Hotel Polaris is hard to miss. The nine-story structure with its modern white façade stands out amid its Rocky Mountains setting. When I saw it for the first time, I immediately noticed that this is not a typical rustic-chic Colorado luxury hotel. That doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent home base for exploring Colorado Springs’ natural wonders. It’s just a lot more than that.
The hotel is located just outside of the North Gate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. While not officially affiliated with the service academy, the luxury hotel that opened at the end of 2024 does draw a lot of inspiration from its neighbor and the Academy’s iconic mid-century modern architecture.
In the lobby area, for example, the flooring riffs on The Terrazzo area of campus. The reception desk is accented by an angular brass piece evoking an airplane wing, and the Academy’s four class colors—blue, silver, red, and gold—show up in the carpeting and at the various entrances to the property. A mosaic piece in the lobby by BLUR Workshop features an abstracted aircraft dogfight, while photographs by Nevada-based artist and former F-16 pilot Christopher Vasquez found throughout the hotel capture daily life at the Academy, the awe of flight, and well-known spots like the Cadet Chapel.
The hotel is named after the North Star, which also inspired the name of the Academy’s Polaris Hall, home to the Center for Character and Leadership Development. Its 105-foot tower (which you can spot in the distance from the hotel) points directly toward Polaris to remind cadets about the Academy’s core values.
“There are design elements throughout that are just inspired and drawn from the iconic design of the Academy,” says Curtis Bova, general manager of Hotel Polaris. “Everything is that mid-century modern design aesthetic, but interpreted in a hospitality way. We never wanted it to feel like a museum. It would be immersive and educational; we would draw people in, and maybe even educate people that don’t know anything about our connection to the Academy. But we’d do it in an immersive way and not have it feel like you went to a museum.”
The Hotel Polaris experience
I have no particular ties to or affinity for the U.S. Air Force Academy, but I still I loved learning about all these connections during my recent stay at Hotel Polaris. Almost as much as I loved the mountain views through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my oh-so-stylish eighth-floor suite. The mid-century aesthetic continued here, with Space Age–inspired light fixtures, a gold velvet sofa, and blue tulip chairs around the dining table.
Warm woods helped bring the outdoors in, and a built-in headboard with custom-made side tables surrounded the comfy bed. On the desk, a silver plane-shaped paperweight secured a welcome letter cleverly imprinted with lines for folding it into a paper airplane. The hotel has a total of 375 guest rooms, 19 of which are suites.
Guest amenities include an outdoor pool and 24-hour fitness facility with free weights, Peloton bikes, and cardio equipment, both of which are positioned for prime mountain views. There’s also a lovely six-room day spa and wellness center, where the relaxation room with a balcony overlooking the Rockies is as blissful as the treatments themselves.
Dining options
When it comes to dining options, Pamela’s is a fantastically designed space serving American regional cuisine. (It’s named in honor of the wife of 1970 Academy graduate Jerry Bruni; the two are philanthropic supporters of both the Academy and Hotel Polaris.) Doolies is a casual eatery with throwback soda shop vibes serving much-loved milkshakes, hot dogs, and burgers.
The lobby Thunderbird Bar mixes up cocktail flights and other beverages under a super-cool sculptural light fixture, while Aviator Rooftop Bar offers appealing indoor and outdoor spots for taking in views while enjoying craft cocktails and light bites. And Lovie’s Market makes it easy to refuel in the morning, serving coffee and breakfast items.
Hosmer Visitor Center
A walkway connects the hotel to the new Hosmer Visitor Center. Free and open to the public, it features themed galleries exploring the 47-month cadet journey and the Academy experience. “It’s not a museum,” says Michael Peterson, chief of the outreach division in the Strategic Communications Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Academy. “It’s really detailing what cadets are going through right now throughout their four years here.”
Videos, photos, artifacts, and interactive displays provide info on everything from class crests to basic training. I walked away with the knowledge that I wouldn’t even be able to adhere to the bed-making and clothes-folding requirements, never mind all the more challenging elements of the cadet experience.
The hotel’s flight simulator
I also quickly learned that flying isn’t my strong suit at Hotel Polaris’s flight simulators, the only flight simulators offered at a hotel in the United States. My young instructor did his best when I was behind the controls of a 737 Max simulator, but my faux flights went less than smoothly. Two F-16 simulators provide a different immersive flight experience, but I knew better than to try to tackle that.
Nearby activities
Back on solid ground, the hotel makes it easy to get out and explore the area. The 14-mile Santa Fe Regional Trail runs right by Hotel Polaris, which is just a short distance from sites like Garden of the Gods and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. It’s also an easy drive to the quirky-cool town of Manitou Springs, where you can board The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to ride to the summit of the 14,115-foot mountain that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful.”
The hotel can help guests book experiences like guided hikes, river rafting trips, and rock climbing lessons. After all, exploring new frontiers is a guiding force for both the hotel and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“We like to say travel is good for the soul,” says Bova. “All travel really has that element of exploration and discovery in it, so we draw direct connections to it.”
