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Boulder's accommodation ranges from Edwardian inns to green hotels and zen retreats – all within range of the Rockies
St Julien Hotel and Spa
The only new hotel to be built downtown in the past 100 years, the upmarket St Julien, which opened in 2005, has views of the Flatirons, a top-notch spa, and a prime location one block off Pearl Street. The accent is on low waste, with yoga and free rental bikes an added touch. It's something of a local hangout, too, because there's live music five nights a week, the lobby and gardens have free Wi-Fi, and it puts on a stellar Sunday brunch.
• 900 Walnut Street, +1 877 303 0900, stjulien.com. Doubles from $299
Boulder Outlook
Boulder's reputation as a greenies' mecca is well-founded, and if you're in town for that kind of thing, the 162-room Outlook, on the south-west side of town, is the place to stay. It's the first zero-waste hotel in Boulder, and the Blues and Greens restaurant focuses on local food. It was built as a Holiday Inn in the 1960s, so it bears the bones of a chain hotel, but on the inside it's been re-engineered, and is spacious and full of light. It's dog friendly, and has an indoor climbing wall – another very Boulder touch.
• 800 28th Street, +1 303 443 3322, boulderoutlook.com. Doubles from $69
Boulder Mountain Lodge
The Boulder Mountain Lodge is five minutes west of town, just up Boulder Canyon, but that five minutes makes a big difference: it feels like you're in the mountains. There's hiking, fishing and biking right outside the door, and as it's on the Boulder Creek Path it's an easy walk or bike to town. Originally built as a bunkhouse for University of Colorado students, the lodge has expanded and now has 30 units, from single rooms with kitchenettes to a cabin that can fit a whole family. Amenities include rental bikes and a creek-side pool and hot tub.
• 91 Four Mile Canyon Drive, +1 303 444 0882, bouldermountainlodge.com. Doubles from $98
Silver Saddle Motel
Sandwiched between the Flatirons and Eben G Fine Park– a summer tubing and picnicking hotspot – and with quick access to the mountains; downtown is a short walk too. The 32 simple rooms and cabins are pared down, but all have TV and internet, and most have a kitchenette option.
• 90 West Arapahoe Avenue, +1 303 442 8022, silversaddlemotel.com. Call for latest rates, as they fluctuate
Chautauqua
The Colorado Chautauqua park is a must on any trip to Boulder. Founded in 1898 as a cultural retreat, it drew people from all over the country to stay in the park and listen to summertime lectures. The 58 original cottages range from small studios to spacious three beds. They all have kitchens, Wi-Fi and big porches, but no TVs – solitude is the goal here. There is good hiking, and concerts and events almost every night.
• 900 Baseline Road, +1 303 442 3282, chautauqua.com. Doubles from $125 a night
Alps Boulder Canyon Inn
This 12-room inn was built before 1870, before Colorado was even a state, and figures high on the cosy scale (and a long way from one of its previous incarnations, as a bordello). Tucked up in Boulder Canyon, at the confluence of Boulder and Four Mile creeks, its rooms have fireplaces and mountainside patios or porches. Breakfast comes highly rated, as do the complimentary afternoon cookies. You're an easy jaunt from downtown, and from hiking in the canyon.
• 38619 Boulder Canyon Drive, +1 303 444 5445, alpsinn.com. Doubles from $164
Briar Rose Boulder
Tucked into a centrally located Queen Anne-style house just south of Pearl Street, the 10-room Briar Rose is run by a Zen monk and his wife. There's unlimited tea and cookies, a garden and meditation room, and the light-filled rooms are individually decorated – each reflects the Japanese sensibilities of the innkeepers. The Briar Rose is a zero-waste house … the owners even do the organic breakfast shopping by bike.
• 2151 Arapahoe Avenue, +1 303 442 3007, briarrosebb.com. Doubles from $164
The Bradley Boulder
The most modern of the Boulder B&Bs, and purpose built – so every room has its own bathroom. However, it blends in with the older local architecture. It's two blocks north of Pearl Street, an easy walk from downtown, and guests have access to a local health club. The rooms all have Wi-Fi, TVs and fireplaces. The nightly wine and cheese happy hour is a highlight, as is the local art on the walls.
• 2040 16th Street, +1 303 545 5200, thebradleyboulder.com. Doubles from $195
Lookout Inn
This family-run inn is located on the north-east side of Boulder, close to the Boulder reservoir and up-and-coming North Boulder. All 13 rooms are named after Colorado destinations and they all have patios and fireplaces. Breakfast is included, and the inn is affiliated with the nearby Ayurvedic LifeSpa, a 10-minute walk away, which offers detoxifying Panchakarma massage.
• 6901 Lookout Road, +1 303 530 1513, lookoutinnguesthouse.com. Doubles from $124
The Boulderado
A Boulder institution, in operation since New Year's Day 1909. The original cherrywood staircase and the lobby's tiled floor have lived through Boulder's mining and railroad days. It's on the national register of historic places, is still owned by Boulder locals, and, rumour has it, has several generations of ghosts. The 160 rooms reflect the hotel's Edwardian roots, but they've been updated – right down to the iPod docks. Large groups can stay at the nearby Pine Street Guest House. The dark and cavernous Catacombs bar, in the basement, is worth a visit.
• 2115 Thirteenth Street, +1 303 442 4344, boulderado.com. Doubles from $199
Note: prices do not include local tax
Heather Hansman is a writer and editor, and is the former online editor of Powder magazine
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