The Best Hotels to Book Near Durango Adventures and Zipline, Colorado

Were it not for the jade roof, this brickwork inn would be almost perfectly camouflaged against the brown Smelter Mountain lying behind. Surrounded by fragrant pines just a block from downtown Durango, it feels old school in the most charming sense. The wood-toned lobby and rooms, paired with gold-framed paintings and country-style furnishings, give it a retro feel – though you won’t have to sacrifice modern amenities, such as in-room TVs and a fitness center.

Strater’s colonial exterior is mesmerizing in itself, but the lobby’s intoxicating mishmash of styles will have you oohing in admiration. Wall art brings the old mining times back to life, while floorboards creak underfoot. Baroque furniture and chandeliers stand out, while the reception’s Biedermeier clock clamors for attention. You’ll be testing your partner’s patience as you gaze at the restaurant’s brickwork and tiffany lighting instead of them.

This simple hotel is a 45-minute drive from where you want to be in Durango, but jump in the car and you won’t be grumbling for long. The route east takes you along US-160, otherwise known as the Navajo Trail Highway – considered to be one of the country’s most scenic. You’ll pass towering mesas, wide-open meadows and mountainsides cloaked in dense forest. Not that you necessarily need to leave your hotel room for similar views, given the Baymont’s lookout.

Davy Crockett, eat your heart out. Arriving at this immaculately restored Wild West mining town feels like arriving at a pioneer settlement, albeit with an excellent wifi connection. Each cabin here looks as if it was built in the 1800s – and in some cases, they were – but are meticulously deconstructed and put back together to bring them up to modern-day safety standards, plus they’ve installed electric cabling and luxurious showers in the bathrooms. Don’t miss a soothing bath in the hot springs – the miners didn’t.

We love the feel of this restored 1904 hotel. Owner Daniel hasn’t gone to town on installing modern fixtures and fittings inconsistent with the building’s history. He’s kept things simple with timber-framed beds, keeping original doors and floorboards, and furnishing dressing rooms modestly with a scattering of period furniture. It feels authentic to the building’s purpose, particularly downstairs in the restored saloon – where the evenings are a clamor of glass-clinking and mountain stories.

Situated near Residence Inn Marriott and Holiday Inn, no-frills Wapiti jockeys for position with internationally known brands – but it scores well with distinctive retro charm. The studios, with 1940s cowskin couches and gold-framed paintings, are a visual delight, as are the guest rooms’ wooden accents and old-style armchairs. Whether you choose a room with or without a kitchen, do check out the terrace. You may spot deer and elk or in native Cree, “wapiti.”

This two-star lodge in the heart of Durango offers excellent value for money. Each cabin is spotless, kitted out with a flat-screen TV and coffee maker, and comes with free wifi. Continental breakfast and local calls are complimentary, too. Choose a room with a balcony if you like fresh air, or take a trip through San Juan National Forest’s staggering canyons aboard the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train depot is just five minutes away.