The Steamboat Springs Experience

Known for the moniker "Ski Town USA," Steamboat Springs was originally a summer resort and has become a year-round destination that’s proven its ability to host groups in style.“It’s one of the best kept secrets,” says Roxanne Gerstell, owner of Steamboat Springs-based Master Meetings & Events. “It’s a great place for groups that want to reward their employees with incentive travel.”

Travelers in the early 1900s visited Steamboat in the summer months for the natural hot springs and vast hunting and fishing opportunities.Today, three championship golf courses, a kayak school, biking, hiking, hot air balloon and helicopter rides, horseback riding and a broad range of festivals round out the offerings in fair weather, not to mention the flurry of options in winter.

Western Pride

Steamboat Springs is firmly rooted in its Western heritage. “We pride ourselves in our Western ways,” confirms Loryn Kasten, public relations manager for Steamboat Ski Resort. In the early 1900s, Steamboat Springs was the largest exporter of cattle in the western United States.

The town’s main street, Lincoln Avenue, was built wide to accommodate cattle drives, and the town’s rodeo history dates back more than 100 years. There are plentiful  opportunities for groups to tap into this rich history, such as a stop at F.M. Light & Sons, a family owned purveyor of Western clothing since 1905.

Lazy G Ranch offers winter cattle feeding/scenic sleigh rides in the afternoon and a scenic sunset sleigh ride at the 103-year-old Stanko Ranch, located just three miles south of Steamboat Springs on Cow Creek.

Or include some cowboy chow with the experience by boarding a wagon or sleigh or saddling up for a horseback ride before dinner at Saddleback Ranch’s Double Dollar Lodge. Snowmobile and ATV dinner tours also are available at the 8,000-acre, fourth generation working cattle ranch.

Sleigh ride and wagon dinners also are a specialty of Elk River Guest Ranch in nearby Clark. In winter, the first stop is at Poppa Ed’s Saloon for drinks and hors d’oeuvres before draft horses provide the pulling power to tipis for dinner.

Dessert and after-dinner beverages are back at Poppa Ed’s. Wagon dinners held in the summer do not include appetizers and are held outside by the saloon. Cabins can be rented, and numerous activities are available.

At the ski area, ride the gondola to Thunderhead Lodge for the Western BBQ with a finger-licking-good buffet dinner and dancing to a country rock band. Another winter dining option is hopping on a snowcat-driven sleigh after the gondola and riding to Ragnar’s for a gourmet dinner and live acoustic entertainment. Sunday Brunch on the Mountain is a quintessential summer experience available from mid-June to early September.

Time it right, and your group can take in the 38th annual Cowboy Downhill in January. Last year, more than 70 cowboys and cowgirls who participated in Denver’s National Western Stock Show and Rodeo hit the slopes in their Western regalia for a dual slalom race and downhill stampede.

Full Plate of Fun

Steamboat Springs is proud to be the hometown of 69 winter Olympic athletes since 1932, more than any other town in the United States. Steamboat Ski Resort offers the option to take a run down the mountain and receive free pointers from Olympians Billy Kidd, Steamboat’s longtime director of skiing, and Nelson Carmichael.

If your group is the racing type, check out the NASTAR race course and nearby Bashor Race Area Picnic Pavilion that can accommodate groups of up to 200 or more. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to play on snow, get to know their teammates and build camaraderie. It’s a popular group activity,” Kasten says.

No visit is complete without a trip to Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs or Old Town Hot Springs. Events such as the 32nd Hot Air Balloon Rodeo (held in tandem with the 38th Art in the Park) in July, 99th Winter Carnival in February, and Steamboat Wine Festival in August also are worthy pairings for group agendas.

Thrill seekers will revel in the summer alpine slide at Colorado’s longest continually running ski area, Howelsen Hill, and the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, the only driving school of its kind in North America. From mid-December to early March, Bridgestone programs can be tailored for vehiclespecific training, teambuilding, strategic planning, team leadership training and more. 

Property Insights

The two primary options for holding small to large groups at the ski base are Sheraton Steamboat Resort and The Steamboat Grand, both featuring on-site spas. The Steamboat Grand’s 328 guestroom accommodations include hotel rooms, condominiums and penthouses. With more than 17,000 square feet of indoor meeting, banquet and pre-function space conveniently located on one floor (including a 5,500-square-foot ballroom) and 10,000 square feet of outdoor function space, The Grand can host as many as 600 guests. New this year is construction of a bar inside The Cabin restaurant.

Also new is a $4.5 million public promenade project at the ski base that recently wrapped up and runs in front of the Sheraton, expanding groups’ options to hold outdoor functions while staying at either property. The Sheraton completed its own $20 million renovation three years ago and has 228 guestroom accommodations featuring a mix of hotel rooms, condominiums and villas. With 28,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, the property can accommodate groups of up to 1,000. There are 17 meeting rooms all on one floor, including a 6,300-square-foot ballroom. Sevens Mountain Grill restaurant offers gourmet fare and a stylish private dining room that seats a maximum of 32.

The Colorado Association of Health Care Engineers and Directors has hosted its two-day autumn seminar at the Sheraton for seven years. A board meeting and evening reception on the terrace on Thursday is followed by meetings, breakfast and lunch on Friday. While the association doesn’t organize any formal activities, attendees often make time for golf, horseback riding, hot springs outings and shopping.

“I wouldn’t have it any other place. The people are warm, receptive and always thinking about us,” says Coordinator Donna Howard. “Steamboat is what Colorado used to be. It’s very, very nice.”

The 117-room Holiday Inn, located in town, can host groups of up to 80 in its Champagne Room and 35 in the Mountain View Room. Another option for smaller groups is the all-inclusive, 12,000-acre Motherwell Ranch with lodging for up to 24 guests, meeting space for groups, cattle drives, horseback riding and activities galore.

Want something different with a casual cowboy, ski town style? Steamboat Springs may just be the answer.

Related Content

Related Content

Sheraton Steamboat Resort Offers New Green Meeting Program

Destination- Durango On Track for Memorable Meetings