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California and New York are the most-visited states in the country, but Colorado, home of the Rocky Mountains, also lands among the most popular destinations travelers opt for when traveling domestically. In 2024, 95.4 million out-of-state travelers visited Colorado. And while Denver is often the first and only stop as the state capital and largest city, many come to Colorado to experience smaller destinations rooted in the nature for which the state is known: Aspen, Snowmass and Telluride for skiing, Rocky Mountain National Park for alpine flora and fauna. The college town of Boulder, a crossroads for students, progressive and mountain life, and a city that is nicknamed “25 square miles surrounded by reality,” saw nearly two million visitors in 2024. Due to the high land costs and local laws that restrict new development to protect the mountain landscape, Boulder also has a reputation for having limited places to stay overnight. Despite the high visitor numbers, the last count placed the total number of hotels, inns, and motels at just under two dozen. New all-electric hotel opens on University of Colorado campus in Boulder One new property, the Limelight Boulder, opened its doors to guests in August 2025. The first non-student accommodation option on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, the 252-room property is owned by the larger Aspen Hospitality group offering casual luxury hotels in cities such as Aspen, Snowmass and Denver. The newest property has bragging rights of being the largest all-electric hotel in the country — the grid-powered heating and hot water system was designed to reduce its carbon footprint over time as more energy from a nearby Boulder solar grid is also incorporated — and has that “rugged luxury” vibe that travelers often expect on a trip to the mountains with panoramic views of the Flatirons sandstone formations at the base of the Rockies and touches of cabin lifestyle in the room interiors and hotel art. The $200 million project is the result of a partnership between Limelight, Aspen Hospitality, and the University of Colorado; the campus location gives the hotel a youthful vibe while also providing some higher-end accommodation to parents coming into town to visit their children at the 35,000-student university. Boulder is a city that sees many tourists but has few hotels The youthful vibe thus also plays into the property naturally since both the hotel itself and the adjacent Ajax Tavern restaurant serve as a natural job feeder for students looking for part-time employment. Aspen Hospitality CEO Jeff Toscano called the new Limelight property an “exciting and meaningful milestone in the continued expansion and evolution” of the hotel brand while CU Boulder Chancelor Justin Schwartz celebrated the increase in “meeting and event space for our faculty and community leaders” as facilities like meeting rooms and the 15,000-square-foot ballroom that can also be rented out as a wedding and event space. More on travel: Major airline launches surprising flight between Las Vegas and Paris United Airlines CEO gives stark warning on Olympic Games The highest rooftop in Barcelona is in a surprising place US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel While Boulder has experienced some visitor fluctuation in 2025 amid the dropoff in international visitors under the Trump administration, the lower hotel-to-visitor ratio means that each new opening is well received as a boost to the city’s economy. The Moxy Hotel of Vision Hospitality Group opened its doors in May 2024, just off the CU campus, while plans to expand the early luxury St. Julien Hotel & Spa by 39 additional suites were approved by the Boulder City Council at the start of 2025.
