Trailborn launches with first hotel opening in Rocky Mountains

Castle Peak Holdings, the investment and development company behind Trailborn – the first vertically-integrated hospitality brand specialising in designing and operating elevated hotels with full-service restaurants and bars, exclusively located in the country’s most extraordinary outdoor destinations – has announced the grand opening of Trailborn Rocky Mountains. The brand’s highly-anticipated debut property will open to public in the heart of downtown Estes Park, Colorado located at the eastern entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the country’s most visited national parks.

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The sprawling campus includes 86 guestrooms across two properties (40 at Trailborn Rocky Mountains and 46 at Trailborn Rocky Mountains Outpost, which will open shortly after), a restaurant, bar and café, two retail markets offering a selection of curated local products and grab-and-go items and extensive outdoor public areas, including two seasonal pools, patios, porches, and communal fire pits, all with views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains.

Trailborn debuts as the forerunner at the confluence of hospitality and the great outdoors, heralding a new era of accommodations and accessibility for outdoor enthusiasts. Pioneering a new standard and crafting meticulously designed and unique hotels, restaurants and bars, ideally situated in the centre of the most sought-after outdoor destinations.

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The Trailborn experience transcends the ordinary, boldly redefining the landscape of destination lodging, and crafts a guest journey supported by thoughtfully curated programming, full-service dining and drinking establishments, and one-of-a-kind experiences. Each property is distinctly authentic, seamlessly weaving together the rich tapestry of its locale—imbued with the spirit of its environment, culture, and history. Next year, the brand has a pipeline that will open additional properties at the Grand Canyon; Highlands, North Carolina; Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina and Mendocino, California.

“Trailborn was founded on the belief that life should be an adventure, and we’re making this a reality by creating one-of-a-kind hotels that are the perfect home base for exploring the most extraordinary outdoor destinations,” said Mike Weiss, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Trailborn. “Each Trailborn is rooted in its unique location— thoughtfully designed, brought to life by carefully-crafted touches and memorable experiences, and placed alongside national parks, beaches, mountain towns, and other natural wonders. We’re thrilled to officially unveil our first Trailborn property in a locale as iconic as Rocky Mountain National Park.”

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Inspired by themes of Americana, Trailborn collaborated with acclaimed Venice Beach-based architecture firm, Electric Bowery, to design the debut property in a way that pays homage to the rustic wilderness that surrounds it. Each hotel in the portfolio is crafted with a strong sense of place, featuring art, decor and amenities from local makers. For this project, the design team maintained the historic feel of the lodge, while reimagining and renovating every guestroom, bathroom, lobby, pool and outdoor space.

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The guestrooms  are design-forward, functional and fashioned to serve as comfortable respites between outdoor adventures. Guests can choose from a variety of layouts, including king, double queen and bunk options, adjoining rooms and a deluxe suite – ideal for families, or groups traveling together. Select rooms have private balconies with additional seating. Adding to the modern-meets-rustic aesthetic, custom furniture and lighting in natural materials are a nod to American craftsmanship – including wooden beds, sustainable cork flooring, banquette benches, side tables with inset charging stations and multiple storage options. Rooms are neutral in tone with artwork commissioned as a nod to local surroundings and textiles inspired by local artisans.

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The public spaces in the property combine the convivial elements of a modern mountain lodge, high-design details of a boutique hotel and friendliness of a family resort. Both the flagship and outpost properties each have their own lobby lounge, which serves as a communal living room and is also home to concierge services. Complete with wraparound built-in couches, fireplaces, books and boardgames, each lobby is an all-year hang-out. The Market in each lobby offers a curated selection of grab-and-go snacks and beverages, outdoor goods and Trailborn-branded items. Out front, guests can grab complimentary branded bikes to ride along the river into town.

The pools are integral warm weather gathering spots at Trailborn Rocky Mountains & Rocky Mountains Outpost, with one at each property. Outfitted with locally-crafted Adirondack chairs, comfortable lounge seating and custom murals by local artists and enlivened by curated playlists, a popsicle cart and games – each pool acts as a social hub, where guests can congregate.

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Throughout the day, the hotel’s lobby, patio, and fire pit area offer on-site programming, from seasonal morning yoga to whisky tastings and s’mores to afternoon lawn games and activities for families, such as kid’s wilderness experiences and arts and craft classes.

“Outdoor travel and national park visitation have skyrocketed in recent years, but accommodations in these destinations have not kept up with travellers’ preferences,” said Ben Weinberg, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Trailborn. “Trailborn is delivering something new — thoughtful design, curated amenities and activities, and vibrant bar and restaurant concepts to provide a consistently amazing, yet locally-authentic experience at each of our hotels. We’re excited to be the first to introduce this type of hospitality experience in places where we know travellers are looking for it.”

Casa Colina is the first bar and restaurant in the portfolio. Meaning ‘house on a hill’, a nod to the natural landscape the restaurant is built on, Casa Colina offers a thoughtful menu highlighting Mexican-American flavors alongside an elevated tequila and mezcal bar program. Just off the lobby lounge in the main building, the restaurant and its bar are lively gathering places – with mid-century floor-to-ceiling windows that frame sweeping views of picturesque vistas. The restaurant’s design features natural stone flooring, a vaulted ceiling with exposed wood beams and custom pendant lighting. Seating for 100 is available throughout the dining room and outdoor patio, which spills out onto the surrounding grounds.

Trailborn takes a long-term approach to hospitality, reinvesting in the communities and natural environments surrounding each hotel. In line with it’s ‘Keep Extraordinary’ initiative, a portion of proceeds from each reservation will be donated to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to support local land conservation efforts. Additionally, in partnership with the town of Estes Park, Colorado, the property will source the majority of its energy from non-carbon, renewable sources. Across all properties, Trailborn is focused on sustainability every step of the way and implements environmentally responsible construction practices, green building standards, and sustainable amenities and materials whenever possible.

Main image credit: Christian Harder