It is all about the stunning lake views at The Estes Park Resort. Unique log interior and exterior designs give the lakefront three-story property a comfy feeling that appeals to families and couples, especially those who choose to marry here. Still, some areas of the hotel, like the hallways, lack wall decor and feel bare. The lobby features patterned carpeting, a log front desk, and a mounted moose head. More taxidermy animal heads decorate the interior, which features large windows offering views of Lake Estes and the Rockies. 

When it comes to location, The Estes Park Resort has all of the competition beat. The hotel is perched on the north banks of Lake Estes with a three-mile hiking and biking trail that encircles the water. Fishing, snowshoe trails, boat rentals, and horseback riding are all within walking distance. The Ride-A-Kart park is a 12-minute walk southeast. The downtown area -- with shops, restaurants, and entertainment -- is a four-minute drive west, while driving to the Stanley Hotel takes a couple of extra minutes. The famed Rocky Mountain National Park is a 24-minute drive west as well. Denver International Airport is an hour and a half southeast by car. 

The Estes offers double queen and king lakeside rooms, with some units offering views of the Rockies. All rooms have safes, microwaves, flat-screen TVs, tea/coffee machines, mini-fridges, and balconies. Wood furniture, red-patterned carpeting, and classic furnishings can be found in most rooms. Three types of suites have more luxuriously designed interiors, fireplaces, air-conditioning, and sitting areas with additional flat-screen TVs. The Hospitality Suite, with a Murphy bed and two sofa beds, can fit six people, while the Jacuzzi Suite has a whirlpool tub. Wheelchair accessible rooms have spacious bathrooms, lowered fixtures, and fold-out shower seats.

The hotel provides a clean gym with modern equipment, two flat-screen TVs, water fountains, and large windows that provide abundant natural light. There’s also a small sauna and several spa treatment rooms on hand. An indoor lagoon pool and hot tub have disability lift chairs and casual yellow chairs on the deck. Weather permitting, The Estes also offers yoga classes by the lake. S’more roasting sticks are for sale at the front desk and several picnic tables -- with propane wood boxes -- can be found on a grassy lawn facing Lake Estes. The on-site restaurant, the Waterfront Grille, also offers panoramic views of the lake and Long’s Peak; the venue’s casual atmosphere consists of a bar, red booths, flat-screen TVs, a fireplace, and a grand piano.

Business travelers can utilize the hotel’s four meeting rooms -- a boardroom, mezzanine, ballroom, and hospitality suite. Meeting spaces can fit 10 to 250 people. In contrast, those here to vacation with their families can enjoy the arcade room, which features everything from video games to billiards to a pinball machine.