The new hospitality brand rooted in and inspired by the great American outdoors opens its first hotel and restaurant on December 1st in Estes Park, Colorado with plans to open additional properties in the Grand Canyon; Highlands, North Carolina; Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina and Mendocino, California
Estes Park, CO (December 19, 2023) – Castle Peak Holdings, the investment and development company behind Trailborn – the first vertically-integrated hospitality brand specializing 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 on December 1st 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. The sprawling campus includes 86 hotel rooms 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, Trailborn excels at crafting meticulously designed and unique hotels, restaurants, and bars, ideally situated in the center of the most sought-after outdoor destinations. 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 Trailborn 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, Trailborn 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.”
Trailborn Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountains Outpost
Inspired by themes of Americana, Trailborn collaborated with acclaimed Venice Beach-based architecture firm, Electric Bowery, to design Trailborn Rocky Mountains in a way that pays homage to the rustic wilderness that surrounds it. Each Trailborn hotel 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. The rooms at Trailborn Rocky Mountains & Rocky Mountains Outpost 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. Each room is stocked with a lightweight portable cooler to fill with goods from the onsite market, a mini fridge, a Fellow tea kettle, Huck x Trailborn artisan instant coffee, Tivoli bluetooth radios, Grown Alchemist bath products, Barebones lanterns, and ample space to relax and unwind. 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.
The public spaces at Trailborn Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountains Outpost 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, and outdoor communal areas, 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. The lobby markets offer craft beer, cocktails, and local snacks, which can be packed in a Trailborn cooler to enjoy by the pool or fire pit.
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.
Trailborn makes it easy for guests to explore its outdoor destinations, offering exclusive off-site excursions, like fly fishing, wildlife photography tours, and backcountry snowshoeing that leave from the lobby. Trailborn has created curated Field Guides with local insider tips, and the charismatic staff is trained to help guests plan their entire visit, so they can get the most out of their time in the Rocky Mountains.
“Outdoor travel and national park visitation have skyrocketed in recent years, but accommodations in these destinations have not kept up with travelers’ 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 travelers are looking for it.”
Trailborn Rocky Mountains & Rocky Mountains Outpost are just a short walk from downtown Estes Park, a charming mountain town with breweries, taffy shops, and quirky stores. With seasonal festivals and concerts year-round– like the infamous ‘Frozen Dead Guy Days’ and ‘Rooftop Rodeo’– there’s always something happening in the area.
Casa Colina – Restaurant, Bar, and Cafe
Casa Colina is the first bar and restaurant by Trailborn. 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.
The dinner menu showcases Mexican-American classics, like chips and guacamole, a variety of tacos, and more, along with a curated beverage program offering cocktails and frozen margaritas, non-alcoholic drinks, South American wines and a selection of Mexican and local beer. The breakfast menu features breakfast tacos, homemade granola, Huckleberry Roasters coffee, and more. House-made, picnic-style lunch options like sandwiches and salads are also available to guests looking to grab a bite before heading out on the trail. The restaurant sources ingredients from around Colorado as much as possible, working with local farms and small businesses. Casa Colina will be open 7 days a week from 6:30am – 11am for breakfast and 4:30pm – 10pm for dinner.
Trailborn takes a long-term approach to hospitality, reinvesting in the communities and natural environments surrounding each hotel. In line with Trailborn’s “Keep Extraordinary” initiative, a portion of proceeds from each reservation at Trailborn Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountains Outpost booked at staytrailborn.com will be donated to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to support local land conservation efforts. Additionally, in partnership with the town of Estes Park, Colorado, Trailborn Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountains Outpost 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.
Visit staytrailborn.com for more information and follow Trailborn on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to keep up with the brand’s latest news. Also follow Trailborn on Spotify to listen to the brand’s latest curated playlists.
