The Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort is a family-owned, vintage hotel with a western theme. Located on a designated bike route connecting Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, the spacious cyclist-friendly establishment is close to multiple hiking/ biking/climbing venues and trails at the base of Pikes Peak—and less than a mile from Garden of the Gods Park.
It’s an extraordinary place that seemed inconceivable a few years ago when cyclist/entrepreneur Torie Giffin decided to get into the hotel business. Giffin had a very specific vision for a bike-friendly single-level establishment.
“You don’t want to have to take your bike up six floors and wheel it across the carpet,” she explained at the time. “We want to provide amenities that cater to bicycle culture. Cyclists spend a lot of money on their bikes, and bicycle travel is huge.” Strangely enough, she found a location that perfectly aligned with her vision.
In 2016, she was able to buy the Buffalo Lodge in Manitou Springs for $1.4 million–a price that seems laughably low today. Built around 1931 during the golden age of automobile tourism, the four-acre property, 47-unit hotel, is less than a mile from Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Open Space and near the Midland Trail connecting Colorado Springs and Manitou.
“I wanted to create a community for cyclists where it would be a great base camp for adventures and a cool place to return, have a beer and sit by the fire.”
Her vision was spot-on. Moving in with her family, she went to work, gradually updating and renovating the fine old Lodge. It was an all-consuming task, especially since Giffin had limited funds, three kids to nurture, and a hotel that remained open during years of renovation. The result: a hotel that’s friendly, unpretentious, down-home, comfortable, and cool. It’s perfectly attuned to families, kids, cyclists, and dogs. You can go on an organized ride, rent or take your own bike, or just hang out and enjoy Happy Hour at the Lodge’s sprightly bar.
In short, it’s about as far removed from the sterile, soulless, and corporate hotels as it can be – but it’s more comfortable, more fun, and less expensive. And yeah, Torie’s right – the bar serves great Colorado craft beers.
