New hotels in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs has been building hotels at close to a 30-year high, and a handful of genuinely new openings — not repaints of existing properties — have landed since 2021. From an independently built basecamp hotel downtown to a 375-room resort at the Air Force Academy's front gate, the city's newest lodging reflects its dual identity as an outdoor-adventure base and a military and aerospace hub.

What to do

A weekend in Colorado Springs

Start downtown, where Kinship Landing puts you within walking distance of the restaurant and nightlife strip along Tejon Street; spend the morning at Garden of the Gods, a free red-rock park about a 12-minute drive away, then come back for lunch and an afternoon browsing the shops and galleries near your hotel. On day two, drive or take the cog railway up Pikes Peak for the views, then close the weekend with dinner and drinks back downtown.

A full week

With more time, split your stay between downtown and the north side of the city. Spend the first few nights based downtown for museums, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, and easy access to Old Colorado City's antique shops. Move north for a couple of nights near the U.S. Air Force Academy to tour the campus and chapel, then dedicate at least a full day each to the Broadmoor area's Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and to hiking trails in North Cheyenne Cañon Park before wrapping up with a soak in the Manitou Springs mineral springs on your way out.

Neighborhoods

Downtown

Downtown is where Colorado Springs' newest independent and branded hotels have concentrated. Both Kinship Landing and Element Colorado Springs Downtown are here, putting guests within walking distance of Tejon Street's restaurants and bars, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and the city's small but growing arts scene.

Air Force Academy / North Colorado Springs

The area around the U.S. Air Force Academy's North Gate has traditionally been served by highway-adjacent chain hotels, but Hotel Polaris changed that in late 2024 by becoming the first hotel open to the public on Academy grounds — a genuine draw for graduation weekends, campus tours and events at its meeting spaces.

Old Colorado City

This historic strip of 19th-century storefronts turned antique shops, galleries and restaurants sits west of downtown. None of the hotels tracked here are located in Old Colorado City; visitors base themselves downtown or near the Air Force Academy and drive or rideshare over.

The Broadmoor & Cheyenne Mountain

Home to the storied Broadmoor resort and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, this southwest pocket of the city remains dominated by long-established properties. None of the newly opened hotels covered here are in this area.

Garden of the Gods & the Westside

The dramatic red-rock formations of Garden of the Gods anchor the city's west side, a short drive from downtown. There are no newly opened hotels directly in this area; Kinship Landing, about 12 minutes away downtown, is the closest of the properties tracked here.

Which hotel for your trip

Outdoor and adventure travelers

Kinship Landing was built for exactly this trip: its founders designed the hotel as a basecamp, with a camp deck, gear-friendly rooms and a short drive to Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. It also works for budget-conscious travelers thanks to its hostel-style bunk rooms alongside pricier suites.

Air Force Academy visitors and event-goers

Hotel Polaris is the obvious choice for graduation weekends, campus tours or any event tied to the Academy, since it sits right at the North Gate and is the only hotel actually on Academy grounds open to the public. Its 26,000-plus square feet of meeting space also make it the strongest option for conferences.

Business travelers and longer stays

Element Colorado Springs Downtown, with in-room kitchens and shared work-oriented Studio Commons layouts, suits anyone in town for several nights or on a corporate trip who wants to self-cater rather than eat out for every meal.

Design and independent-hotel seekers

Kinship Landing is the only independently owned, architecturally distinct property among the hotels tracked here, making it the pick for travelers who want a hotel that feels specific to Colorado Springs rather than a national flag.

Groups wanting resort amenities

With six dining and drinking venues, a full-service spa and a pool, Hotel Polaris offers the widest range of on-site amenities of the three, which suits groups or families who want to stay put for an evening rather than heading downtown for dinner.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Colorado Springs?

Hotel Polaris, a 375-room resort-style property at the U.S. Air Force Academy's North Gate, is the most recently opened hotel tracked here, debuting on November 14, 2024.

Is there an independently owned boutique hotel in downtown Colorado Springs?

Yes. Kinship Landing, built new on a vacant lot in the New South End of downtown, opened in January 2021 as one of the first independently owned boutique hotels in the area, mixing hostel-style bunk rooms with high-end suites.

Can the public stay at a hotel on the Air Force Academy grounds?

Yes. Hotel Polaris, which opened in November 2024, is the first hotel open to the public located on U.S. Air Force Academy grounds, at its North Gate entrance.

Is there a hotel in downtown Colorado Springs geared toward longer business stays?

Element Colorado Springs Downtown, which opened in June 2022 in a newly built tower at Tejon and Costilla, is built around extended-stay features like in-room kitchens and shared work-live layouts.

Does Hotel Polaris really have flight simulators?

Yes — it has three flight simulators (F-16 and 737 Max models), which the hotel markets as the only ones available at any hotel in the United States, alongside six dining and drinking venues and a full-service spa.

Which of these new hotels is best for a car-free downtown stay?

Kinship Landing and Element Colorado Springs Downtown are both walkable to downtown's restaurant and entertainment strip; Hotel Polaris, near the Air Force Academy's North Gate, requires a drive or rideshare to reach downtown.