Home to Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is a small mountain town that serves as the primary home base for exploring the park. This colorful community is surrounded by the great outdoors, providing year-round visitors with a slew of accommodations, ranging from luxury hotels to cozy bed and breakfasts.
Adventures are bountiful, from hiking and biking to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. A charming downtown offers plenty of dining options, shopping, art galleries, breweries, and hotels. Because there is no lodging offered inside the park (outside of camping), many visitors choose to stay in the town of Estes Park.
The most popular local attraction is hands down the RMNP. Although it peaks in popularity during the summer, winter still is a rewarding time to visit. During summer though you can traverse either Trail Ridge or Old Fall River roads west to reach Grand Lake on the opposite side of RMNP. Do a day loop drive, starting with the one-way west Old Fall River Road, and coming back on Trail Ridge Road.
Or, stay the night in Grand Lake, at one of its charming accommodations, on the opposite side of RMNP. On the Estes Park side, these accommodations in Allenspark are located south of town, around thirty minutes from the eastern entrance to the park.
In addition to the national park, two national forests are nearby: Arapaho and Roosevelt. Both provide year-round fun.
Estes Park lies on the northern end of the Peak to Peak Byway, which goes south on CO-7, CO-72, and CO-119, to Black Hawk. The drive one-way takes about an hour and a half (one-way), so it’s a great route to take to or from the Denver Metro area. With all the activities to be found, let’s look at the best hotels to stay in Estes Park.
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Here are our choices for the top hotels in Estes Park, CO, in no particular order:
The Stanley Hotel
As the inspiration for the movie The Shining, the historic Stanley Hotel is one of the most popular hotels in the state of Colorado. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Stanley Hotel sits perched atop a hill, offering commanding views of the town and the surrounding mountains.
It provides many luxurious amenities along with plenty of charm and character. The hotel is also one of the premier dining destinations in Estes Park with four different restaurants including Cascades Restaurant, The Whiskey Bar & Lounge, Colorado Cherry Club, and the 517 Club – exclusive for members only.
Discover more about the history of the hotel with one of their tours. Choose from the day tour or get spooked on their night tour, where they explore the “active” phenomena and spirits that have called The Stanley home for over 100 years.
Amenities:
- On-site dining options
- Outdoor dining terrace/garden
- Tesla charging stations
- Mountain views
- Fitness center
- Free Wi-Fi
While each of the four different accommodations offers its own perks and amenities, the aforementioned are amenities that all guests can enjoy. The hotel offers these accommodations:
The Stanley – the main hotel with classic hotel rooms
The Lodge at the Stanley – offering boutique pet-friendly rooms
Aspire at The Stanley – offers apartment-style residences
The Residences at The Stanley – condos that overlook Rocky Mountain National Park
- 333 E Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-577-4000
- Check prices, availability or book The Stanley Hotel
Holiday Inn Estes Park
Located at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park, Holiday Inn in Estes Park is a great jumping-off point for all your mountain adventures. Enjoy updated rooms, convenient amenities, an excellent location, delicious dining at Latitude 105, and beautiful mountain views – all with a stay at the Holiday Inn.
Amenities:
- Indoor heated swimming pool and hot tub
- Fitness center
- On-site restaurant and bar
- Outdoor firepits
- Game area
- On-site parking
- Pet-friendly
- Free Wi-Fi
Guests can choose from 147 rooms and suites, with a variety of configurations, remodeled details, and refined furnishings. One King bed and two Queen beds configured rooms are available, with standard and suite-style layouts. There are a few rooms that offer a balcony and a living area. All rooms include a work desk and computer station, mini-refrigerator, flat-screen TV, and updated furnishings.
- 101 S St Vrain Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-480-0110
- Check prices, availability or book Holiday Inn Estes Park
4 Seasons Inn on Fall
Enjoy mountain views in every direction and riverfront accommodations at the 4 Seasons Inn in Estes Park. Located on the banks of the Fall River, the 4 Seasons Inn is just minutes from downtown and five minutes from the Fall River entrance to RMNP.
Enjoy a relaxing evening on their riverfront deck, overlooking the calming waters of the Fall River and picturesque mountain views in the background.
Amenities:
- Affordable
- Outdoor picnic area and sun deck
- Hot tub
- Convenient location to Estes Park and RMNP
- Free Wi-Fi
Stay in budget-friendly accommodations where you can enjoy mountain rustic-style rooms, each with a mini-refrigerator, microwave, flat-screen TVs, and Free Wi-Fi. Choose from one and two queen bedrooms, with a few offering a balcony and a private hot tub.
