Where to Stay in Buena Vista, Colorado – Surf Chateau
Surf Chateau is a boutique hotel located in Buena Vista, Colorado right on the Arkansas River.
The hotel is part of the new South Main development and it truly looks like something straight out of Europe – with all of the stonework, pointed rooftops and the gas lanterns.
The hotel is simple and clean with all of the modern amenities – not to mention beautiful decor. Surf Chateau is located in a new neighborhood in Buena Vista called South Main. If you go to downtown Buena Vista and make your way towards the river, you will reach South Main. It has a more condensed, urban feel than the rest of town and it’s a great place to spend your vacation. Just steps away from coffee shops, a gelato shop, restaurants, shopping, and of course, the Arkansas River, I found Surf Chateau to be the ideal spot to stay in town. It’s perfect if you’re planning to spend the day on the river, you can just walk back to your hotel after.
From the street, you will enter the hotel through the stone archway and arrive in the courtyard where ten of the rooms are located. In the courtyard, there is a mixture of rooms – anything from a room with a queen bed to larger loft rooms with a bedroom in the loft and a living area downstairs. All of rooms in the courtyard have small marble cafe tables with chairs. It’s the perfect place for enjoying some hot coffee in the morning.
At the end of the courtyard is a large building right on the river with rooms overlooking the river. As you can see, there is a beautiful arched walkway that takes you straight to the river trail and to a view of the river. In that building, the rooms all have small porches that look out over the river.
The Rooms: What To Expect
On our trips, we stayed in two types of rooms. On our first trip, we stayed in one of the small rooms with just the queen bed. Our room was nice and bright. It had a comfy queen bed with crisp white linens and 2 minimalist wicker side tables. At the end of the bed was a a wooden table with a large flatscreen TV. The furniture and storage was minimal with the exception of a large closet. It was perfect for storing luggage as well as any gear you may have.
On our second trip, we stayed in the one of the loft rooms. In the loft, there was a plush queen bed right under the window. In the main room was a pullout couch along with a small cafe table, a small kitchen area with bar seating, and a wood burning stove.
Of course, the best part of the hotel was its’ location. Buena Vista is one of Colorado’s hidden gems. With world-class white-water rafting and plenty of 14’ers to peak, not to mention the Collegiate Peaks, Buena Vista is truly magical.
I’m already planning my next trip back.
Photos below from 2015:
Thank you to Surf Chateau for a wonderful stay.
