Plan Your Visit

04/29/2026

Award-Winning Colorado Hot Springs

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort Wins Seven 2026 Locals’ Choice Awards

The world’s largest geothermal hot springs pool is at the heart of the award-winning Glenwood Hot Springs Resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Since opening in 1888, the resort has remained a favorite destination for locals and visitors from around the world to relax, stay active and have fun.

While the iconic Grand Pool and six additional hot springs pools are major attractions, the resort has grown over the years to include two hotels, a full-service Athletic Club, a shop and poolside dining.

Some of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s biggest fans are area residents, as confirmed by the 2026 Locals’ Choice Awards sponsored by the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. Announced on April 28, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort won seven awards:

Best Attraction
Best Hotel
Best Staycation Location
Best Entertainment Venue
Best Family Entertainment
Best Gym/Fitness Studio
Best Yoga Studio

Best Attraction

Colorado became a state in 1876. Just 12 years later, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort opened with great fanfare on July 4, 1888. With two railroad companies launching routes that included Glenwood Springs the year before, visitors quickly began flocking to the hot springs.

Today, the award-winning Colorado hot springs is the community’s longest-operating attraction and one of the state’s most iconic destinations.

The property is a cornerstone on the 800-mile Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop and offers a complete experience of soaking, playing, dining, exercising and overnight stays. Guests can park their car and enjoy a full day, a full week or even longer.

Since 2019, the resort’s multiyear improvement plan has introduced exciting new features and upgrades, including:

Opening of Sopris Splash Zone
Redesign of the Therapy Pool
Launch of Yampah Mineral Baths
Refresh of all 107 guest rooms at the Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort
Introduction of Hotel 1888

Best Hotel

The award-winning Colorado hot springs features two hotels designed to serve a wide range of guests: Hotel 1888 and the Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort.

Opened in June 2025, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s Hotel 1888 is a 16-room boutique property located in the historic Stone Bath House. Positioned poolside along the Grand Pool, this luxury addition “offers an upscale adult atmosphere for a more sophisticated experience,” says Resort Hotel Manager Loretta Ayala. “Hotel 1888 pays homage to the very first guest rooms on the property years ago. This upscale boutique hotel provides luxury that is unparalleled to anything else in Glenwood Springs.”

The Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has welcomed families, couples and friend groups for 40 years. A full refresh of all 107 guest rooms and suites was completed in March 2025.

“Our recent renovation has transformed the Lodge into a modern mountain retreat, blending the rich heritage of the hot springs with a comfortable aesthetic vibe that today’s travelers expect,” Ayala says.

Overnight stays at both Hotel 1888 and the Lodge include breakfast and unlimited access to the hot spring pools during business hours. Hotel 1888 stays also include guest memberships to the resort’s Athletic Club located in the Stone Bath House.

Best Staycation Location

Sometimes the best getaway is the one close to home. Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has long been a top staycation destination for residents of the Roaring Fork Valley, Vail, Grand Junction and beyond. For Colorado residents seeking a world-class hot springs experience, several media outlets have referred to this award-winning Colorado hot springs as a comparable experience to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

Guests enjoy a full resort experience with lodging, dining, seven hot springs pools and shopping all in one place. Downtown Glenwood Springs is only a short walk away across the pedestrian bridge, and the Glenwood Canyon Recreation Path trailhead is about a block away.

“Hotel 1888 and the Lodge offer two different experiences, both perfect for a staycation. Glenwood Hot Springs Resort delivers an atmosphere that feels removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” Ayala says. “You don’t have to go far to feel like you are on a retreat with added relaxation and fun.”

Best Entertainment Venue

When locals want entertainment, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is a place to gather with friends and family to soak in the mineral hot springs, share a workout class at the Athletic Club, enjoy conversation by the Yampah Mineral Baths fireplace, and indulge in a twist cone at the poolside Grill and Snack Bar. There is a sense of community here, along with the fun of taking a leap off the diving board, relaxing on a floatie in the huge Grand Pool, grinning under the Therapy Pool’s power showers, and racing down the Shoshone Chutes river tube ride.

“Not only does Glenwood Hot Springs Resort have the largest hot springs pool by volume in the world, but it also is one of the most historically documented hot springs throughout the state,” says Pool Manager Taylor Mays. “The on-site Yampah Source Spring was used as a place of healing and the creation of memories well before the resort’s founding in 1888.”

Best Family Entertainment

Families can be seen finding their own favorite corner of the property from the kid-friendly Sopris Splash Zone on the far west end to the quieter, more adult Yampah Mineral Baths on the far east end, with the historic Grand Pool in the center, which by itself measures more than two city blocks.

Popular viewing spots at the award-winning Colorado hot springs include:

Downtown pedestrian bridge
The Overlook above the Therapy Pool
Falling Waters pool inside Yampah Mineral Baths

The family-friendly Sopris Splash Zone, introduced in 2019, includes:

Shoshone Chutes river tube ride
A large splash pad that transforms into the Grand Fountain at night
A swim area for younger children with three small slides, a waterfall, zero-depth pool and more

For the past four years, guests have shared heartwarming family memories through Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s Love Letters campaign that is held around Valentine’s Day. Many stories celebrate multiple generations continuing traditions started by parents and grandparents at the award-winning Colorado hot springs.

“When it comes to family entertainment, there’s a real value in finding a place that has something for everyone,” says Mays. “From a tranquil escape in our Yampah Mineral Baths to a zero-depth pool for young toddlers looking to splash around with Mom or Dad, an adventure river ride, water slides and waterfalls Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is ideal for the whole family.”

Best Gym or Fitness Studio

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s Athletic Club is a premier local destination for fitness and wellness. Members and day-pass guests enjoy:

Modern fitness equipment
A large schedule of classes
Racquetball/handball courts
A wet lounge with steam room, sauna and hot tub
Locker rooms with towel service
A private pool entrance and sun deck
Monthly social events

“The Athletic Club has created a culture of wellbeing for all ages and fitness levels for our locals and visiting guests since 1978,” says Athletic Club Director Mark Volf. “An added benefit is soaking in the multiple hot spring pools and taking advantage of cold plunge therapy available in Yampah Mineral Baths.”

Best Yoga Studio

The Athletic Club offers an impressive weekly yoga schedule, with April featuring

Yoga for All Levels
Breathe Space Deep Restorative Yoga
Sivananda Yoga
Astro Yoga
Sunrise Yoga
Yoga for Every Body
Yin Restorative Yoga

“We have certified yoga instructors who are caring and encouraging,” Volf notes. “Our yoga studio is well-stocked with props, clean, and welcoming for all levels of experience.”

Proud to Serve the Community

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is proud to be selected by area residents as the winner of these seven Locals’ Choice Awards. The award-winning Colorado hot springs resort was also a finalist in six additional categories: