COLORADO SPRINGS

Local Update

• The 206-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Colorado Springs completed renovations to its guest rooms in February. The property has 7,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as the "14ers" tapas restaurant.

• A three-year, $100 million project turned an abandoned hotel into the 311-suite Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs. Activities at the family resort include bowling and a 50,000-square-foot water park. For groups, the property has 20,000 square feet of meeting space.  

Meeting Hotels: About 5,000 guest rooms are available for conference guests in the city. Properties include the 784-room Broadmoor; 500-room Hotel Elegante Conference & Event Center; 316-room Cheyenne Mountain Resort; 309-room Marriott Colorado Springs; 299-room DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs; 273-room Antlers, a Wyndham Hotel; 206-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Colorado Springs, and 200-room Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs Airport.

To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.

Convention Center: Broadmoor World Arena; exhibit space, 19,500 square feet; meeting rooms, six. (719) 477-2100

Airport Transit: Colorado Springs Airport, about eight miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $25; by Uber and Lyft, $13; most area hotels offer shuttle service

Taxes: Room tax, 2%; city tax, 7.63%; total tax on hotel rooms, 9.63%

Group Venue: A two-story indoor electric go-kart racetrack is now open in town. The Overdrive Raceway entertainment complex offers two quartermile Formula One race tracks, an arcade, a party area and a lounge. A full-facility rental holds 300 people; the conference room accommodates up to 50. (719) 387-1437.

Contact: Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, (719) 635-7506 or (800) 888-4748

DENVER

Local Update

• The 613-room Marriott Denver City Center hotel will become the Hilton Denver City Center on Dec. 1, following more than $27 million in upgrades over the past three years. The hotel has 32,000 square feet of meeting space; a menu of American fare is available at Prospect's Urban Kitchen and Bar.

• A dual-branded downtown property housing a 272-room Le Méridien Hotel and a 223-room AC Hotel by Marriott has opened, one block from the convention center. The complex has more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,700-square-foot ballroom. Among the F&B options are a rooftop bar called 54thirty, and Corinne, a three-meal-a-day eatery serving classic American comfort food. Le Méridien also features the Lobbyist cocktail lounge.

• The 200-room Kimpton Hotel Born next to Union Station was unveiled in August. The property has two restaurants, two outdoor terraces overlooking the city and 8,300 square feet of meeting space.

• The 364-room Crowne Plaza Denver has finished a multiyear, $22 million renovation that incorporated the brand's new Plaza Workspace design and WorkLife guest rooms. The hotel added 16 guest rooms in all, plus a new fitness center, the grab-and-go Marketplace and the Lockwood Kitchen & Bar. More than 8,000 square feet of space is available for meetings.

• The 172-room Maven Hotel at Dairy Block, a Sage Hospitality property, has opened in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood. Just one block from Coors Field, the Maven is now the official hotel partner of the Colorado Rockies and offers a special baseball-themed Diamond Suite.

Meeting Hotels: More than 8,600 guest rooms are within convenient walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center. Properties include the 1,231-room Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, 615-room Denver Marriott City Center, 516-room Grand Hyatt Denver, 430-room Westin Denver Downtown and 403-room Embassy Suites--Downtown Convention Center.

To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.

Convention Center: Colorado Convention Center; exhibit space, 584,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 63; (303) 228-8000

Airport Transit: Denver International Airport, about 30 miles from downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $66 to downtown; about $30 by Lyft and Uber; by Super Shuttle, $25

Taxes: Room tax, 10.75%; sales tax, 4.1%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.85%

Group Venue: It's hard to believe there's room for any more breweries and taprooms in town, but the beer culture in the city continues to grow. In the Jefferson Park neighborhood, craft offerings at Briar Common include the limited-edition Bramble imperial stout (with a hint of blackberries), Rochus American porter, Briar American pale ale and the Jefferson session IPA. Brunch and dinner are served, and the brewery holds 30 people in a private upstairs room. Full buyouts can accommodate parties of 100 or more. (720) 512-3894

Contact: Visit Denver, the Convention & Visitors Bureau, (303) 892-1112

COLORADO'S MOUNTAIN MAJESTY

While the name refers to just one Colorado mountain, Vail Resorts manages three additional ski destinations in the state (not to mention several in other parts of the continent).

Guests visiting the two mountains serviced by Eagle County Regional Airport -- Vail and Beaver Creek -- will have new options for this coming winter, when both United and American airlines will add more service from Chicago. In spring 2018, American's seasonal flights from Dallas will begin year-round service, and the carrier is expanding its service from Phoenix. For the first time since the 1994-'95 season, flights will be available between Salt Lake City and the town of Eagle, Colo., via Delta Air Lines.

Vail Mountain's little sister, Beaver Creek offers lots of activity for winter enthusiasts, with 1,832 skiable acres, as well as the McCoy Park Nordic Center for cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. Beano's Cabin has long been a favorite for groups of up to 150, featuring a sprawling lawn and wraparound deck at the foot of Grouse Mountain. On-mountain accommodations include the 190-room Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa and 47-room Osprey.

Just 90 minutes from Denver, Breckenridge opened for skiers in December 1961 and now has almost 3,000 acres of ski-worthy terrain. Fun summertime outings for groups include chair-lift rides to an on-mountain lunch, zipline tours, guided hikes, mountaintop yoga, mountain biking, 4X4 mountain tours, and rides on the alpine slide and alpine coaster.

Vail Resorts' Keystone Resort sits on its namesake mountain just 75 miles from Denver. Some 3,000 acres for skiing are part of the White River National Forest, sections of which are available for adventurous night-skiing. Known for its family-friendly policies, Keystone allows children ages 12 and under to ski for free, every day, when the family stays at resort properties such as the 152-room Keystone Lodge & Spa. CBST Adventures offers a variety of colorful group activities, including GPS quests, road rallies and a winter rescue challenge.

As for Vail, options abound in all seasons, whether you're bringing a group to tackle the mountain's 5,289 skiable acres or to enjoy the festivals, hikes and more available in warmer weather. The newest dining spot, 10th, is named for the 10th Mountain Division that fought in Italy in World War II. The 200-seat restaurant is accessible from Gondola One. Vail Resorts' housing arm, RockResorts, runs the 81-room Arrabelle and the 165-room Lodge at Vail.