The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs- And Why You’ll Love it
Our family recently took a weekend trip into Idaho Springs, the gateway to the Colorado mountains along I-70. This mountain town is filled with fun, but we especially enjoyed our stay at The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs.
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When we travel, we typically stay at chain hotels and have gotten accustomed to cookie-cutter accommodations and service. So it was quite a treat to stay at a boutique, locally owned hotel (with boutique and local service!)
Here’s everything you need to know about The Club Hotel so you can feel confident booking it for your next getaway in the Colorado mountains. If you need the best place to stay in Idaho Springs, here you go.
Disclosure: We are grateful to The Club Hotel for hosting us in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Table of Contents
A Little About The Club Hotel
First built back in the late 1800’s, the building was originally a 2-story home with parlors and 5 bedrooms. A couple lived in the home for just over a decade until they sold it and the property became a hotel.
The structure went through many changes, including being a hospital during the Spanish flu, then falling victim to a couple fires.
As the mid 1900’s neared, a couple bought it to return it to a hotel, the Hanson Lodge. It operated for about 40 years, and then the building’s purpose continued changing.
More recently, the building sat vacant for years, still a pillar of historical significance.
That’s when the new, current owners decided to purchase and renovate it back into a hotel.
While the renovations made some upgrades both to bring it to code and to make it more comfortable, the hotel still boasts historic features, like the fireplace in the annex that was added nearly 100 years ago.
The Club hotel in Idaho Springs has been open just a few months as of now (July 2024) and they are coming out with a bang, hoping to impress guests from the get-go, and doing a wonderful job.
Check-in Experience
If there is ever a hotel that makes you feel welcome and valued, it’s this one.
The front desk was warm and welcoming, with many genuine offers of helping make our stay great.
The check-in experience was easy and quick.
I’ll also note that I wasn’t sure if the warm welcome had anything to do with the fact that I was writing a review. But we walked into the hotel at times when other people were in the lobby, and they were receiving the same friendly service I had gotten.
The woman at the front desk was always courteous with us and everyone else we stumbled upon as we went in and out. I realized quickly, this is another great thing about staying in a small, local hotel that values its customers.
Parking at The Club
One thing to note is that parking all over Idaho Springs is all paid parking. BUT, as a guest of the Club Hotel, they can enter your plate into the city’s system so you have access to the parking lot right next to the hotel without charge.
This was really convenient and a relief to not have to worry about parking fees.
The Rooms
There are 10 guest rooms at The Club Hotel. Some sleep 2, some sleep 4. If you have young kids, you can sleep up to 6.
We stayed in the Alma-Lincoln room which has 2 queen beds on one side, and a living space with a conversion sofa that 2 of our kids slept on. This is the largest room at the hotel.
If your kids are use to sleeping on pull-out sofas at other hotels, then they will really appreciate this conversion sofa. While pull out sofas often have springs digging into your back, the conversion sofa allows you to sleep with linens on top of the couch cushions.
This set up was much more comfortable for the kids than a pull out. This means all 6 of us had a cushy space to sleep.
Room Amenities
All the rooms at The Club have their own en-suite bathroom, microwave, mini fridge, hairdryer, and TV.
One thing that stood out was that the toiletries in the rooms are all locally sourced. Plus, the tea and coffee in each room are also locally sourced. You’ll support a local hotel and also local small businesses when you stay.
Room Decor
Whoever designed the rooms really got it right. The rooms at this Idaho Springs hotel are nice and bright and well thought out. The detail from tile and wainscoting in the bathroom to the victorian style furniture and old school clock on the nightstand brings in the historic charm of the hotel with modern comforts.
Is historic-modern a design type? Because that’s what this is.
“If there is ever a hotel that makes you feel welcome and valued, it’s this one.”
Hotel Amenities
For such a small hotel (there are only 10 guest rooms, after all), it really packed a punch of comforts and amenities.
The Game Cabinet
Just behind the lobby you’ll find an antique style cabinet filled with games. Our family enjoyed playing Battleship, trivia, cards, Guess Who, and other fun family games during our down time.
The Annex
Next, the Annex is a large room right off the check-in lobby. This space is perfect for gatherings, meetings, or events. We enjoyed playing games in here at night when we were done for the night, but not quite ready for bed.
And while the hotel is small, it’s intimate and big enough to host a family reunion. Yes, you can rent out the entire hotel including the annex to host your next family reunion. It can hold 64-100 people, depending on seating arrangement.
Since there were no events scheduled during our visit, we were able to take advantage of hanging out in this large space. As large of a space as it was, it had a cozy factor added by the wooden beams above, stone fireplace, chandeliers, and artwork on the walls.
Note: to use the annex for events, you must reserve!
The Garden Patio
We also spent some time out on the garden patio. We hung out at the small, patio cafe style tables while the little girls blew bubbles.
The Lobby
I know, I know, is the lobby really an amenity?
To my kids it was!
The lobby was always stocked with large dispensers of fresh lemonade and flavored water. I do apologize to management for the amount of lemonade my kids went through 😳, though no one ever seemed to mind. This easily made this the best place to stay in Idaho Springs for my kids.
And as the mom, I really appreciated the little jar of fun size chocolates on the desk.
The lobby also had a few little seating areas that were filled with color and comfort.
Please note I cannot guarantee lemonade will be the beverage of the day when you visit 🙂
Location of The Club Hotel
You cannot beat the location of The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs. Truly.
