Curtis Bova, general manager at the upcoming Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., announced the hotel will open in November. Bova was joined by CoralTree Hospitality President Tom Luersen and Visit Colorado Springs President and CEO Doug Price for a hard-hat preview of the new hotel at the North Gate of the Academy. Bova provided an update on construction and key elements of the hotel that are coming together months before the hotel’s debut.
“Construction has been progressing nicely and we are comfortable sharing that we anticipate a November opening,” Bova said in a statement. “We started receiving furniture for our guestrooms last week, we’re tightening up our restaurant concepts and starting to focus on guest-service programs. We also are excited to start bringing on local talent to help us operate Hotel Polaris.” The team will likely announce a more specific opening date in late September or early October, he added.
The 375-room Hotel Polaris is adjacent to the Academy and in the shadow of the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak. The hotel is part of a mixed-use development that includes the Academy’s new 32,000-square-foot Hosmer Visitor Center. The Barry Goldwater Visitor Center, opened in 1986, is a 10-minute drive inside the Academy from the North Gate.
Visit Colorado Springs’ Price talked about the excitement and economic impacts of the new hotel as a compliment to the City of Champions initiative.
Local Inspiration
The design and décor of Hotel Polaris’ 375 guestrooms is inspired by the surrounding Rocky Mountains and the Academy's midcentury-modern architecture. Blue and silver hues celebrate the Academy while warm wood tones create an organic backdrop that brings the outdoors inside. The modern design approach in the guestrooms includes a leather, built-in headboard with custom-made side tables. The artwork in the guestrooms capture both historic and modern-day aviation images.
The design is consistent across the hotel, which also includes six dining venues, a six-room spa and a wellness center.
Hotel Polaris has more than 26,000 square feet of indoor space. A dedicated floor for meetings and functions has floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Hotel Polaris is poised to become our signature property in Colorado,” said Luersen, whose company manages the new hotel. “CoralTree Hospitality has deep roots in Colorado. We’ve expanded our collection over the last five years to include two Front Range hotels, an extensive collection of residential resort properties in Vail and Snowmass, we operate a boutique property in Telluride and the opening of Hotel Polaris will mark another significant milestone in the growth of our collection. We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to be working with Provident Group and the Academy affiliates on this special hotel. And, I’m so proud of the work Curtis and his team are doing to bring the vision of this hotel to life.”
Hotel Polaris is 30 minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport and an hour from the Denver-metropolitan area.