The Broadmoor

Character and identity

Sprawling across 5,000 acres below Cheyenne Mountain, this 786-room grande dame has been operating since the 1910s on the site of a former dairy farm, and the setting reads more like a grand Alpine hotel than a typical American resort. The architecture, European art from founders Spencer and Julie Penrose, and "Bottle Alley" Prohibition-era spirits display anchor a property where dining runs from Adam Tihany-designed brasserie Summit to the 19th-century English gastropub Golden Bee, Charles Court (known for its Maryland lump crab salad), and lakeside fire-pit s'mores. Service holds to a polished, classic register across the campus.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The draw here is breadth: few American resorts pack this much to do onto one estate, and the property rewards guests who stay four nights or more. Book a Cheyenne Lake-view room in Broadmoor West for the best balance of quiet and pool access, or one of the six Cape Cod cottages along the East Course fairway if you're travelling as a group. Shoulder-season rates in late spring and early autumn offer the best value.