- 1130 W Elkhorn Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-5693
- Check prices, availability or book 4 Seasons Inn
Romantic RiverSong Bed & Breakfast Inn
Providing couples with a romantic retreat in Estes Park since 1922, the Romantic RiverSong Inn offers the perfect setting to get away with your sweetheart. Located on 26 private and secluded acres of wooded and tranquil surroundings, couples will enjoy private hiking trails, private access to the National Forest, outdoor patios, riverside meadows, and more.
Setting aside their secluded location, the other main attraction here is their breakfast. Featured in magazines and cookbooks, their breakfast is a delicious blend of natural, local ingredients that make for a delicious healthy food option to start your day. Breakfast is included in your stay.
Amenities:
- Daily breakfast
- Access to private hiking trails
- Outdoor gardens and lounge areas
- Adults only
- Private massages (reservation only)
- Free Wi-Fi
There is a total of 10 guest rooms available that offer stylish, elegant, and comfortable surroundings. Four of the rooms are located in the main house, and two each in the Carriage, Cottage, and Mountain houses. Each room offers its own distinct character with unique antique furnishing with mountain-chic details.
All rooms have a King-size bed and en-suite bathrooms. The rooms in the mountain house offer private entrances and decks overlooking the meadow.
- 1766 Lower Broadview Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-4666
- Check prices, availability or book Romantic RiverSong Inn
Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
For another budget-friendly option in Estes Park, book your stay at Alpine Trail Ridge Inn. Located just west of the main entrance to RMNP, Alpine Trail Ridge Inn offers guests a convenient location, year-round, for just the right price.
Amenities:
- An outdoor pool and hot tub
- Firepit area
- On-site restaurant at Bird & Jim
- Free Wi-Fi
- Pet-friendly
With recently renovated rooms, guests will enjoy rustic-chic décor, modern amenities, and clean accommodations. All rooms come with private entrances, mini-refrigerators, microwaves, flat-screen TVs, and more, plus a few rooms offer a private balcony with mountain views.
Choose from standard one King and two Queen bedrooms, plus larger options including, the Western King Suite and the Kitchen Family Unit.
- 927 Moraine Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-4585
- Check prices, availability or book Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
The Estes Park Resort
Get the full luxury resort experience when you stay at The Estes Park Resort. Nestled on five acres on the shores of Lake Estes, the resort is where visitors go find a taste of the good life in Estes Park. Indulge in a variety of spa treatments, waterfront dining at The Dunraven, mountain views, and easy access to recreational activities.
Amenities:
- Lake views
- Fitness center and sauna
- Lakeside firepits
- Outdoor deck with views
- In-room spa services
- Access to the 3-mile walking trail around Lake Estes
- Free Wi-Fi
Guests can choose from 54 rooms and suites, plus spacious mountain village cabins that provide a whole other level of luxury. Rooms are equipped with mini-refrigerators, plush linens, pillowtop mattresses, and flat-screen TVs. If you are looking for a particular view, they offer garden, ridge, or lake view options.
- 1700 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-577-6400
- Check prices, availability or book The Estes Park Resort
Silver Moon Inn
If you are looking to be near all the action of downtown Estes Park, the Silver Moon Inn is your best choice. Enjoy its beautiful location on the banks of the Fall River, while also being able to walk to many restaurants, shops, and art galleries in town.
Amenities:
- Complimentary breakfast
- Outdoor fire pit area on the river
- Evening S’more making
- Seasonal pool and hot tub
- Downtown location
- Complimentary snowshoe rental
- Pet-friendly rooms available
- Free Wi-Fi
The inn offers a variety of room types including, King rooms with fireplaces to larger riverfront two-bedroom suites that come equipped with a full kitchen. Basic in-room amenities include a mini-refrigerator, flat-screen TV, A/C, plus coffee and tea makers.
- 175 Spruce Dr, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-6006
- Check prices, availability or book Silver Moon Inn
The Maxwell Inn
The Maxwell Inn is a boutique hotel located in Estes Park and is the perfect option for a mountain escape. Built-in the late 1930s as a family home, the hotel has been renovated over the years into a charming and quaint lodge.
