Review: Hotel Polaris Club Lounge in Colorado Springs
As a lounge nerd, I was confused when I saw a Polaris Club lounge in Colorado Springs. But I was happy to discover that it was not located at the airport; instead, it is located in an amazing aviation-themed hotel. So, we stopped and visited the Hotel Polaris Club Lounge during a paid stay and spent several hours evaluating the service, evening offerings, seating, amenities, and overall guest experience. We also had a great room on the 9th floor (Club Floor) with a view of the mountains.
Quick Intro to Hotel Polaris
To stay on topic, I will not write an entire posting about the hotel but will give you a quick intro. Hotel Polaris opened in November 2024, and is a 375-room full-service hotel with onsite dining, a rooftop bar, a pool, a wellness center and spa, and a club lounge. Polaris is also the only hotel in the United States with on-site flight simulators for rental. The hotel is located about 25 miles north of the Colorado Springs Airport (COS), just off of I-25 next door to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Location and Access
The Club Lounge is located on the 9th floor on the northeast side of the hotel and is open daily from 07:00 to 21:00 (9 pm). To access the lounge, you must be staying on the Club Level, which is the 9th floor. There are rooms as well as suites on this floor, some with mountain views and others with neighborhood views, so you have options when booking. To enter the lounge, there is a keypad where you can touch your room key, and it will open if you have access. While we were there, we stayed in a corner room with a mountain view overlooking the pool, and the room was beautiful, clean, and comfortable.
Lounge Amenities
The lounge has modern furniture, leather sofas, and large windows with panoramic outside views. Attached to the lounge is a covered outdoor patio with tables, seating, fresh air, and partial views of the mountains. Inside the lounge, there are three TVs, which can each be tuned to something different; during my time, two of them were tuned to sports and the other was off. There is no printer or business services, but there are lots of places for plugging in and charging.
Seating and Work Areas
The lounge has indoor seating for approximately 25 people and additional tables and seating outside on the patio. One nice thing is a hightop table with seating for six people to have a meal or meeting. There are sofas, chairs, and small side tables for relaxing. Outside on the patio, there are 4-top tables and other comfortable seating options.
Food and Beverage
The lounge hosts a happy hour every Friday and Saturday from 17:00 (5 pm) to 18:30 (6:30 pm). During happy hour, they offer free snacks, plus beer, wine, and sparkling wine, served by a lounge employee.
When it's not happy hour and the lounge is open, they offer snacks including chips and fruit, sodas, tea, and an espresso machine for making various coffee drinks. Note: alcohol is only offered during Happy Hour.
Restrooms and Showers
There are no restrooms or showers in the lounge, but there are options outside the lounge down the hall or, of course, back in your room, most likely on the same floor.
Internet, Noise, and Charging
The lounge (as well as the hotel) offers high-speed internet. While I was in the lounge, I used the Wi-Fi, and the speed was fast, and getting connected was simple. I ran two tests, and the fastest of the tests was 161 Mbps (down) and 162 Mbps (up), with a ping time of 6 ms.
As far as noise goes, I visited the lounge twice during my stay. My first visit was Saturday night around 5pm, and the lounge was mostly empty, and they were getting set up for happy hour. The sound levels were very quiet. We stayed in the lounge for about an hour, and around 6pm the lounge had started to get busy with people there for the happy hour. There was still seating, but about 1/2 of the lounge was full, and it was no longer quiet. I visited the next morning to get a coffee, and the lounge was once again empty and peaceful.
There are AC plugs on all the walls, so charging was ample; they even had a charging block at the entrance for USB charging, but being at the entrance was too far away for my comfort.
Overall Rating: 4.5*
Pros: great place to relax and comfortable, service during happy hour was great.
Cons: limited food options and amenities; no breakfast, and happy hour is only Friday and Saturday.
- Amenities: 4
- Comfort: 4.7
- Cleanliness & Service: 4.7
- Value: 4.5
- Wow-Factor: 3
* scored using Nerd Score (Non-Lounge) 1.0
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Closing Thoughts
This was a very fun hotel and the Hotel Polaris Lounge is a great family friendly executive lounge. One convenient bonus is that it is located roughly between Denver and Colorado Springs, making it a great place to stop when traveling, plus being located just outside the USAF Academy is great for visiting military families. I really do hope to go back, and if I do, I will make time to do the 737 MAX simulator!