The Pad
Stay in the heart of Colorado ski country (without paying ski country prices) at The Pad, the first boutique hotel/hostel in Silverthorne. With views of the Blue River and easy access to ski resorts, hiking trails and Dillon Reservoir, this makes the perfect wallet-friendly home base for mountain adventures.
At The Pad, take your pick from all kinds of room options ranging from affordable shared dorms with bunk beds and community bathrooms to deluxe private rooms with an en suite bathroom and mountain-view terrace. Families and groups of friends can have their own sleepover-style getaway in one of the private bunk rooms.
What makes it special?
This hostel may be budget-friendly, but it doesn’t skimp on decor and amenities. Bright murals, trendy furnishings and a “Stay Rad” neon sign make for some Instagram-worthy backdrops. After a day of exploring the mountains, play a game of ping-pong, kick back by the riverside fire pit or unwind in the hot tub.
The most “Colorado” thing about this place
As Colorado’s first Pending B Corp in hospitality, The Pad boasts a holistic approach to environmental sustainability and community impact. This means they care about employee equality and wages, choose eco-conscious vendors and support local artisans and businesses. They also partner with HC3 (High Country Conservation Center) to compost as much as possible.
Most unexpected amenity
This hostel was made for making new friends. Swap stories about your epic adventures with fellow guests at A-BAR, the riverside and rooftop bar featuring 26 beers on tap, or while cooking up your own food in the well-stocked communal kitchen. Then, peek at the events calendar to join one of the many on-site social gatherings, from yoga classes and run clubs to ecstatic dance parties and beer-darts games.
Our favorite traveler review
“You can tell care has been taken to blend the two worlds of a hostel and a modern, upscale hotel. Our room was simple and small, but absolutely big enough for our needs. The bunks were super comfortable and solid, everything was spotless, the shower had good water pressure and the room was nice and warm. My favorite place was a shared kitchen area where guests had access to a fridge and pantry space (cubby containers provided to keep your food separate). This kitchen really fostered the community feeling and was an easy place to sit and chat for a while.” — Paul F., Tripadvisor
Things to see & do nearby
Snow chasers, you’re going to love this. In under 30 minutes in nearly any direction, you can be at a renowned Colorado ski resort: Copper Mountain, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort or Loveland Ski Area. If slower-paced fun sounds more your speed, head over to Frisco Nordic Center for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing surrounded by snow-dusted mountains, or slide down the hills on an inner tube at Frisco Adventure Park.
During summer months, you’ll find hiking trails galore, such as the easy 1.5-mile Rainbow Lake Trail offering peaceful views of a lake and forests or the challenging 11.5-mile Tenderfoot Mountain trail with sweeping vistas of Dillon Reservoir. Get out on the water with a stand-up paddleboard or kayak rental from Stand Up Paddle Colorado. At night, catch a live music performance or a movie screening at the outdoor Dillon Amphitheater.
And any time of year, cheers to your incredible adventures at craft breweries like Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon or Angry James Brewing Co. in Silverthorne.
Photos courtesy of The Pad (David Lauer, Summit Multimedia & 4Blades Digital Drone Photography)
