Luxury Hotels: The Ritz-Carlton Denver offers an unsurpassed luxurious stay right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Perfectly located in the Mile High City that boasts 300 days of annual sunshine and just a few short blocks from the 16th Street mile-long mall, the property offers the largest guest rooms in town. The property was recently named Denver's first and only AAA five-diamond hotel.

Don't miss the adjacent FORZA Fitness Club popular with many professional athletes who are always in town. The facility offers a basketball court, indoor lap pool, Pilates and yoga classes as well as a full free-weight room and cardio equipment. There is also an on-site luxury spa that is open to the public and features a variety of massage and body treatments, a full-service salon and retail boutique.

We stayed in a spacious beautifully designed Club-level guestroom. Guests on this floor have full access to the three food displays presented daily. Breakfast here included a variety of muffins and pastries but be sure to arrive early as most of the food was almost gone when we arrived at the latter portion of the presentation. The lunchtime snacks were wonderful and plentiful ? finger sandwiches and wraps were served along with some hearty soups, fresh vegetables, cheese and crackers.

The on-site steakhouse, Elway's (named after famed former Denver Bronco John Elway) was one of the best restaurants in town serving up Colorado style favorites. If there is one thing on the menu that should not be missed, it's the lamb chop fondue. A generous portion of tender lamb chops arrived with a creamy pot of green chile cheese sauce for dipping. Another must have is the bone-in ribeye, one of the most flavorful and juicy steaks we have ever sampled served up with a side of creamy horseradish sauce. The bone-in filet was extraordinarily tender and cooked to perfection seared to medium rare. There is a good selection of seafood as well, including ahi tuna, Japanese sea bass and farm raised salmon. The grilled Colorado lamb loin sounded intriguing as did the prime beef enchiladas.

While we were in town, we headed over to Coors Field to catch a Rockies game. If you arrive early, you can get discount seats in the Rock Pile section, which can attract a younger, rowdier crowd. There are so many things to do in Denver and everything seems just a short walk from the centrally located Ritz property. From the Denver Art Museum, Children's Museum and Aquarium to Larimer Square for shopping, dining and nightlife, there seems to be something for everyone here.

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Kellie Speed

Kellie Speed is a freelance writer with more than 20 years' experience writing for a variety of publications, including US Veterans magazine, DiverseAbility and BestReviews. She also contributed to Moon Metro's Boston guidebook published by Avalon Travel Publishing and can be reached at kkspeed@aol.com ...(Read More)