a single order with four spoons. For breakfast we made the Charles Court, on the terrace, overlooking the lake our morning habit. What could be bad! Dinner (hamburger-and-fries type) at the Lake Terrace Lounge was congenial and delicious.
5) Weather -
Glorious! Clear, blue sky – temperature approximately 80 degrees. Extremely dry. Guess we were lucky! But as that eminent philosopher Branch (Mahatma) Rickey once said, “Luck is the residue of design.”
6) Destination Proximity –
Comfortable four-hour morning flight to Denver via United Airlines. And a scenic two-hour drive to Colorado Springs. With the two-hour Mountain Standard Time pick-up we had the better part of a day at our disposal.
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