Before we arrived, I was a little worried about where the hotel would be, knowing that Idaho Springs, as an older mining town, can take some getting use to driving around.
Plus, there is paid parking everywhere, so I was worried anytime we went out it would cost us.
The great news is that The Club Hotel is located right in the heart of the historic district. We didn’t have to drive to get anywhere we needed.
Shops and Restaurants
When we left the doors of The Club, it took less than a minute to walk to main street (Miner Street) and have access to all the shops and best restaurants in town.
You’ll find the famous Beau Jo’s Colorado style pizza, an ice cream and toy shop, handmade soaps (you’ll know you’re there when you can smell it), and plenty of other fun and local shops and restaurants.
If you are taking a day to drive up Mount Blue Sky or take the gorgeous hike to St. Mary’s Glacier, you won’t have far to go.
The Famous Water Wheel
The Charlie Tayler Water Wheel is just across I-70 from The Club hotel, and you can walk there safely via a sidewalk that goes under the highway. The path near the water wheel and waterfall is a great place to take a family walk, and it only took about 8-10 minutes to leisurely walk over.
Convenience Stores
We realized we needed another toothbrush when we arrived. We thought we’d have to hop in the car and navigate over to Safeway (grocery market) to grab one, until we realized there were a couple gas station convenience stores right at the end of the historic district. Another easy, walkable location from The Club.
Idaho Springs Historical Society and Visitor Center
The Historical Society is located along Miner Street, and only takes around 10 minutes to walk. I always recommend stopping at Visitor Centers wherever you visit to get some inside info. Here you can find not only info and helpful people to guide your trip, but a historical perspective of Idaho Springs.
Beat The Ski Traffic on I-70
Or at least cut it in half. If you live in the Denver area, you know what a beast I-70 is during ski season. Get past Floyd Hill and stay at this Idaho Springs hotel to cut down your ski commute significantly.
Check out all the great things to do in Idaho Springs while you visit!
“You cannot beat the location of The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs. Truly.”
The Club Hotel
- Perfect Location to Downtown Idaho Springs
- Comfortable, nicely decorated rooms
- Event Space for meetings, events, or reunions
- Game Cabinet filled with variety
- Great, friendly service!
What The Club Hotel Doesn’t Have
It’s true, staying at The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs was pretty perfect. We had comforts and conveniences beyond what we are use to and absolutely loved the location.
As a smaller, local hotel, there are a few things the hotel naturally doesn’t have that are helpful to know.
1- There is no pool. As a small, quaint hotel, there really isn’t room. And having a pool would take away from the historical significance of this place. Good news…up in the Colorado mountains, it’s typically not incredibly hot. If you find yourself needing to cool down, consider going rafting. That’s way more fun than a pool.
2- There’s no breakfast buffet. Again, not much of a let down for this cozy place. And there is a Starbucks a mile away, plus Main Street Restaurant just down the road (top rated for breakfast!)
None of these should be deal breakers, though. You’ll be finding so much adventure in Idaho Springs that you won’t need a pool and probably wouldn’t have time for it.
We typically bring most of our meals on trips, so we had bagels and other easy breakfasts we ate before we went out for the day. With the mini fridge, you could also throw in some yogurts and fruit.
Or, like I suggested, head to one of the great places just a block away on Miner Street that offer breakfast and brunch.
Video Tour of the Club Hotel in Idaho Springs, CO
Family Review of The Club Hotel
Straight from the mouth of babes (and with 0 prompts), here’s what we liked best about The Club Hotel:
9 year old: “I liked the bathroom. The bathroom was really nice.”
It’s funny coming from a 9-year old, but I totally agree with her! The shower was huge, the bathroom itself was large, and I loved the local soaps and shampoos. The floor tile was so pretty.
7 Year Old: “I liked the bed. It was comfortable.”
That’s coming from the girl that usually sleeps on springs from a pull out sofa, but got to sleep on a comfy conversion sofa instead. So I can see why that stood out.
11 Year Old: “The lemonade!”
Again, so sorry we drank so much, ha! I eventually did cut them off, but all the kids really liked it. So much that when we got home my son pulled out our drink dispenser and made his own so he could have lemonade on tap.
Teenager: “My favorite was the games and how we got to play them in the big room.”
Indeed, it was nice having a large variety of games to choose from and play. While the annex may or may not be available depending on the day you visit, it was nice having that option.
Dad: “I really liked that big room [the annex]. I liked being able to go in and play games. I really liked the seating area outside and being able to sit in the shade and hang out.”
Mom: “I loved all the thoughtful, personal touches.”
This includes the lemonade and chocolates. But it also includes fresh flowers in the hotel lobby and room and handwritten notes welcoming us and other guests to the hotel. I loved that every time we walked by the lobby, she asked how we were doing and what she could do. And I loved the game cabinet for those moments of downtime.
The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs Review Wrap Up
Would I stay at The Club again?
Absolutely.
What a wonderful, charming experience! My kids were so excited to have such a spacious room, to have games and bubbles to use, and, again, to have lemonade 😂.
You cannot beat the location or the service.
With all the adventure, shopping, and restaurants so close, I could envision an incredible family reunion, retreat, fitness weekend, or team building trip easily happening with The Club hotel.
But it’s also great just for couples or a family coming into town and wanting the best place to stay in Idaho Springs, CO. With comfort, convenience, friendly faces and special touches, The Club Hotel in Idaho Springs is the perfect place to stay.
Ready to book? Snag a room in this wonderful hotel now! (direct booking) or Book through Booking.com
