Colorado Springs Welcomes the Hotel Polaris

Comfortable dining at Pamela's; Photo Credit:courtesy of the Hotel Polaris

Join Us at the New Hotel

The Hotel Polaris will host Northstar Meetings Group's Destination West hosted-buyer event in April 27-29, 2025. Meeting and incentive professionals sourcing programs in the West are welcome to indicate your interest now; you'll be contacted when you can register for the event.

Now open in Colorado Springs, Colo., the new 375-room Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy features luxury accommodations, state-of-the-art meeting facilities and beautiful mountain views.

This property has been purpose-built for gatherings. “We’ve given careful consideration into designing our group and meetings experience,” said Curtis Bova, general manager of the Hotel Polaris. “First, we wanted to capture the beauty of our location so we added floor-to-ceiling windows so meeting attendees could find inspiration from the views of the academy and Pikes Peak. Next, we made sure to have a dedicated floor that’s equipped with tools and resources to optimize collaboration. Then we developed a series of creative group activities to inspire new ideas and create bonds through team-building programs that enable deeper connections in unique social settings.”

Just outside the North Gate of the academy, in the shadow of the 14,115-foot mountain, the hotel offers 26,000 square feet of indoor meeting space on one dedicated floor. Available are a 12,000-square-foot ballroom that accommodates more than 1,000 people, a 6,000-square-foot junior ballroom, seven meeting rooms and two board rooms. The floor also offers more than 11,000 square feet of prefunction space. 

On-site dining and wellness

In addition to on-site catering, Hotel Polaris will offer an array of restaurants and bars. The full-service Pamela's serves American regional cuisine paired with local spirits, wines and beers. Shareable appetizers and distinctive craft cocktails are available at the Aviator, the ninth-floor rooftop bar. A vintage diner vibe is the aim of Doolies, a family-friendly eatery serving classics, such as shakes, hot dogs, nachos and pizza. The lobby-level Thunderbird Bar also features great views, and Quick Provisions sells coffee and tea, hot and cold snacks, and other grab-and-go options. The outdoor pool and plaza are supplied with seasonal snacks and drinks by Backyard Bites.

Meanwhile, a full menu of treatments and other wellness options are available at the Ascend spa and fitness center. 

Unique team-building programs

Buckle up and take flight in one of the hotel’s flight simulators. These rides provide guests with a high-quality, immersive, real-life pilot experience. The simulators reproduce the flight-deck experience with seats, throttles, switches, pedals and yokes made from real aircraft (other parts of the flight deck are scale reproductions). The experience includes a 220-degree wraparound screen with HD imagery to make the experience as lifelike as possible. Groups will be able to set up team-building competitions that test participants' skills on a set of simulator challenges.

The hotel also offers a falconry program, offering flight demonstrations and an opportunity where the majestic birds land on guests’ wrists. In addition to falcons, the mascot of the Air Force Academy, the program also features other birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles.

Groups also can explore the dark skies outside of Colorado Springs with the hotel’s Celestial Navigation program to learn more about constellations and basic navigation techniques, such as finding your latitude.

Hotel Polaris also is collaborating on a series inspired by the academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development. The focus of the facility is integrity, service and excellence. Hotel Polaris’ program will integrate lessons from the center to provide business leaders with a special curriculum.