Know Before You Go: The Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts (Telluride, Colorado)
Surrounded by the breathtaking San Juan Mountains, Telluride combines over-the-top views with an under-the-radar vibe. A free gondola system (unique in the world) connects the historic main town with the newer ski resort hub of Mountain Village via a scenic 12-minute journey over the mountain ridge. The crown jewel of luxury lodging in Mountain Village, The Madeline Hotel & Residences, was an ideal base to explore Telluride, offering an excellent location and room options for families, gorgeous design features, plenty to do for guests of all ages, and attentive yet laid-back service. After a top-notch hotel stay in an idyllic mountain setting, we left here eager to return.
OVERALL RATING
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Exceptional
Overview
At-a-Glance
Date of stay: May 2024
Length of stay: 3 nights / 4 days
Trip type: Family holiday
Property type: Luxury mountain resort and spa
Tailor-made for: Skiers and outdoor enthusiasts; ultra family-friendly
Highlights
Gorgeous design elements throughout, courtesy of Rose Ink Workshop
Ideal room setup for families (2-bedroom residence)
Stunning natural setting and scenery
Free gondola connecting Mountain Village to downtown Telluride
Daily alphorn ceremony and nightly s’mores
Attentive yet fuss-free service
Thoughtful amenities to acclimate to high altitude
Good to Know
The Madeline and sister hotel, Element 52, are technically both in Telluride but are in completely different locations (Mountain Village versus downtown Telluride) and property types (full-service hotel versus self-catering condo-style hotel)
The property and town are extremely family-friendly and accessible for those with strollers or wheelchairs
The property reopens from seasonal closure shortly before Memorial Day weekend so prices and crowds are low, but there can be some service bumps during this time
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Location & Setting
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After arriving at Montrose (MTJ) Airport (following 5 hours of flight delays…), we walked outside to pick up our car and drove the 1h30m scenic, winding mountain roads to arrive in Telluride. While we opted to rent a car, there is also a Telluride Express shuttle that runs regularly to and from the airport or the hotel can arrange transfers. If flying private, the Telluride (TEX) airport is a few minutes outside of town with a jaw-dropping runway with a mesa dropoff. Set in the heart of Mountain Village next to Reflection Plaza (ice skating rink in winter, green space in summer), The Madeline Hotel and Residences, an Auberge Resort, is just steps away from the gondola station which connects Mountain Village to the historic town of Telluride by a 12-minute free gondola ride over the mountain ridge. Outside of ski season, Mountain Village is the quieter side of Telluride, with a smaller number of restaurants and shops compared to buzzier Telluride, a former mining town tucked into a box canyon, with a charming Main Street, extensive services available, and an array of festivals held throughout the summer.
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Property & Grounds
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A boutique mountain property with head-turning design elements throughout, courtesy of Rose Ink Workshop, The Madeline Hotel and Residences, an Auberge Resort, encompasses 94 rooms and suites, 43 residences, a restaurant, bar, spa, fitness center, and an outdoor terrace pool. With ski-in/ski-out access, the property is a slope-lover’s paradise with Telluride Ski Resort located in Mountain Village. The Madeline, Fairmont, and sister property Element 52 in Telluride village are currently the primary upscale hotel options in the area, though Four Seasons and Six Senses are currently building outposts in Mountain Village to cater to the increased demand for luxury hotels in the area.
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Room
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We initially booked a 1-bedroom suite but, after our first night, upgraded to a 2-bedroom residence (Room 432) for the extra bathroom(s) and separate beds for the kids. The residence included a king bedroom and a double queen bedroom, both bedrooms en-suite (dual vanity, shower - steam in primary, tubs, enclosed water closets), a full kitchen, washer and dryer, dining area for 6, living room with fireplace and sofa bed, powder room, oversized terrace with bistro table and outdoor sectional accessible from both the living room and king bedroom. The residence had a lovely view of Reflection Plaza and the mountains.
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Service
💛💛💛💛+
The service experience here was warm, friendly, attentive, and personal but with a laidback, casual vibe. Bonus points for the strong first impressions between the valet, bell staff, and front desk team. Notably, the GM here is the VP overseeing all Auberge properties in the Mountain West region so don’t be fooled by the casual vibe — they are paying attention to the details. On arrival, we were offered complimentary champagne along with altitude adjustment kits and reusable, eco-friendly water pouches on carabiners. There were also nice service touches like location-themed gifts at turndown (crystal with instructions one night, mini travel size Supergoop sunscreen another night). Though the attention to detail was obvious, the hotel dining service was still finding its footing after reopening from its annual seasonal closure.
