Our Trip to the Broadmoor

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer | Shoes: Schutz | Bag: YSL | Lipstick: Queen B | Earrings: Similar | Eyeshadow: MAC | Sunglasses: Gucci


My mom grew up going to The Broadmoor as a child with her family. She could easily count at least 8 different times she went, so when she told us we needed to go there for our family vacation we thought, “Really? You want to go there again?” None of us had ever been, but we knew how often she frequented the resort. This ended up being our favorite family summer vacation and it was incredible. Paul and I left saying it was the most relaxing vacation we had ever had. We always joke how so many vacations can still be exhausting. They are always enjoyable and you leave with the best memories, but sometimes you also leave tired! With skiing there is all the gear and the lockers and the shuttles. With beach houses you’re cooking all the meals and constantly cleaning up sand from your little cousin’s feet. Disney World is an entire feat in and of itself. I mean I LOVE Disney, but people train for that now like you train for a marathon. And then of course there are all-inclusive resorts, but many times I’m left weighing less than I weighed when I arrived. I’ve never loved food at all-inclusive resorts and I don’t know about you but I know a good vacation means I come home having gained a pound or two! haha. [But if you have any all-inclusive resorts with good food send my way in the comments!]  The Broadmoor was just easy. The food was great. The rooms were great. The service was beyond anything I had ever experienced.

My favorite part of this trip was easily the weather. We went to Garden of the Gods at 3 p.m. on a Monday. If you go outside at 3 p.m. in July in Texas you will come back inside after 5 minutes with a heat rash, frizzy hair and maybe a slight wave of nausea from the heat. Colorado girls, you are so blessed with your summers! For whatever it is worth to you, here is my review of the resort. I hope this helps answer any questions or at least put this spot on your vacation radar.

Stay

We stayed in The South Tower and there are a few different options while traveling to The Broadmoor. They have cottages you can stay in if you are going to be with a large party [think family reunion]. However, we stayed in the traditional hotel part. The South Tower has an incredible view and that was my favorite part of it. You overlook the lake and get to see the bridge as well as the mountains in the background, too. To get to The Broadmoor we took a direct flight into Colorado Springs Airport and took the shuttle service The Broadmoor can provide for a really affordable rate. It was about a 15 minute drive from the airport to the resort. They were great with helping me get Maxi in and out of the shuttle.

Eat

If you have food allergies, it’s well-known Disney is a great option for a trip. My mom can’t have gluten, so we are always really aware of what places are accommodating or not. I’ll be honest, most trips we take my mom gets sick. Even if hotels say something is gluten-free, there is usually cross contamination. The Broadmoor does an incredible job with this. You can order whatever you want based on your food allergy. My mom would ask for different things at restaurants not even on the menu and they would make it for her. If you have an extreme food allergy, this is a huge plus! My mom never got sick and truly got to enjoy her meals. My favorite restaurant at the resort was Ristorante Del Lago. If we go back, we say we’d book 3 nights of that! Splurge on the appetizers! Paul and I split a pizza but our family got plenty of appetizers. Honestly, I found that to be true at most of the restaurants. So if you like splitting, split a meal and then get an extra appetizer. The Golden Bee was fun for Paul and my dad, but I’ll be honest I didn’t find much I like to eat there. It’s pub food [great pub food!] but if that’s not your thing, you may pass. Natural Epicurean was my favorite for lunch, get the Buddha Bowl! We would also get their bowls to go and take them down by the pool. At the pool you must order a smoothie! I’m not a smoothie girl. They have never appealed to me and I know drinking a lot of sugar [even if it is fruit] isn’t the best for you. However, I got a smoothie nearly every day at The Broadmoor. They tasted incredible and like you were biting into fruit. If you are booking your trip, make sure you can go on a Sunday and make a reservation for The Sunday Brunch. La Taverne was also wonderful, but it is a ton of food! If you like French Onion soup, order that as your appetizer! Eat a really early lunch that day if you eat there for dinner. Also, if you are gluten free every restaurant has gluten-free bread they can serve you as an appetizer! For breakfast, stop by the Espresso News and grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I think Starbucks PSL is way too sweet, these were perfect! They also have incredible doughnuts if you want a treat.

