Anchored by the silhouette of Pikes Peak, Colorado’s second-largest city is one of the state’s most versatile meetings and events destinations. With an impressive lineup of group-friendly resorts and hotels, distinctive venues, and extraordinary experiences, Colorado Springs allows planners to think big, even when bookings are for smaller groups.
“Colorado Springs is a beautiful city—a big city with a small-town feel,” says Jack Damioli, president and CEO of The Broadmoor, one of the most renowned hotels in Colorado with a rich history spanning over a hundred years. “There is a lively food and bar scene downtown and a wonderful urban interface with wilderness.
It is only a 1-mile walk from The Broadmoor to North Cheyenne Cañon Park, with The Broadmoor Seven Falls in this area.” The hotel purchased Seven Falls back in 2014 and reopened the park, known for its seven canyon waterfalls, one year later after restoration work and the addition of Restaurant 1858 and the Soaring Adventure zip-line courses.
Known as “Olympic City USA,” Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee; Colorado Springs Olympic & Paralympic Training Center; U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum; and 26 national governing bodies, which are responsible for managing training, competition, and development for specific sports. Meeting planners might book function space and group activities at both the museum and training center.
Groups also can learn about notable athletes at the World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame and ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy; the latter offers several indoor and outdoor function spaces. Celebrate the spirit of competition by cheering on the United Soccer League’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field, an 8,000-seat outdoor stadium in downtown Colorado Springs that can be booked for gatherings.
“Colorado Springs offers first-tier amenities without the first-tier price tag,” says Dina Worthen, director of sales for Visit Colorado Springs. “For many attendees, the city is a bucket-list destination, driving program attendance across all industries. Additionally, access continues to get easier with increased flights to the Colorado Springs Airport, which is served by all the major airlines.” Denver International Airport is just over an hour away, expanding flight options even further.
Group-Ready Hotels
Colorado Springs’ lodging landscape supports gatherings of all sizes and styles. “We have a wide range of lodging options, so we can work with larger groups of more than 400 down to board retreats or incentive programs of 20 people,” confirms Worthen. “About 150 to 200 [attendees] is the sweet spot for many of our hotel properties.”
However, the 41st annual Space Foundation Space Symposium to be held April 13-16 will be a major exception, with more than 10,000 registrants representing 1,500 organizations attending the event last year. The Broadmoor always serves as the meeting location and joins Cheyenne Mountain Resort, A Destination by Hyatt Hotel, as a host hotel. Twenty-eight other area properties are part of the lodging pool, each with shuttle transportation provided to the conference.
Opened in 1918, The Broadmoor has 315,000 square feet of meeting space that spans elegant ballrooms, flexible breakout rooms, and picturesque outdoor spaces. The property also is well known for its many diverse dining outlets and on-site activities, including a Forbes Five-Star spa and two championship golf courses. For accommodations, there are 784 guest rooms and suites, including cottages, brownstones, and the five-bedroom Estate House. The resort extends beyond the main 5,000-acre campus and into the mountains surrounding Colorado Springs with two Wilderness Experience properties: Cloud Camp and The Ranch at Emerald Valley.
The latest news from The Broadmoor is the relaunch of The Penrose Room, which opened in 1961 and became the first Colorado restaurant to earn a Forbes Five-Star rating in 2008, a year after receiving a AAA Five-Diamond rating. “The Penrose Room is stunning, and we are getting rave reviews,” shares Damioli. “We also are finishing up plans for a par-3 golf course that will launch in 2027.”
Three other full-service resorts in the area also are well worth consideration and offer the whole package: lodging, meeting space, restaurants, spas, golf, tennis, and a long list of additional activities. All have earned AAA Four-Diamond ratings, and each has its own unique personality and distinct features for groups. For example, Garden of the Gods Resort & Club is surrounded by the red rocks that make Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center one of the city’s best-known attractions. The 117-room resort wrapped up a $40 million renovation in 2023 and has 57 guest rooms and suites in the main lodge, as well as one- to three-bedroom cottages and casitas. One of the most distinctive aspects is the 31,000-square-foot Strata Med building that includes a medical center; spa; salon; and an event center often used for fitness and cooking demonstrations, educational lectures, and more. Here, planners can book spa services for attendees, schedule a wellness retreat, or plug leadership into the concierge “Executive Health” program.
