Disclaimer: We were graciously hosted for a staycation at Gaylord Rockies Resort, however  all opinions are my own, and we would absolutely stay there again on our own dime.

This past week we had the privilege of staying at Gaylord Rockies Resort for a little staycation and we could not have been more excited. 

When we got invited for our weekend getaway at Gaylord of the Rockies we were excited but at the same time we were little bit nervous about our safety due to COVID-19.  Then I read their Health and Safety Cleanliness Standards, which you can find here, and it put me at ease so we decided to go.

I’m so glad we decided to visit Gaylord Rockies Resort this summer. It was the staycation we really needed,  and so many amazing memories  were made there.

Want to take your family on a fun getaway this fall?

Today I will share with you the seven (7) most important things you need to know before you visit the Gaylord of the Rockies Resort and Convention Center

1. SAFETY

Below are the key components that Gaylord Rockies Resort has in place to meet the health and safety challenges presented by COVID-19.

• All guests are required to wear face coverings inside the resort so do plan on bringing and wearing a mask. 
• The Resort is huge, which makes it easy to keep 6 feet of distance between guests.
• All employees wear masks, gloves and sanitize their work spaces.
• You can choose to use your phone to check in and access your room.
• Each room has complimentary bottles of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and water.
• Housekeeping service “Upon request only”, but they do very serious cleaning between guests.
• The pool is open, but a reservation is required and they have strict cleaning protocols in place. A few times throughout the day, the pool is closed for cleaning. This means that everyone has to leave the pool during that time. The only exception to this is the people who rented a cabana for the whole day. They are allowed to stay in their cabana during cleaning time.

2. LOCATION

Gaylord Rockies Resort is a great place to stay if you live in Colorado and need a little staycation or when you have a layover in Denver. It’s conveniently located in Aurora, Colorado, and it’s only a 30 minute drive from Denver and about a 10 minute drive from Denver International Airport.

3. PARKING

You can either self-park or use their Valet parking.  When we arrived we decided to self-park. If you do decided to self-park then take your ticket in with you to the check-in desk and trade it for your room key which will let you in and out from the parking lot during your stay. 

4. ROOMS

We stayed in a King Suite , which included a king bed, sofa bed, a little family dining area, sink and a refrigerator.

The resort is luxurious so doesn’t matter what room you will stay in, it will be clean and perfect.

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5. FOOD

Gaylord Rockies Resort has a wide variety of restaurants, with some fine dining options, or you can enjoy refined cuisine in the comfort of your own room to satisfy your cravings at all hours with room service. Each restaurant has kids dining options with a special menu, plus table activities for the entire family to enjoy! 

Unfortunately due to the pandemic not all of the restaurants are available, but on a good note the ones that are open are doing take outs or they will deliver to your room. Which is nice for families like ours who have small children. We did order dinner to go from Mountain Pass on the first night we arrived. 

Mountain Pass is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. They have indoor and outdoor patio seating with great selection of food, like burgers, sliders, fresh salads, draft beer and a full bar with refreshing, delicious and unique drinks.

Since most of our time was spent at the pool, we ate our lunch & dinner at the Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill and for breakfast we bought coffee, pastries, oatmeal and yogurts at the Rockies Marketplace. This  place seem to have a really nice variety of quick snacks, beverages and Grab and Go meals.

6. POOL and SLIDES

Arapahoe Springs has an amazing outdoor pool, lazy river,  indoor pool, two waterslides, lap pool, hot tub, and simulated hot springs. We spent most of our time at  the outdoor pool, but our older boy did go into the indoor space to enjoy their water slides, fountains and pool.

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Due to  COVID-19 Arapahoe Springs is an exclusive amenity ONLY  for registered, overnight guests, and a reservation is required.  

Because of local guidelines for social distancing and pool occupancy limit, registered guests will have four (4) hours at the pool per night of their stay and pool time varies based on availability.  Wristbands are required to enter the pool area.

I would highly encourage you to book your pool reservation ahead of time to ensure your preferred pool time slot is available as pool reservations are on a first come first serve basis and you will receive a link via email three days prior to your arrival. You can also place your reservation by visiting the Font Desk during your stay, but again at that time pool could be full.

The pool and grounds are wonderful, clean and safe. There are plenty of comfortable chaise lounge chairs and umbrellas to go around. Chaise lounge chairs, cabanas, lazy river tubes  and kids life jackets are sanitized prior and after each use.

Signage is being used thought pool areas, slide entrances, and pool dining areas to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols. Towel desk and all other desks around the property have protectieve screen instaled and sanitized by hospital grade disinfectant after each guest.

You can also reserve a poolside cabana, but it will cost you extra. We had cabana for our last day there, and it was absolutely wonderful. Our little boy even took a nap there before we left. 

7. OTHER ACTIVITIES 

As I said, the pool was our favorite part during our stay at  Gaylord Rockies Resort, but there are many other great activities available for guests.You will get a schedule with the events during check in.

Some of the activities are:

• Wild Animal Encounters – presented by Hawk Quest, get up close to live, non-releasable raptors and learn about environmental concepts and issues facing these amazing creatures.
• Lawn Games – like Giant Jenga, Cornhole, and more.
• Lawn Movies – spend the evening on the lawn while watching family-friendly movies outside on our very own big screen. 
• Arts & Craft Corner – Let your inner artist come to life while creating your own arts and crafts. 
• Outdoor Activities – get a little exercise while enjoying fun outdoor activities including tennis, mini-golf, basketball, biking, and disc golf.
• Virtual Wildlife Rescue  – Search for endangered animals on the atrium floor and scan them with the Wildlife Rescue app on your phone to see fun facts and realistic-looking 3D animals pop up. 
• Colorado Explorer Scavenger Hunt – Become a real-life explorer as you navigate the resort for clues and learn about Colorado’s unique plants, animals, history and landmarks. Check the Front Desk for Scavenger Hunt Book.
• Relâche Spa – offers variety of luxurioustreatments, such as massage, vatious body treatments, facials and skin renewal therapies. Relâche Spa is open for appointments only.  I forgot to book ahead and wasn’t able to visit it, I guess now I have a good reason to come back. Please note that waiting area, locker rooms, lounge and steam rooms are currently closed due to local and state guidelines. 
  

Check out the Gaylord Rockies website to learn more about this place and plan a visit!

If you have any  other questions about our stay please ask! Want to see  more photos and videos from our stay? Check out my GAYLORD HIGHLIGHT on Instagram. 

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