For Steve Bartolin, president of The Broadmoor, the recently announced $60-million renovation that is scheduled to take place over the next two years is just another step in the evolution of the historic Colorado Springs resort.
“If you look at us historically, we’ve kind of ignored recessions,” he says. “We just continue to reinvest in the property and have done so for the past 20 years. Obviously we think that the money we’re expending is going to add value and create new reasons for guests to come back.”
The extensive renovation project will include major updates to the estate’s guestrooms and suites, food and beverage outlets, and meeting facilities.
“The projects that we’re doing are pretty multifaceted—there’s a lot of different pieces to them,” says Bartolin. “But, I think each one enriches The Broadmoor in one way or another.”
A substantial part of the overall renovation includes a complete overhaul of Broadmoor West, which will include the expansion of the building’s 152 guestrooms. The West building will be fitted with new plumbing and new technology to modernize the guest experience. However, the facade of the building will be redone to look like it did when it was built in 1918.
“The renovation of Broadmoor West is differentiated from a typical guestroom renovation because what we will do is literally gut that building—the lobbies, the public spaces, guestroom floors— so it will basically be exterior walls and floor slabs,” says Bartolin. “The goal with that is to expand the guestrooms, create more luxurious bathrooms, and enrich the interiors, public spaces, and bars that are in the building.”
Another main component of the two-year timeline includes the building of an activity center which will feature bowling lanes, billiards, board games, and a food and beverage component. Bartolin says the activity center, which is expected to be completed by April of 2013, will hopefully appeal to families.
“Guests want family activities,” he says. “We think it’s going to be fun for adults, for families, and for teens.”
The dining facilities at the Broadmoor will also see big improvements in the next year. The Tavern’s Garden Room will be rebuilt to give it a European conservatory feel, and the Golden Bee with be expanded to nearly double its current size. The resort is also working with famed restaurant designer Adam Tihany on a new Italian restaurant which will feature authentic, quality ingredients sourced from Italy. The new restaurant is expected to be open in the spring of 2014.
But despite the scale of the renovation project, Bartolin explains that there will be little disruption to guests who stay at the property while these projects are underway.
“We’re always cognizant about guest comfort,” he says. “What’s great is that each one of these is an isolated project that you can sort of cut off and do without affecting the guest experience at the rest of the property. The way the Broadmoor is laid out lends itself to that.”
The multi-phase renovation of the resort is expected to be complete by April of 2014, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more projects and updates scheduled at the property down the road.
“We’re always adding something new or making something better,” says Bartolin. “It’s just an ongoing process for us—a race without a finish line.”
