Lodge & Spa at Cordillera

Inspired by a Belgian mountain chateau, the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera first opened in 1988 with just six rooms overlooking the Vail Valley and Sawatch Range. By 1998, it had added its first golf course (the nine-hole Dave Pelz Short Course), along with dozens of additional rooms and a pub that was imported from Ireland and rebuilt on this mountain. The resulting lodge mixes European flair with Rocky Mountain grand open spaces. The lobby has high plaster ceilings and hardwood floors, and it affirms its sense of place with antique snowshoes hung on a wall next to an airy lounge with a fireplace and a grand piano. 

The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera sits along a winding mountain road perched above the town of Edwards, and has panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The hotel is neighbored only by houses that share the same mountainside property (many of which are rental homes owned by the hotel) and is about 35 minutes from Beaver Creek and its ski resort. It's a half-hour drive from Vail and the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. Skiing at Breckenridge is farther afield at about an hour and 15-minute drive, while it takes two hours to reach Aspen. The Eagle County Regional Airport is a 32-minute drive from the hotel, while Denver International Airport takes two and a half hours to reach.

All but one of the lodge's 56 rooms have balconies or patios with mountain views. Lodge Rooms are the smallest options, with simple rustic decor heavy on wood accents. Note that most of the older Lodge Rooms have a wood-burning fireplaces, which may be preferable to the gas fireplaces in newer rooms. Some of the amenities are dated -- most rooms have old tube TVs -- but all come with Keurig coffeemakers, iPod docks, and humidifiers. Mountain Deluxe rooms are a bit larger, each with either a king or two queen beds and a wood-burning or gas fireplace, while Loft Suites add cathedral ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows and spiral staircases that lead up to second levels. The large Cordillera Suite can be combined with adjacent rooms for big families, and has a living room with a gas fireplace and a balcony with spectacular mountain views. Bathrooms have single or double vanities with shower/tub combos or separate walk-in showers and soaking tubs in higher-end rooms.

There are plenty of opportunities for year-round outdoor activities in the surrounding mountainous terrain, including hiking, snowshoeing and ice skating. Many of the amenities require a short drive, including the lodge's private fly fishing streams and stocked trout ponds. The nine-hole golf course is on-site, but the three larger 18-hole signature courses are about a 13-minute drive across Interstate 70 at The Club at Cordillera. Golf at Cordillera is exclusive to members and hotel guests only. 

Back on the grounds, the outdoor heated pool and hot tub have tremendous views from the surrounding stone sundeck, which also has a few fire pits and umbrella-shaded tables. There's also a 25-meter heated indoor lap pool accompanied by another hot tub. The full-service spa offers the usual range of treatments, and it also has separate men's and women's saunas and steam rooms. 

Breakfast isn't included, but huevos rancheros and the stuffed rum French toast are on the menu at Mirador, which switches to regional classics like Colorado Rack of Lamb for dinner. Grouse on the Green invokes a traditional Irish pub, and parts of its interior were built in the Emerald Isle. The menu includes pub classics such as shepherd's pie and fish and chips along with plenty of draft beers. For weddings and events, the hotel has lots of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. Note that the property tacks on a resort fee, but it does cover Wi-Fi in rooms and common indoor areas.