With a mountain charm all its own, the family-owned inn is your go-to choice for your next weekend escape. Its ideal location along the river provides access to a paved pathway that brings you to the center of downtown Estes Park.
Amenities:
- Free continental breakfast
- Outdoor hot tub
- Outdoor firepits
- Free Wi-Fi
The inn provides a variety of accommodations including, King rooms, one and two Queen rooms, and their latest addition, the on-the-river rooms. These rooms include a Queen-size bed, a kitchenette, and a small balcony on the river. Each of the 17 rooms is equipped with modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs, plush mattresses and linens, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffeemaker.
- 553 W Elkhorn Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-2833
- Check prices, availability or book The Maxwell Inn
Boulder Brook on Fall River
For another romantic option in Estes Park, book your stay at the Boulder Brook on Fall River. Located alongside the banks of the Fall River, this luxury resort offers a tranquil setting to enjoy wildlife viewing, fishing, and relaxing evenings with your significant other.
Amenities:
- Outdoor hot tub
- Convenient location to downtown
- Outdoor gazebo
- Riverfront sitting area
- In-room spa services
Choose from 19 cozy, adult-only riverfront condo-style cabins, including their spa suites, and one and two-bedroom suites. Enjoy amenities such as outside decks, two-person jetted tubs, fireplaces, full kitchens, river views, and spacious surroundings.
- 1900 Fall River Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-0910
- Check prices, availability or book Boulder Brook on Fall River
The Landing at Estes Park
As Estes Park’s boutique riverside retreat, The Landing is another great option for a secluded mountain getaway. Located just minutes from RMNP, the hotel is nestled along the banks of the Big Thompson River, where guests can enjoy front-door access to nature. Soak up luxury details like stone fireplaces, handcrafted hickory furniture, and original artwork.
Amenities:
- Exclusive riverfront access
- Riverfront firepit and pavilion
- On-site fishing
- Fitness center
- Excellent location to the park
- Free Wi-Fi
Accommodations include several suites, cabins, and villas, plus the River Ranch vacation home. Choose from the Lodge suites or King suites, equipped with luxurious amenities, some with balconies and fireplaces.
For those who need a bit more room, the cabins and villas offer sleeping accommodations for up to six people, with private balconies or patios and stunning views. And for the ultimate vacation getaway, book the River Ranch vacation home that comes complete with outdoor gas firepit, dry sauna, hot tub, pool table, and more.
- 1774 CO-66, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-820-0118
- Check prices, availability or book The Landing at Estes Park
Woodlands on Fall River
Found along the fantastic Fall River, the Woodlands is one of the best lodging options in Estes Park. Guests enjoy convenient access to RMNP, picturesque landscaping, local wildlife, mountain views, and more.
Amenities:
- Riverfront decks with gas grills
- Outdoor hot tub
- Access to private fishing
- Excellent location to downtown and RMNP
- Scenic river views
- Free Wi-Fi
Accommodations include one and two-bedroom options, plus a two-bedroom loft suite and the Homestead Home. Each suite offers a great room with a wood-burning fireplace, spacious living area, full kitchens, and a full bath. The Homestead home sits adjacent to the Woodlands and provides ample space for a large group with three bedrooms, a living and dining area, plus a grand outdoor space.
- 1888 Fall River Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-0404
- Check prices, availability or book Woodlands on Fall River
Della Terra Mountain Chateau
Della Terra Mountain Chateau is a luxury, boutique inn that rests on 14 secluded acres, near the Fall River entrance to RMNP. The picturesque chateau is the centerpiece of this Estes Park resort and is complemented by its soft surroundings of Mother Nature, it’s truly heaven on earth.
Amenities:
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- Adult-only
- Access to the Loft Bar
- Essence Spa Treatment room and sauna
- Theatre room and lodge room
- Free Wi-Fi
Choose from 14 luxurious suites located inside the chateau that feature walk-thru jetted showers, private balconies, hot tubs, fireplaces, soaking tubs, and stunning mountain views. For family accommodations, they offer five cozy mountain cabins that sit below the chateau. Enjoy mountain views, fireplaces, hot tubs, and more.
- 3501 Fall River Rd, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-586-2501
- Check prices, availability or book Della Terra Mountain Chateau
That’s our roundup of the best places to stay in Estes Park. Enjoy your hotel, vacation rental, or cozy bed and breakfast, in this beautiful Larimer County gem.
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