In northeast Colorado Springs, Flying Horse Resort & Club has 102 guest rooms, suites, and villas, plus more than 21,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor venues, including four meeting rooms with connecting terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Playing a round at one of the two golf courses is one of many activity choices. Meanwhile, the 217-acre Cheyenne Mountain Resort delivers lake and golf-course views and 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including four spacious ballrooms and an amphitheater, for up to 600 attendees.
The Mining Exchange Hotel downtown unveiled a total renovation in June 2024 that blends boutique style with modern amenities in a 1902 historic building, while The Antlers, A Wyndham Hotel, is ideal for larger conventions and meetings in the heart of the city. For groups drawn to heritage and tranquility, Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center offers a unique, campus-style environment where meetings unfold amid manicured grounds and historic stone architecture.
Newest on the meetings hotel scene is Hotel Polaris that opened next to the North Gate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in November 2024. Groups can book more than 30,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a 4,000-square-foot event lawn, and the 5,500-square-foot plaza. Frontgrade Technologies, headquartered in Colorado Springs, hosted its annual Leadership Forum at Hotel Polaris in August, bringing together 60 senior leaders.
“Hotel Polaris was selected as the venue because it is a new, visually striking property that offers a fresh and inspiring setting, along with a meaningful connection to leadership through its proximity to and design influence from the U.S. Air Force Academy,” says Frontgrade Technologies Staff Executive Ewa Folden. “That tie to service, discipline, and leadership strongly aligned with the purpose and goals of our Leadership Forum.”
Frontgrade used the hotel’s conference rooms for meetings and meals and the Thunderbird Bar, Flight Simulator Lounge, and rooftop Aviator Bar for networking. “One of the things we loved most about Hotel Polaris is that you truly don’t need to go off-site, because the property offers so many built-in experiences that support connection, networking, and team engagement all in one place,” Folden says. “That said, we did take our team to downtown Colorado Springs for one evening, which provided a great opportunity to enjoy the Colorado Springs scene.”
The new General Bradley and Zita Hosmer Visitor Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy, slated to open in May, is connected to Hotel Polaris via walkway bridge. The 34,000-square-foot center will include seven galleries, each with its own theme and interactive Air Force-focused exhibits. In the center’s 108-foot atrium, attendees might marvel at the 40-, 45-, and 50-foot tetrahedra amid soundscapes of Air Force ceremonies while looking out toward the Front Range.
Experiential Venues
“In addition to flexible convention and meeting space, the region offers unique and authentic off-site venues that are sure to elevate the experience for attendees,” emphasizes Worthen. Colorado heritage takes center stage at the historic Flying W Ranch, where chuckwagon suppers and Western stage shows featuring the Flying W Wranglers create a festive, high-energy atmosphere. The 1,450-acre working cattle ranch hosts groups of 20 to 2,000 attendees and offers many event spaces and add-on entertainment options, such as private rodeos, cattle-roping demonstrations, archery, ax throwing, horseback riding, and more.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, perched above the city, delivers an unforgettable setting for events with animal encounters and sweeping views, while the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum adds historical context to receptions and meetings. More history comes alive at the National Museum of World War II Aviation and inside the fully intact aircraft dining room of The Airplane Restaurant just 1 mile away. Other memorable outings include food, cocktail, beer, and art tours with Rocky Mountain Food Tours and arcade games and billiards at Dave & Buster’s. Or, check out the lesser-known Edward C. Rochette Money Museum and Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum.
For a dose of culture, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College has galleries, performances, and educational programs that add depth to any agenda. Or, purchase tickets for concerts at the open-air Ford Amphitheater, which opened in 2024 with a capacity of 8,000 and private event spaces for 10 to 500 attendees, as well as restaurants that overlook the seating and stage.
