St Julien: Boulder, Colorado’s Best Luxury Hotel

It’s been 20 years since Boulder, Colorado, got its first new luxury hotel, the St Julien. At that time, St
Julien established itself as the pinnacle of luxury lodging in Boulder. What was once an old railroad yard
has become a destination hotel for tourists, parents visiting their CU Boulder students, and for special
events.

I used to live just a block away from the hotel during its construction and wondered for over 20 years
what it was like to be a hotel guest. On a gorgeous August day, my wife and I checked into the St Julien.
Over the course of 22 hours, we found out why the hotel received so many accolades including a four-
diamond award from AAA and a four-star award from Forbes.

We arrived by car and had two bellmen greet us warmly and take our bags to the room. At reception,
Brandon got us checked in and oriented quickly, even though the hotel was at 100 percent occupancy.
We arrived on the third floor and entered our King Veranda Room.

A Room With a View

The bathroom featured an oversized soaking tub, a separate shower, a sink, and a makeup mirror. The
earth-toned slate tile made the bathroom look like a luxury spa in Arizona. The shower provided hot
water quickly and with good pressure. Photos of Boulder County landscapes and more earth tones
decorated the rooms walls. A work desk offered ample space to complete tasks, and an overstuffed
armchair and ottoman gave us a comfortable reading place.

The highlight of the King Veranda Room was the balcony overlooking the courtyard and big views of the
famous Flatirons, the sloped red sandstone rock formations on the foothills above Boulder. Seeing those
red rock slabs brought back memories of rock climbing one of Colorado’s favorite climbing and hiking
places. Our room had a minibar and fridge stocked with plenty of snacks and beverages to enjoy on the
spacious balcony.

For our first night in Boulder, we chose the Flagstaff House for dinner and thought it cool that we could
see the restaurant from our hotel balcony. The St Julien has a car service that will take guests to the
Flagstaff House or other places within two miles of the hotel. Car service is part of the amenities of staying with them on a first-come, first-serve basis. I have always considered the Flagstaff House the finest restaurant in Colorado, and this recent dinner reinforced that lofty praise.

A Top Spa

We splurged and reserved massages at St Julien’s 10,000-square-foot spa for our second day in Boulder.
Before our massage appointments, I had time to cross Canyon Blvd and walk the Boulder Creek Trail.
This trail is one of the best in Colorado, offering miles of hiking or biking upstream or downstream in the
clear waters of Boulder Creek; just another reason to stay at St Julien.

At the spa, we were greeted and shown our respective changing rooms, then proceeded to the
relaxation room until our therapists came for us. My wife and I have had numerous massages at hotels
around the US and agreed that the St Julien massage therapists and treatment rooms were some of the
best yet. Our 50-minute classic massage was over too soon, but there was shopping at the Pearl Street
Mall and lunch at Jill’s to fit into our busy day.

We did manage to fit in a soak in the oversized hot tub, which is conveniently located next to the spa
and accessible from the spa’s relaxation room. The 50-foot-long pool was tempting, but after the
massage, relaxation won out over swimming.

A Walk on the Mall

Boulder is home to the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-friendly shopping and dining zone established in
the 1970s. The mall is one of the country’s first and possibly the most successful urban pedestrian malls.
Guests of the St Julien are just a five-minute walk from the mall’s west end. On the east end of the mall,
find Falafel King Restaurant, a 45-year favorite eatery in the area. The vegan/vegetarian-friendly
restaurant is suitable for grab-and-go lunch and enjoyment at the mall. Another favorite but high-end
eatery near the mall is Oak at Fourteenth, which some folks think is one of Boulder’s best restaurants.

The Pearl Street Mall is also a playground with a small rock climbing area and other kid-friendly features.

The flower gardens were in full bloom during our August visit, making it a colorful walk. For one of the
best kitchen and home goods shops in the US, Peppercorn gets this chef’s top score. Peppercorn also
has a wonderful selection of chocolate from near and far as well as snacks and hot sauces.

As our stay was ending, we finished with a delicious lunch at Jill’s. We started with the handmade tots
from the attractive starters. The flatbread selection was good, and we chose the mushroom and
caramelized onion version for our large and tasty main dish. The staff recommended the St Julien
banana split; we saved room for this treat and were glad we did. The caramelized banana and delicious
pineapple compote made this a dessert to remember. Jill’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus
brunch on weekends.

One last aspect of St Julien that stood out was the special event facilities. They include six meeting
rooms, three meeting suites, and an outdoor tent that can handle events for up to 180 guests. Even
though there was a conference group of 300 and a wedding during our stay, the hotel staff and
elevators handled the occupancy very well.

A Fond Farewell

Our check-out was smooth, and the bellmen brought our car then loaded the bags for departure. The St
Julien will go down as one of the best hotel stays ever in our former home state, and we’re glad they
have made a great place for luxury hotel lodging. I believe they can keep it up for another 20 years or
more.