My friends, if you’ve never been to a Gaylord Resort, you’re missing out.

My first Gaylord experience was at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville for a work conference in the mid-2000s. Back then, I was gobsmacked by the immensity of the signature atriums; the grand, multistory glass ceilings; and the fact it took me a good 20 minutes on foot to reach the conference exhibits from my own hotel room (now that’s a big place!). Truth be told, when I traveled again to Nashville a few years ago, I asked my posse to make a stop at The Gaylord just so I could see if the memories in my brain were a bit exaggerated or if they lived up to the hype.

And from what I can tell, Gaylord always lives up to the hype. This is why I made sure to pack my running shoes before my stay at The Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center two weeks ago. And, truly, it was a remarkable weekend.

I was met for a special tour of the property on my first full day. I learned The Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center boasts 1,500 rooms and more than 500,000 square feet of convention space. But beyond hosting large-scale company meetings, the resort also features The Arapahoe Springs Water Park with two oversized pools and waterslides, three hot tubs and an 800-foot lazy river. There’s also tennis courts, a putting course and a basketball court, not to mention four restaurants, significant retail space and a coffee shop.

The lobby itself is full of rustic charm with numerous alcoves where groups of people can gather in oversized leather chairs and unwind. The wall of windows to the west offered a picturesque view of downtown Denver as well as the snowcapped Rocky Mountains. An actual caboose of a train sits in the main atrium, looking mighty tiny compared to the waterfall features and rock walls surrounding it. In fact, the sheer size of the place can overwhelm you — and as I continued the tour, I realized how truly unique this property is to Colorado. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the state. Not even close.

In addition to the top-notch amenities, The Gaylord has world-class pampering down to a tee. I thoroughly enjoyed my 80-minute Cellutox Wrap and Target Massage from Jazmine at Relache Spa and was hard-pressed to leave the eucalyptus steam room. Hard-pressed because steam rooms are kind of my jam but also because Relache Spa is significantly larger than most standalone day spas I’ve come to enjoy — 14,000 square feet of elegantly adorned bliss! As I sat inside the waiting area sipping my coconut-flavored water by the fireplace, I took some pictures and vowed to come back for a girls’ weekend when I could spend the entire day there.

I enjoyed my meal from Mountain Pass Sports Bar and several other heartier snacks from the grab-and-go Marketplace, but my most memorable moment of the trip came when my father and son challenged each other to a game of cornhole while my mom and I cheered and booed. My dad wasn’t sure my son even knew how to play — and my son had no idea how good my dad was at the game. But on this brilliant afternoon with the Rocky Mountains reflecting in the background, the men in my life were enjoying a simple bean-bag game of lighthearted fun.

No running shoes allowed.

— Carrie Cox, account executive