Glenwood Springs Inn

There’s not much to look at upon arriving at the family-owned Glenwood Springs Inn -- it's a two-story, standard motel that surrounds a wide parking lot, backed by Rocky Mountain foothills. A small reception room lined with birch tree trunk wallpaper has just two benches, a check-in desk, tourist pamphlets, and postcards for sale. The metal stairs throughout are rusty, though the hotel was beginning exterior renovations when we visited. There are no common areas to speak of, though Rosie's, a popular local diner that's been running for over 30 years, sits on the same property. The hotel draws plenty of families and couples looking for simple, budget lodging in an otherwise expensive town.

On a parkway lined with similar hotels, the Glenwood Springs Inn is right downtown. The area is famous for its hot springs, and it takes just six minutes to walk to the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, the world's largest. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, with cave tours and family-friendly rides, is also about six minutes away on foot, while Glenwood Center for the Arts is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Yampah Spa, a local hot springs cave-turned-spa that provides hot mineral water steam baths and beauty treatments, is also a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Guests can also walk to biking trails downtown, and to fish. Other distances are as follows:

• Five-minute walk to Blue Sky Adventures, a guided whitewater river trip on the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers.
• Five-minute drive to Colorado Whitewater Rafting.
• Five-minute drive to Glenwood Canyon Zipline Adventures.
• 15-minutes drive to The Ironbridge Golf Club and Roaring Form Skydivers.
• 50-minute drive to closest airport, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport.

Although they are simple and not exactly contemporary, the rooms here are compact and clean, with muted orange accent walls and comfy beds with white duvets and linens, making the rooms look fresh. Looking for an extra dash of color? Some rooms have plush cheetah-print blankets and all feature nature photographs on the walls. Furniture has a simple dorm quality to it, with formica tops and light wood veneer bodies, and rooms have heavy-duty green carpeting. Bathrooms are on the small side but are clean, with tan and brown tiles, shower/tub combos, small vanities, and free toiletries. Rooms include modern features like flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, air-conditioning, mini-fridges, microwaves, and free Wi-Fi. Some guests have reported hearing noise from neighboring rooms.

The hotel offers an extremely simple and free continental breakfasts, including yogurts from a mini-fridge and cereals, every morning. It's not much, but can be fine for a quick bite. For more substantial offerings, Rosie’s Little Bavarian Restaurant and Pastry Shop, a popular diner-style spot, is on site (though it's not owned by the hotel). Free parking is available and Wi-Fi is free throughout. There are soda and snack vending machines and a coin-operated laundry room on stie. Glenwood Springs Inn welcomes pets with restrictions and fees.