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Dining
💛💛💛+
The food was solid, though it has just one restaurant and one bar with a limited menu. Auberge does a great job as a brand of delivering a high-calibre dining experience for North American hotels, typically recruiting chefs with top-notch pedigrees, and the food and beverage program here was solid. As noted above, and likely due to the resort just having reopened from seasonal closure, there were several small service missteps like food taking too long to arrive even though there were very few guests dining, room service forgetting items and getting parts of the order wrong, etc.
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Family Services & Amenities
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An ultra-family-friendly property (and dog-friendly), there were lots of other families with young kids and dogs. Family friendly activities (s’mores, alphorn), swimming, and a game room with shuffleboard and billiards. There is a kids menu available in the restaurant and via room service and a “kids eat free” (with paying parents) offer during summer months, which appeared to be available at multiple Auberge properties. Reflection Plaza offered the perfect green space for kids to play while parents have a leisurely meal or drinks outside. Camp Madeline kids club offers programming for a fee (seasonal; closed during our stay). The kids received a welcome amenity (mountain animal plush) — though this was missed at check-in, the girls were delighted to receive theirs as a goodbye gift instead. The town of Telluride is incredibly family-friendly and Telluride Park and the riverside paths were highlights.
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Activities
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The hotel has a daily program of activities including morning guided hikes, yoga, nightly fireside s’mores, and — our kids’ favorite — the General Manager playing the Alphorn with the resident Saint Bernard barking along in approval every day at 4pm. Apres alphorn, adult guests receive a complimentary glass of champagne. The surrounding area offers ample outdoor pursuits accessible by foot from the hotel. Outdoor enthusiasts have access to miles of trails for hiking and biking here in warmer months and snow-based activities in winter (note, however, that the mountain terrain creates an intensely cold skiing environment in winter that might not be as kid-friendly as some other mountain resorts, according to locals). The free gondola was a highlight and makes it so you don’t really need a car (check schedules for seasonal availability and opening times). Allred’s Restaurant located at the San Rafael mountaintop station is an institution here. The town hosts many programs and festivals throughout the year — Mountain Film Festival was happening the weekend we visited.
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Wellness
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The outdoor Sky Terrace pool overlooks the San Juan Mountains with views of Wilson Peak, the mountain scene recognizable as the logo of Coors. There are also two hot tubs and a steam room (which was out of order during our stay). Just inside is a well-equipped fitness center with separate cardio and weight rooms opposite each other. The spa/wellness center is steps away with locally-inspired treatments and an oxygen bar. In line with the outdoor and healthy lifestyle focus of the local area, the property emphasized holistic wellness throughout, such as the neatly-displayed water refilling stations in the lobby where guests can choose from chlorophyll, charcoal, amethyst-infused, and cold-filtered tap water.
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Wow Factor
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There were lots of wow elements here. The setting is simply stunning with 360-degree mountain views. It was refreshing to visit a US mountain resort that was not yet overdeveloped, and at a time of year when it was not in the least crowded. On top of that, having access to two villages in one with no need for a car thanks to heavy use of the free gondola system and bikes was a huge luxury. The two-bedroom residence was an ideal setup for families and we loved the whole vibe of the hotel and town.
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Value
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Memorial Day weekend through mid-June is still considered shoulder season here with prices to match. Given the popularity and typical prices of US mountain resort towns almost year-round these days, this was an absolute steal. We debated staying here or Element 52, the condo-style sister property in downtown Telluride. While Element 52 probably has a better location for access to shops and restaurants, we appreciated that The Madeline was a full-service property and are glad we stayed there. Further, we booked our stay through a travel advisor and got free daily breakfast for two and a $100 property credit.
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Overall
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We nearly booked a return trip back here two weeks later before we left because we loved the town and hotel so much. Aside from The Lodge at Blue Sky, which we only visited for the day, this is probably the best Auberge property we have personally visited so far. We eagerly look forward to our next stay here.
Rating Legend*
💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional
💛💛💛💛 Notable
💛💛💛 Standard
💛💛 Substandard
💛 Unsatisfactory
*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties
