Gaylord Rockies Staycation 2020 – A Summer Family Staycation during Covid-19

Disclaimer: We were invited for a staycation at Gaylord Rockies. All opinions are my own.

As things are slowly starting to open up here in Colorado traveling becomes an option again. Which is something that makes my heart beat faster. I am born with a love for traveling. At the same time it makes me nervous too. Covid-19 is still here and traveling accommodates the virus to spread. While staying at home is still the safest option, if you do want to go somewhere, staying close to home and keeping your distance from other people that are not in your personal group is wat you can do. That is why we decided on a staycation at Gaylord Rockies!

This was the second time we went to Gaylord Rockies and this time we stayed for 3 days. When I told the boys about the plans they were thrilled. They had wonderful memories of last year and couldn’t wait to enjoy the Arapahoe Springs Lazy River. Read along and find out why we love Gaylord Rockies as a Summer family destination.

Staycation is the new way to vacation

Staycation, it is the latest trend. Either people are staying home or close to home. Covid-19 has a huge impact all around.

Have you been away yet? If not, what are your concerns?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Safety!

Everyone has to make their own choice and do what is best for their family. I know we did, especially since we are high risk. When we were invited to spend time at Gaylord Rockies we were excited and we had our reservations, because what about safety?

I have to be honest. Up until that very moment in time we had been quarantining. I had thought about traveling. We had tickets to far away places, to places on the East coast and the West coast. But everything had been either canceled or postponed. And even though I liked the idea of going away it also scared me.

What if…

So I did what any person would do, I asked lots of questions. About their social distancing guidelines, their cleaning protocol, about their physical distancing and mask wearing. And I read their Commitment to Clean information, which you can find here.

I will share with you the most important things I have learned so you don’t have to ask, but of course you can! I learned that:

• Contacless check-in and food & drinks ordering is in place.
• The pool is open, but a reservation is needed and the pool would be closed for cleaning during the day from 2:00pm-3:00pm. Which also meant that everyone had to leave the pool during that hour. The only exception to this rule is the people that had rented a cabana for the whole day. They can stay in their cabana during cleaning hour.
• Our room would not be cleaned during our stay, unless we request specifically.;
• All employees will wear masks, sanitize their work spaces, etc. As outlined in the protocol.;
• 6 ft Physical distancing and mask wearing in public places is mandatory.
• Summer Activities are happening and might have some capacity limits due to following of CDC guidelines.

Knowing this put me at ease and we (I) decided to go. I am so glad we did because we had the best time and following social distancing guidelines didn’t alter our fun in any way. Memories were made that we’ll never forget. 

Top 4 reasons why the Gaylord Rockies rocks as a Family Summer Destination!

When you think about the perfect Family Summer Staycation, you think about laughter, fun, activities and food! All the things you can find at Gaylord Rockies. Read on and see if you have anything to add to our list!

1. The Pool

Entrance to the pool is included in your stay. You can’t go to the pool as a day guest. The pool is open daily from 8am to 9pm.

There is an indoor pool, an outdoor pool with an infinity view. There are slides, a splash pad for the little ones, a lazy river. Upon entrance at the pool you are greeted by the lovely hosts from The Towel Hut who will serve you with towels and tell you where you can sit. The pool itself could be the sole reason to book a stay at Gaylord Rockies. If there are no other activities but the pool, my kids would be totally content!

You need a reservation to go to the pool. So make sure you have one. You’ll get a wrist band for the day of your reservation. Pool times varies based on availability. On a weekend, the maximum pool time could be 4 hours. You have to leave the pool from 2:00pm-3:00pm for cleaning.

2. The Location

A 30 minute drive from Denver and only a 10 minute drive from Denver International Airport, makes Gaylord Rockies a great place to stay. Not only when you have a layover. But also a perfect location if you have kiddos who like to spot airplanes! Did you know spotting airplanes is a genuine hobby! 

You can combine a stay at Gaylord Rockies with a city trip to Denver. Or you can enjoy your staycation as you would enjoy a resort and never leave the place. We didn’t feel the need to leave the resort. There were plenty of restaurants, activities and outdoor spaces available. Plus we had so much fun exploring the resort and convention center.

3. The Summer Activities

A Summer vacation is not complete without activities and Gaylord Rockies is not skimping on the fun. It didn’t feel like we were here only for 3 days. We had so much fun.

The Colorado Explorer Scavenger Hunt was one of the boys’ favorite activities. You can pick up a Scavenger Book at the Front desk. During the scavenger hunt you will see the caboose and lets you learn about Colorado’s plants, animals, landmarks and history. I don’t want to give away too much, but it is sure one thing you don’t want to miss.

There are daily activities like morning yoga, lawn games and family evening activities. We also enjoyed the Arts & Crafts Corner. You can be creative there from every Thursday to Sunday from 2-6pm. On Thursday, Fridays and Saturday evening there are movies at the lawn, making the Summer feeling complete.

If you like wildlife, make sure to be there on Saturdays. That is when they have Wild Animal Encounters presented by HawkQuest. We were pretty excited when we read about that. Hopefully we’ll get to experience that another time.

For an overview to everything Gaylord Rockies is offering this Summer, click here.

4. The Amenities

Walking around at the pool I felt so fortunate to be able to spend time here with my family. There is so much to do. Relax at the spa, fitness, tennis, table tennis, miniature golf, basketball, biking, disc golf, enjoying margaritas at the pool.

Due to Covid-19, there are currently only 4 restaurants options available from the regular 8:

• Mountain Pass Sports Bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7am-12am
• Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill is open daily for bar service from 9am-9pm and for food service from 11am-7pm
• Rockies Marketplace is open daily from 6am-8pm
• Ski Village Tacos is open for dinner take-out on Friday and Saturday from 5-9pm
• In-Room Dining is available from 6am-12am

Best Time!

We had such a great time during our staycation and even though we were only at Gaylord Rockies for 3 days, it felt like a welcome break to our day to day life. A time where we could connect as a family and enjoy our time together.