Not just a gem, but a true diamond

TravelMole’s Graham Mckenzie has seen a few golf hotels in his time, but is dazzled by this Colorado gem.

If you travel a lot around the USA you become very familiar with the formulaic rooms and service that are offered in hotels. Of course there are differences in the level of gadgetry in the room, the width of the smile offered at the reception and the variety of the drinks in the bar. Essentially one pretty much blends into another so you would not really know what hotel you are in, what destination it is and probably what time it is.

Every so often though you do discover a gem and when you do its worth recording and remembering. What constitutes a gem? It might be the location; it might be the architecture, the service, the food or the sports facilities. If location is important then scenery, access to water or mountains, outstanding iconic attractions, heritage sites or historical places could be high up your check list. For it to be the architecture then it is likely that the property is some years old making the structure unique and often quirky.

Service is always upmost in any assessment but to stand out it really needs to go that extra personal mile with the little touches that make you think … "that’s good" as opposed to "you would have thought they would have …..". Nowadays food and drink are one of the biggest draws for both leisure and indeed some business tourism. Increasingly around the world, and perhaps surprisingly including the USA, local food with seasonal elements is top of everybody’s agenda. Farm to Table is the oft used phrase and any eatery trying to establish itself as a winner in the cuisine stakes will need to adhere to this principle. Just edging out food and drink as a top draw stand out component would be sports facilities. To qualify for gem status these would need to be of national or world leading standard. Unique in its sets up and execution the sporting amenities need to be easily accessible but of a standard that can only be reached in very few cases and if you avail yourself of them you will feel privileged.

A Gem? Well that’s my assessment so imagine my delight when I discovered the Kohinoor of Inns, the Liz Taylor engagement ring of hotels, the Cullinan Diamond of hostelries all rolled into one. The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is such a place.

Set at the foot of the Rocky Mountains by the side of its own private lake the resort sets itself apart from the others by class. Class from the moment you drive up the avenue to the impressive reception area, class when you step inside to the galleried hall, class when you are met by friendly, attentive staff and class when you enter your room. I was given a lake side view room on the seventh floor which also affords you magnificent vistas across the east golf course (they have three) and the mountains ahead. The rooms are extremely well appointed with large bathrooms, free and quick Wi-Fi and as many stations on your TV that you could shake a remote control at. Talking of which these rooms have controls that have black smooth silk screens that allow you to heighten the music, symbols designed to lure you to dim the lights, finger sensitive buttons that will permit you to slowly close the curtains for night time as these are no ordinary controls these are M and ………. Oh and they also have an on and off switch.

I chose to take breakfast in my room and bang on the appointed time a gentle knock at the door announced the arrival of my early morning feast. Delivered on a moving table it enabled one to eat and take the early morning views in whilst breathing in the fresh mountain air. Food was not half bad either with a selection of local forest fruits and cereal plus poached eggs that had been laid just a few miles away.

Outside didn’t disappoint. Around the lake I could see people walking and jogging taking in the scenery and to the left of that for me personally the crown jewel of gems. Golf !!! The Broadmoor East course, the most famous of the trio, was designed in 1918 by Donald Ross and although it has had some refinements over the years it still retains the prestige of hosting major USGA championships such as the Amateur won by Jack Nicklaus in 1959. More recently the US senior Open in 2008 and the US Women’s Open in 2011. After my experiences on the course I can now see why you need to be a professional to play it.

Don’t get me wrong playing golf underneath the Cheyenne mountain, with views of Pikes Peak, glorious fairways and outstanding wildlife (big marks for environmental standards!) beats the crap out of working for a living. My score began to rattle skywards though when on the greens which were like a Salman Rushdie novel written in Gaelic (nigh on impossible to read). Knowing however that you’re treading the same turf as some of the world’s most famous golfers is always a thrill no matter how many over par you go.

I could go on for a very long time about the superb integration the resort has with the local community. I could wax lyrically about their ranch high up in the mountain which was just perfect with its own trout lake and riding school and the fabulous developments they have planned for next year and beyond but I won’t. Suffice to say it’s a gem and the polishing of it continues as it has for many many years and many years to come I would suspect.