From craft brews to sparkling champagne, adventure to relaxation, Colorado defies description—and gravity—offering a bounty of high-altitude venues and experiences.
In addition to the standard outdoor pursuits, the state’s mountain communities offer a wealth of new and unexpected options for groups.
ASPEN/SNOWMASS
Visitors to Aspen can put their Twitter addictions to good use by using social media to locate The Oasis, a mobile mountaintop champagne bar operated by the ski-in/ski-out Little Nell Hotel.
The pop-up bar, complete with champagne, caviar, umbrellas, lounge chairs and a solar-powered sound system, is set up at a different location on the mountain each weekend, and clues are sent out via Facebook and Twitter for skiers and boarders to find. Groups can book the bar for private events Monday through Thursday.
Also operated by The Little Nell is The Sundeck atop Aspen Mountain. The 10,000-square-foot space can accommodate 500 guests and is reached via a three-mile gondola ride up to 11,212 feet, rewarding visitors with a sweeping panorama of the Continental Divide.
In the summer, yoga classes are held on the Sundeck, and in the winter groups can arrange a “First Tracks Breakfast” ski run, allowing them to be the first riders up the gondola in the morning, eat breakfast and hit the slopes before the general public rolls out of bed.
VAIL/BEAVER CREEK
According to Laura Lodge, craft brew specialist at Vail Cascade Resort, “Colorado is the largest beer-brewing state in the country and is home to more than 140 licensed breweries.”
For groups, this means an incredible and diverse selection of brewers and beer, and Vail Cascade is a perfect spot from which to soak them all in. In addition to their monthly Brewmaster Weekends, the resort offers large groups the opportunity to arrange custom beer receptions at the Atwater on Gore Creek restaurant, hosted by knowledgeable bartenders.
Small groups can partake in the series of interactive Creative Cuisine Learning Packages, which Lodge describes as a great way to be immersed in the “Napa Valley of craft beer.” With names like “For the Love of Beer” and “Sweet Influences,” the programs include food, expert beer pairings and intimate educational sessions with Lodge and Atwater’s executive chef or pastry chef.
BRECKENRIDGE
To showcase numerous unique venues that Breckenridge has to offer, the Breckenridge CVB and Heritage Alliance partnered to create the Art of Dessert, a progressive dining experience that explores exhibits and samples dishes throughout the town’s arts and historic districts. Local venues include the Fuqua Livery Stable, a restored horse-barn-turned-art gallery and workshop space, the Barney Ford House Museum and the Tin Shop artist workshop.
“This program is great because planners can really tailor it. It’s easy to increase group size and they can add on make-and-take craft projects for attendees,” says Rachel Zerowin of the Breckenridge Resort Chamber. “It takes place in the heart of the Arts and Historic Districts, so it incorporates several of our key venues.”
The program focuses on dessert, but can be expanded to include other food and beverage options.
KEYSTONE
Mark Barnes, director of sales for Keystone Resort & Conference Center, recommends the Keystone Stables and the resort’s gondola to groups looking for memorable venues.
“I just attended a Western-style cookout at the horse stables,” he says. “People were wearing cowboy boots and hats, and the event had a real ring of authenticity.”
The gondola transports guests to Keystone’s two mountaintop restaurants, which are bordered by an expansive deck that can accommodate large groups.
“It’s a spectacular ride,” he says. “Following an evening event, you can ride down the mountain and sometimes see a view of the full moon. Plus, if you fly into Denver, we are only 90 minutes from the airport, making Keystone one of the most accessible mountain resorts.” PageBreak
COPPER MOUNTAIN
For groups seeking that skiing adrenaline rush in the summer, Woodward at Copper is a unique, 19,400-square-foot indoor playground, where skiers and snowboarders can practice their skills. Private lessons are available and training obstacles include a quarter pipe, spring floor, trampolines, ramps and foam pits.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
“Steamboat is truly a great location to bring a group,” says Loryn Kaster, public relations manager for the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, “It is centrally located but it feels miles away, so it’s a fun place for groups to escape, where they can get work done and still have a wonderful time. And, Steamboat is legitimately still a cowboy town, where people ride horses down Main Street and make their livings working on the ranch.”
For the tranquilly-inclined, Strawberry Park Hot Springs is located a few miles outside of town.
“Steamboat is known for its natural mineral hot springs,” Kaster says. “It’s an incredible group experience; there’s no electricity and you’re surrounded by beautiful mountains.”
The hot springs welcome private groups, and massage therapists can be brought in.
Atop the mountain, Thunderhead Lodge looks out over the entire Yampa Valley and serves breakfast, lunch and brunch.
COLORADO SPRINGS
In May, Colorado Springs welcomed the new Mining Exchange Hotel by Wyndham, featuring 117 rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space, accented by exposed brick walls and granite arches. The downtown hotel is located in the restored building where the community’s wealthy members used to gather to trade stocks, bonds and commodities.
Outside of town, groups can hold events at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City, one of the world’s highest suspension bridges, towering 1,035 feet above the Arkansas River. The Royal Gorge Park hosts corporate picnics and offers seminar space at the Bighorn Mountaintop Lodge.
DURANGO
“We have all the amenities planners would expect to find in a metropolitan area, just on a smaller scale,” says the Durango Area Tourism Office’s Anne Klein of the 17,000-person town. “We have fantastic options for groups under 200 people, and handle that size of group very well.”
Klein reports that Durango has been made more accessible recently by an increase in air service, and that the destination has seen growth in both sports and agro-tourism.
“People want to learn about their food sources,” she says. “We’re also popular with motorcycle and airplane groups. Last summer several hundred Spyder enthusiasts rode into town on their three-wheel motorcycles.”
In nearby Ignacio, the Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum was completed in June 2011. Tribal elders impart wisdom on guided tours, and the venue boasts rich architectural features, beautiful gardens and space for after-hours buyouts.
“We hear over and over again how friendly and accommodating people are here,” Klein says. “We can work with a lot of budgets, and a meeting here will be more memorable than sitting in a traditional conference room.”
TELLURIDE
Telluride is set in a box canyon, which means there is only one way in and out of town. On the other three sides, the town is surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks, offering views in every compass direction. Rooftop spaces along Main Street provide great vantage points for groups of up to 100 to take in the sights year-round. A rooftop can accommodate a reception to kick off a drive-around tour or host small group dinners.
The turn-of-the-20th-century mining town was home to the world’s first electric street lights and is quaint, safe and full of mining history.
“Everything in Telluride is locally owned and operated and the sense of community draws people in,” says Todd Gehrke, director of group and conference sales for the Telluride Tourism Board. “This is what all mountain towns should be like.”
Located in a former train depot, the Ah Haa School for the Arts can be booked for conferences, and its pine-tree surrounded outdoor deck overlooks the San Miguel River.
The Telluride Historical Museum is housed in the town’s original mining hospital. A permanent exhibit illustrates “Telluride over the years,” and indoor and outdoor event spaces are available. The outdoor amphitheater is often used for fireside chat-style events or presentations by business executives.
“Local historians can come on stage and welcome attendees to the community and introduce a keynote speaker or the company president,” Gehrke says. “Groups can then move inside for a reception.”
