Trailhead Lodge Rocky Mountains

About

A block from the Visitor Center on Stanley Avenue, half a mile from downtown, this is the hotel formerly called Trailborn Lodge. The rooms were redone, and the grounds carry most of the personality: a seasonal outdoor pool and an evening campfire where the staff hands out s'mores. The pool, the bar and the s'mores are what people bring up first.

La Colina, the Mexican kitchen on the property, does breakfast burritos and strong coffee in the morning and tacos and drinks later, with dinner only on certain days. The lodge also books fishing, hiking and snowshoe outings with local guides, and those fill up, so reserve early. One practical note: fees and the deposit come up often enough that the booking terms are worth reading before paying.