Play

If your guy likes to golf, he will love The Broadmoor. Paul and my dad are both avid golfers and this was their most favorite course they have ever played on. I went to the spa. TWICE. Granted, one was a complimentary service because of a time mix up…but, I never go to spas. One of their waiting rooms sits above the 18th hole and you look out onto the golf course. I got there an hour early before my massage one day just to lay in there and read a book. My sister and dad did a major zipline course which The Broadmoor set up. It’s called The Broadmoor Soaring Adventure. Now, I wouldn’t sign up for this if you have any apprehension of heights. I don’t like heights, but I’ve ziplined before and it’s fine. My sister has no fear and works at Young Life camps in the summer where they do this daily. She told me she even got nervous doing this, but it was by far the highlight of her trip. We did Pikes Peak [which honestly, you can skip! Okay don’t kill me for saying that….but you can skip it!], Seven Falls and Garden of the Gods. I didn’t do Seven Falls but the rest of the family did and they loved it. I also highly recommend booking a cabana. Compared to most resorts, these were priced really reasonably. We were there during the 4th of July which was packed and the cabanas cost around $175 per day. It was well worth it to keep a baby cool and in the shade. If you are there during a busy time of the summer, some people are down at the pool at 6 a.m. saving pool chairs, so do make note of that. The resort will tell you they open at 9 and you can save chairs around that time, but don’t make that mistake! It’s like The Hunger Games at the pool. We chose to do cabanas at the end of the trip and it was the best decision.

Wear

Normally when we travel to Colorado I pack a bag of Lululemon and call it a day. The Broadmoor has dress codes for each area, so we ended up packing a lot and I wore it all. For the summer you’ll want to wear sundresses for dinner [like pictured above] and casual, yet cute outfits during the day. Men can’t wear ball caps unless they are working out or at the pool. They prefer that you don’t wear workout clothes to eat at any of the restaurants. However, you will see people wear that sometimes. We’d get up in the morning, throw on workout clothes to hike or do something outside. We’d get back to our room, I’d change into a romper for lunch, head to the pool after and then wear a sundress for dinner. One of the restaurants is cocktail attire, so just check with your reservations. Sunday brunch is also fancier, I’d wear something like this. Because morning and evenings can still be chilly in the summer I’d pack a shawl like this to read books on the patios in the morning and something like this for dinner.

Types of Travelers

You see a mix at The Broadmoor! They do a lot of company retreats so there is a slew of young professionals. There are families and while kid-friendly, it’s not what I consider a “kid” resort. They have camps and plenty of activities for them, but you also don’t have kids everywhere you turn. There were some honeymooners and young married couples and then there were people that have come every year for the past 45 years. You also see a lot of older couples traveling with their couple friends. Many people get married at The Broadmoor so you also see wedding parties. I don’t think any type of traveler would feel left out, nor out of place. Overall, I would say this was a huge contributing factor to why this was such a great family trip. As “commercial-esque” as it sounds, there really is something for everyone.

Make Note

  • You want to make reservations well in advance. This isn’t a resort you can show up and just find a spot for lunch. We booked reservations a few weeks in advance [about 6] and we still couldn’t make it in every restaurant. Also consider making lunch reservations.
  • The service you’re provided is impeccable and so it’s certainly appropriate to tip for that. While it’s commonplace to bring extra cash and tip resort employees, with The Broadmoor I’d budget for extra to be on the safe side. I had called ahead and mentioned something about breastmilk storage and right when I checked in they got me a fridge and asked how large I wanted the fridge to be. They also brought in a microwave to heat up water to warm her milk.
  • Babies are sensitive to the altitude in the sense it affects their sleep. Our Pediatrician goes to The Broadmoor and had told me that it may make Maxi not sleep as well. It completely slipped my mind as I just thought she just meant traveling would affect her. Maxi slept horribly. I know some of that has to do with travel, but the more I talked to my friends that are moms and pediatric nurses the more I found that to be the case. We’d stayed in a hotel with her before and she slept through the night for 4 nights there so I was confused once we arrived to Colorado. One of my girlfriends’ babies has slept through the night since he was 2 weeks. They were in Colorado the same time we were and she was texting me every single day that she was dying to get home so her baby would sleep again. Towards the end of the trip she was adjusting, but just prepare your spouse if you are bringing your baby. Paul and I really just traded off the shifts and it wasn’t something that would deter us from going again with her.
  • It’s a dog-friendly resort! However, if you aren’t a dog person don’t worry! They don’t allow every dog to stay in all the rooms, those are already specified. If you have plans to go on a fishing trip, you might want to buy new Relaxn boat seats for your boat.
  • Get to the spa early! You’ll want to enjoy their oxygen room so you can acclimate to the altitude as well. While Colorado Springs isn’t that high, I did get sick the 3rd day. The oxygen room takes at least 15 minutes to work so just add that into your spa time. You could easily spend about 2 hours before your treatment enjoying the amenities.
  • If you forget a dress or a bag or a hat, don’t worry. They do have a great shop that sells Lilly Pulitzer and plenty of other brands you’d find at Nordstrom, etc.

I’m sure many of you have frequented this spot so I hope this wasn’t too redundant for you! It was such a special and relaxing trip for our family that we hope to continue the tradition like my mom had in her family. Let me know if you have other questions about the resort in the comments and I’ll do my best to help answer!

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19 Comments

  1. It sounds like a wonderful place, and you were so blessed with great weather. Glad you enjoyed your time! And… I LOVE your heels!

