Best Boulder Hotels

The 201-room St. Julien epitomizes contemporary luxury. While not overly large, the tastefully furnished, tranquility-inducing rooms are done in tones of gold, brown, beige and sage. Request a mountain view rather than a Boulder view room for a great view of the Flatirons. The lobby is a magnet for guests and others. Afternoon tea is served there, and complimentary live entertainment is featured nightly except Monday. The dark and sophisticated T-Zero Lounge is right off the lobby. Jill’s Restaurant serves modern American cuisine at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel also boasts such amenities as underground parking (not to be taken for granted in downtown Boulder), complimentary Wi-Fi, fitness facilities and an indoor pool. The 10,000-square-foot Spa at St. Julien is a local favorite. Unique signature treatments are based on Colorado's indigenous plants and elements. Try the Boulder Rocks package, a facial utilizing energy-balancing gemstones followed by a full-body hot stone massage.

With 269 rooms, this hotel—formerly just the Harvest House—ranks as a giant by Boulder hotel standards. The attractive rooms feature dark wood furniture and art photographs of local landmarks on the white walls. Business travelers treasure the oversize desks. Now, if only they would abolish the charge for Internet access! The hotel occupies a charmed location with the University of Colorado to the south, two shopping centers nearby to the north and the Boulder Creek Path passing right beside its beautifully landscaped grounds. Fuller’s Griffin Cigar Bar, Boulder’s original cigar bar, with hand-rolled cigars and a wide array of single malt scotches, is a rare treat for smokers in this health-conscious city. Coaches Corner is the hotel’s interactive sports bar. Other amenities include a fitness center, 12 tennis courts (five covered for winter play) and indoor and outdoor pools.

When you look at this Quality Inn with its elegant forest green exterior and bright window boxes, you know this is no ordinary motel. In fact, it is an upscale, upgraded property that offers 49 attractive, well-appointed rooms, plus such people amenities as a small indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and fitness room. Several rooms are pet-friendly (for a surcharge). Pet amenities in designated rooms include fenced-in dog area equipped with disposable waste bags, treats wrapped with a bandana at check-in, water bowls for their use during their stay and disposable litter boxes for feline guests. The Quality Inn is close to CU, Naropa and downtown Boulder and is also located right along the Boulder Creek Path, so you might want to borrow a bike (free) and take a ride. The inn serves a full buffet breakfast. Pets are accepted in a number of rooms.

This whistle-clean motel has a champagne location on Broadway between the CU campus and downtown, and beer-budget rates. It not only is pet-friendly (for an additional fee), but it is smoker-friendly, sort of. Smoking is permitted in just three of the 40 rooms. A small outdoor pool surrounded by lounge chairs and equipped with pool toys is open from May through September, weather permitting. Broadway is Boulder’s main north-south arterial, so if traffic noise is an issue, bring earplugs or book elsewhere. Continental breakfast included the room rates consists of hot and cold cereals, yogurt, fresh bakery items, two types of juice, gourmet coffee and a selection of Boulder’s own Celestial Seasonings teas.