Dear Broadmoor,
They say you never get over your first. Well, you weren't my first spa. But truth be told, I can't remember anything before you.
"I feel like Annie!" - Those words from my friend Sue, on her first visit with me to the Broadmoor, really capture the essence of the Broadmoor experience. While there are plenty of tangible features that earn it a place in my heart, it's the people that make it magical. From the moment you check in, everyone from the parking valet to the bell hop to the front desk make you feel like a celebrity. Even as you hand them a bag of Doritos and girl scout cookies to be delivered to your room. (True story.) Or as you drop a bottle of red wine on the beautiful oriental rug in the lobby, sending pinot noir and shards of glass across the room. (Also a true story.) Or when, after the spa is closed, you ask Security to recover the boots you left behind in the spa locker room, and they return with your boots, and also your leopard print knickers. (Yes, sadly, also true. I'm a class act.) Nobody on that staff would mistake me for a big shot or a big spender or anything noteworthy, but they are so gracious and warm and welcoming, that the spa healing process starts the moment I set foot on the property.
The property - If I were to try to describe each feature of the resort we'd be here forever - it's a 5 star sprawling destination spa outside Colorado Springs. To quote its website -
"located on 3,000 lush acres under the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain and offers an award-winning spa, fitness center, two swimming pools, three outdoor hot tubs, one lap pool; 54 holes of championship golf, six tennis courts with tennis camps; children's programs; 24-hour room service, valet parking, 24 specialty retail shops." Okay, I haven't used the golf course, the tennis courts, or the children's programs - but every other square inch of the Broadmoor is sheer perfection. So I'll move on to the highlights.
The rooms - I've been lucky enough to stay in some of its finest suites, and also some of the smaller rooms. And I'd take the Broadmoor's smallest room over a major suite from pretty much any property I've ever stayed at. Each one has been plush and comfortable - some of the best beds I've ever slept in, luxurious soaking tubs, and bathroom amenities that always get tucked away in the return luggage (not something I usually bother with - but their lemongrass body lotion smells like heaven.) The larger suites feature formal dining rooms, separate bedrooms and bathrooms, fireplaces in comfortable sitting rooms, and outdoor spaces (balconies or lakeside terraces). You'd never want to leave the room. Except that the rest of the resort is pretty amazing, too.
The Golden Bee - A 19th century English pub (fixtures shipped over from the UK in 1961) featuring pub food, yards of beer, and sing-a-long ragtime piano entertainment every night. The waitresses serve up old school attitude as they flick sticky bees at you (I find myself peeling them off sweaters months after a trip to the Broadmoor), and it's impossible to resist singing along to Roll Out the Barrel, K-K-Katie, Sweet Caroline, and dozens of other classics. Thank god for this place, because Colorado Springs leaves much to be desired in terms of going out. Seriously, don't bother.
Other Broadmoor Bars & Lounges - The other bars around the resort are also pretty cozy, if a little subdued compared to the Bee. You've got the Hotel Bar - which features lakeside seating and a great outdoor stone fireplace for enjoying a crisp night and indoor seating that feels like a big old library/drawing room right out of an Agatha Christie novel; the Tavern - with a quasi-outdoor garden seating area that feels pretty magical in the evening; and a selection of fancy restaurants (which I usually skip because I've filled up on the aforementioned Doritos and girl scout cookies).
So yeah, Broadmoor, you are a little slice of heaven. And stay tuned for my write up on your spa - we can show the rest of the world how it's done.
Love,
Kate
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