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  2. Sierra wrote:

    That looks incredible!!!

    Also- what a gorgeous family! I love your mother’s classic smoky eye and am dying for details! And those glasses are so chic!

    Most gorgeous fam ever. Glad you had a good vacay- certainly seems like you deserved it!!!!! Thank you for always providing such great, uplifting content.

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  3. Alex wrote:

    I have the same feelings toward all inclusives.. I’m a picky eater! However Sandals Royal Plantation has some of the best good I’ve ever had!! Not kidding!

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  4. Hi Katey,

    I love this review because you were so honest. It’s always hard to judge online reviews so thank you for being so thorough. The Broadmoor looks incredible! I would absolutely love to stay there someday. You mentioned you’ve been to Colorado before, where else have you stayed? Also I LOVE the lipcolor, I might have to get that 🙂

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  5. Taylor wrote:

    We honeymooned at Secrets Papagayo in Costa Rica and OMG it was amazing! They had the generic buffet, a pool side grill (most amazing burger), and then 4 phenomenal restaurants. One Italian with homemade pasta that was amazing, one pan-Asian (hibachi, sushi, and Asian fusion cuisine), a more “foodie” option, and the most amazing fresh surf and turf restaurant. Plus it was only about 4 hours in flight time from NOLA. While it is all adult, we were highly impressed with the service and quality! We will check out the Broadmoor–I’ve heard other say how amazing it is!

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  6. Courtney wrote:

    Curious what you thought of the retail stores?

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      I was underwhelmed in that aspect. I really liked the cosmetic store and the pet shop! I also appreciated The Broadmoor Shop has Lilly and things if you ran out of something last minute! And I of course liked that they carried MacKenzie-Childs! Other than that, I wasn’t blown away by any means. I did think their children’s shop would have more of a selection and I wanted their to be a really great book store. But I wouldn’t say it bothered me because I never really expected a lot of shopping going there. xo, Katey

      Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  7. Melanie wrote:

    Any of the Grand Velas resorts have AMAZING FOOD. We honeymooned at the Riviera Maya location and every restaurant was amazing. All of the restaurants are highly regarded and a couple of them were Four/ Fivd Diamond winners. We joke around that we would go back for one night just to have the bread basket at the French restaurant.

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
    • Jane wrote:

      AGREED!!!! The Gran Velas in Playa is EXQUISITE………..in ALL WAYS!!!

      Published 03 Aug 17Reply
  8. Sara Holland wrote:

    The pubeblo Bonita resorts on the pacific side of Cabo had the best food iv had at any resorts. They had a market up by the family resort and had very good food! One of the resorts is adult only and other is family friendly. Secrets was bad either.

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  9. Looks like so much fun! Austin and I want to visit 🙂

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  10. Emily Cooke-Varin wrote:

    I agree that the grand velas was the best all inclusive I’ve ever stayed and had the best food.

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  11. Katey, I don’t know how you do it! You are seriously like a superwoman. Total mom goals!

    Published 25 Jul 17Reply
  12. Kelsey wrote:

    I’ll have to check this resort out once we get moved to Denver!! Thanks for the great review.

    As far as all inclusives, we loved the food at Excellence Playa Mujeres. I’m haven’t been the biggest fan of all inclusives for the same reason but Excellence was amazing!

    Published 26 Jul 17Reply
  13. Stephanie Bevan wrote:

    Sounds like such a fun family vacation!

    This also has me so excited- I’m literally en route moving from central Texas to Colorado Springs right now, and I can’t wait to check out Seven Falls once we move in! Not to mention escaping the standard 100+ degree days I’ve gotten used to in Texas haha. I’ll definitely have to plan a trip to the Broadmoor for a fun weekend later on as well, and I’m really interested in the Soaring Adventure.

    Published 26 Jul 17Reply
  14. Michelle M wrote:

    I second the comment about Secrets resorts. We stayed at the one in Puerto Vallarta, at their sister property Dreams. I love all inclusives!

    Published 26 Jul 17Reply
  15. Sydney wrote:

    Totally agree with your comment on all-inclusive resorts’ food! I stayed at an all-inclusive (Secrets Aura Cozumel) for the first time just a month ago, and I was so disappointed with the food and drinks! Nothing was truly AWFUL, everything was just so subpar!

    Published 27 Jul 17Reply
  16. Allie Turney wrote:

    Planning a trip with my husbands family in October – so this post is coming at the PERFECT time!

    Cannot wait for sweaters and fireplaces! Thanks for sharing all of your tips. Travel planning is my favorite activity. I have already stalked the website and am getting excited!! Thanks for doing a thorough recap.

    Published 07 Aug 18Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Allie, you will LOVE it!!! I keep telling Paul how much I want to go back. It is the most beautiful and relaxing vacation you could take. I hope y’all will enjoy, can’t wait to see your pics!! xo, Katey

      Published 08 Aug 18Reply