Hotel Review: St. Julien Hotel and Spa Boulder Colorado

If you are headed to Boulder Colorado and looking for a luxury hotel, there really aren’t a lot of options especially if you want to stay downtown. The two choices are Hotel Boulderado and St. Julien Hotel and Spa. We chose the St. Julien Hotel and Spa for a recent stay based on friend’s recommendation and overall, we were quite pleased. Hotel Boulderado is victorian-inspired so it that’s your preference, then you may want to give it a go. We prefer a more modern venue.

St. Julien is a lovely hotel in a perfect location, just one block off the Pearl Street Mall. That said, the location is also a bit of a negative as the back sits on a very busy street, Canyon Blvd. Luckily, it stays pretty quiet. When a local tells you that’s where they stayed when they were impacted by fires a few years ago, you know you’ve chosen correctly.

The Hotel

At 201 rooms and 12 suites, the hotel is a nice size. It’s big enough to offer all the amenities, but not too big that you feel overwhelmed and like a number. The lobby area is very inviting and we sat in their comfy chairs quite often. The service from housekeeping to dining to valet parking to the spa was impeccable.

What was very important to me about the hotel is their environmental commitment as a green hotel and an Ecocycle Zero Waste Partner. They have actually reduced the amount of waste they dispose in landfills by 89%!! They even have Lights out Tuesday, where most of Jill’s restaurant’s lights are kept off during lunch. Ample natural light is supplied by the large windows, instead!

Rooms

You can choose from mountain view, which we had, city view, or balcony rooms. Our room was quite spacious and included a king size 4-poster bed, large screen TV, large soaking tub, and all the usual items you expect in a high end hotel. The beds were super comfortable with Italian linens and the bath products were from their Spa. I have to say my favorite room amenity was an in-room safe that fits my laptop. Most do not and it was a pleasant surprise.

Dining

You have several choices at St. Julien including Jill’s Restaurant & Bistro and T-Zero Bar & Lounge. You can also choose to sit inside or out. Jill’s also has a little bar and take out for breakfast with a wide choice of pastries. We had breakfast every morning at Jill’s as part of a package and then also enjoyed lunch and dinner several times. Both are highly recommended with good choices.

In addition, they offer an afternoon tea every Saturday afternoon. In-room dining is available 24 hours. I was thrilled to see that they promote organic, sustainable farming and offer Vegan Monday tasting menus. Being vegetarian, I am always on the lookout but rarely find. The menus also denotes what is vegan/vegetarian. But there are tons of options within walking distance, so finding the perfect place to eat will not be difficult.

Amenities

You will want for nothing at St. Julien, well, maybe if you want movies on demand. Besides what you’ve come to expect in this caliber of hotel like 24-hour business center, fitness center, and laundry, what sets St. Julien apart are:

• limo/town car service within 2 miles of hotel
• complimentary wifi
• choice of complimentary newspapers in the lobby
• complimentary bicycles including electric bikes
  

  Photo credit St. Julien Hotel and Spa.

• an indoor lap pool
• local music Thursday – Sunday evenings

We used the concierge desk on multiple occasions and they were all a great help. What I appreciated is that their recommendations veered away from touristy suggestions and instead were things they actually did and places they actually ate at.

Spa

I will admit to having one of the best aromatherapy massages I have ever had. Not only was the massage great, but she stretched out my hips and wrists. It is open from 8 am-8 pm daily and seemed to offer most services you would want, including sauna and steam rooms and an outdoor sun terrace.

They also have a full-service salon and gift shop. All of the staff could not have been nicer and more knowledgeable. Get this…They even offer treatments with handmade products from the hotel’s fresh herb garden.

Price

Luxury does not come cheap. The rooms range from $350 – $500 a night and vary a bit with season. Packages are available such as Bed and Breakfast, Adventure, Romance, Serenity, and even a Vegan Package! Valet parking is extra at $26/day. It actually ends up either being a wash or costing less than parking on the street (if you can find a spot) to the lots. The convenience is worth any extra cost.

Negative

We were at the hotel for 8 nights. Our room was on the 2nd floor and directly above the outdoor terrace and gazebo. Sunday – Tuesday it was very quiet. Then came Wednesday and Thursday with live music playing outside. It wasn’t too bad, quit fairly early, and the TV kind of drowned it out. But then came a wedding party for Friday and Saturday night. OMG the noise. Not only from the bands, but also from the guests.

The issue was bad for Friday as my husband had his Ironman race the next day and had to get up at 4am. But Saturday turned out to be the worst.  The guests left to have fun on Pearl Street, but then returned to the hotel around midnight and stayed partying right below us until 3 am!!!! Then when they went to bed, they had rooms around us and were talking loudly in the hall and then slamming doors.

I did complain both nights, but only got rather half-hearted apologies from the very young front desk. I really should know you need to speak with the manager and that’s next on my to-do list.

The bottom line…While the noise should not prevent you from staying at the hotel, check with the hotel about any events which might be occurring during your stay. Boulder is a lovely town and the St. Julien should serve you quite well.