Our Stay at the Holiday Inn Estes Park, CO!
If you live outside of the Colorado Rockies and have heard of a quiet little mountain town called Estes Park, it is more than likely because you are familiar with the nightmares that author Stephen King once had at the historic Stanley Hotel. These nightmares, which some believe were due to a paranormal intervention on property, eventually became the basis for his iconic 1977 horror novel, “The Shining”. Readers, paranormal enthusiasts and travel fanatics from all over the world make their way to Estes Park to enjoy a ghost tour, a seance or a stay at the Stanley, but - sad to say - the price point of actually sleeping in this historic hotel is well outside of most travelers’ budgetary constraints. So where does one stay when visiting Estes Park, CO, an hour and a half away from the next most-populated areas of Denver and Boulder? Enter the Holiday Inn Estes Park, one of the most unique and stylistic chain hotels we’ve stayed in thus far.
Many will know the property by its previous moniker, the Ridgeline Hotel. The hotel that stands today as the Holiday Inn Estes Park has operated under several different names since its original construction in 1972, operating first as simply the ‘Holiday Inn’ before being repositioned as the independent ‘Rocky Mountain Park Inn’ in 2004 and subsequently purchased by Delaware North and rebranded as the ‘Ridgeline Hotel Estes Park’ in 2016. Our stay coincided with the very weekend that the hotel underwent yet another rebrand after being reclaimed by original owner and developer IHG Hotels and Resorts, and became the ‘Holiday Inn Estes Park’ - so, throughout our visit to the property, we saw a significant number of branding updates underway. Never once, however, did the rebrand disrupt our stay!
The Holiday Inn Estes Park is not merely a punch-in, punch-out hotel like many of the ‘value’ properties within the IHG collection. It is a unique and expansive resort that offers many amenities not often included within a hotel stay, let alone a stay in so beautiful an area. Estes Park is seated at 7,522′ above sea level, comfortably nestled between the incredible barriers formed by the Rocky Mountains. Most every room boasts great views of those mountains and the nearby Estes Lake - as well as a complimentary hiking kit containing binoculars and a walking stick. Our room, which was a king bed fireplace room, also offered (as the name might imply) a fireplace and an expansive space with couch, table, fridge and microwave. The walls and carpeting were magnificently decorated, and all of the furniture was modern and comfortable. The king bed struck exactly the right balance of softness and firmness for our preferences, and we got better sleep in this hotel than we had been able to catch in the several days leading up to our stay.
Above: King-size bed as seen in a fireplace suite at the Holiday Inn Estes Park in Estes Park, CO.
Outside of the rooms themselves, the Holiday Inn also offered some delightful extras befitting the locale. There is an indoor pool complex which is open from 11am-11pm MST and contains a full-size recreational pool and a half-sized hot tub (spa), as well as an entertainment screen which regularly broadcasts family entertainment. There are pool noodles, floating toys and life jackets available for guest use in the complex, as well as ample seating and some tables for bystanders who would prefer to stay dry. There are also towels available for one-time use and immediate return. Some of the bookable rooms on property allow you direct, back-patio access to the pool complex as well - though, these rooms come at a surcharge, and may be accompanied by the added noise of families splashing about, so we wouldn’t necessarily recommend that room type for lighter sleepers.
Above: The Indoor Pool Complex at the Holiday Inn Estes Park
Just off the pool complex is a fitness center with a somewhat smaller capacity; however, what it lacks in scale, it more than makes up for in diversity. Free weights and dumbbells ranging from 5lbs to 35lbs, ellipticals, pelotons and treadmills can all be found within this space, as well as additional one-time-use towels and a water cooler. The property also boasts a conference center suitable for up to 1,000 guests divisible into 6 individual salons; the largest such event space in the township. ATM’s can be found throughout the property - which is a welcome difference between this hotel and others within even the IHG family - and there is a sizable game room featuring free-to-play entertainment such as air hockey, foosball, classic arcade games and board games and even some modern video game consoles connected to wall-mounted TV’s. Elsewhere, you can find additional games in the form of tabletop shuffleboard and a highly-addictive Ghostbusters pinball machine closer to the main lobby.
Talking of the lobby, never have we seen a grander and better-themed lobby at a value resort than that of the Holiday Inn Estes Park! The whole of the space is adorned with ‘lodge’ decor, with antler-style chandeliers dangling overhead and a stone fireplace with furniture tactically placed all around it, beckoning hikers, skiers and travelers of all kinds to come forth and be cozy. There are hanging basket-style ‘pods’ which seat one person per basket and are some of the most comfortable pieces of furniture that we’ve ever stumbled across. There are complimentary water bottle refill stations placed near the public restrooms - which, by the way, were immaculately clean - and even some complimentary treats for furry friends. Oh, right…did we forget to mention? The Holiday Inn Estes Park is a pet-friendly hotel! Throughout your stay, you’ll see a number of guests walking about with adorable four-legged associates, which for safety reasons must remain leashed while on property.
Above: Hanging seats as seen in the rustic lobby of the Holiday Inn Estes Park.
When your stomach begins to rumble, there are a number of restaurants within striking distance of the hotel…the closest of which doesn’t even require you to step outside. The lobby at the Holiday Inn Estes Park is adjacent to the resort’s onsite dining venue, Latitude 105. Bar seating is available for those simply wishing to grab a drink and settle into a quiet evening, but the restaurant serves significantly more than ale! On five out of seven mornings, a complimentary breakfast buffet is included in the price of your stay at the Holiday Inn Estes Park and served from the rear of the alehouse. In the evenings, the whole restaurant opens as a table service venue where guests and visitors can get a surprisingly mouth-watering assortment of goods. We can only speak for the Gold Miner BBQ Burger and the Elk Chili, but if those dishes are any indication of the menu quality, it’s probably fair to expect great things from Latitude 105 no matter what your dining preferences are! And, time and weather-permitting, don’t forget to save some room for s’mores out at one of the firepits on property!
Above: The Latitude 105 Alehouse at the Holiday Inn Estes Park, open for breakfast and dinner on select days.
We expected very little from a hotel with rooms between $200-$300 a night, but the Holiday Inn Estes Park - or as we knew it during our stay, the Ridgeline Hotel - exceeded our expectations in every way possible. The staff was friendly, conversational and accommodating, the food was great, the rooms were spacious and comfortable and the amenities offered onsite surpassed those of some significantly more expensive hotels we’ve stayed in over the years. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Estes Park, no matter what has brought you to the area or what time of year it is, we’d highly recommend checking the Holiday Inn Estes Park out and considering a multi-night stay to stretch out and get cozy! However, if you need any more convincing, you can see a complete hotel tour and learn more about our experience through our vlog below. Big thanks to managing staff members Tyson and Jeff for helping inform our content and show us around the property!
