Omni Interlocken Resort in Colorado for Families

There’s never been a better time for families to spend the weekend at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado. Conveniently located between Denver and Boulder, the resort makes a great home base for exploring either city, as well as the communities in between. While the resort caters to business travelers during the week, it rolls out the red carpet for families on the weekend. And with the current Camp Omni promotion, available through mid-September, kids enjoy some special perks.

Here are the highlights of my recent stay with four children between the ages of 10 and 12:  my son and daughter, my nephew and my daughter’s friend.

Camp Omni backpack is filled with treats for kids of all ages

Family-Friendly Review of Omni Interlocken Resort

Camp Omni Amenity Pack & Perks

On arrival at the 390-room Omni Interlocken, kids receive a cinch backpack filled with specially designed items for kids.

There’s included complimentary breakfast for kids in Meritage restaurant or via room service; though we received complimentary coupons that I, as an adult, could use, too – score! The kids felt ultra-fancy ordering room service each morning; this was super convenient for me, as we wanted to get out the door early each morning to enjoy some Denver-area attractions (see below).

Rooms with two queen beds are comfortable and ideal for families

Accommodations

We were able to spread out in two connecting rooms, which I think is ideal when you are a party of five or more. Sure, we could have made it work with two queen beds and a rollaway in a standard room, but we sure appreciated the extra space; the older girls had their own quarters, while the younger boys bunked with me.

Décor in the rooms are classy and comfortable, and from our sixth-floor accommodations we enjoyed a view of the distant Rocky Mountains.

Multiple pools enable families to spread out

Swimming Pools and Golf Courses

The Omni Interlocken has not one, but two outdoor pools and a large hot tub. The pools are right next to each other, so kids can alternate between the two, if one gets a little crowded. A pool bar offering a light menu and drinks is open daily through the warm-weather months.

We’re not golfers, so we didn’t take advantage of the 27 holes on three distinct 9-hole courses. But I’m told that the courses are excellent, offering great views of area open space and the Rockies. Practice facilities include a fully landscaped driving range and chipping and putting greens

Paved recreation trails begin right outside the hotel’s front door

Kid-Friendly Activities

Families can borrow cruiser bikes to explore the paved recreation trails that begin outside the Omni Interlocken’s front door; just ask the concierge or pool-area towel attendant for a hiking/biking map. Use of these bikes and helmets – sized for adults and kids – is complimentary.

Every Saturday through the summer, representatives from the nearby Butterfly Pavilion visit with some of their creepy-crawly friends, such as tarantulas and scorpions. The butterflies don’t travel well due to temperature fluctuations, so I suggest a visit to the Butterfly Pavilion to see those winged creatures up close.

On Friday and Saturday nights “dive-in movies” are shown outdoors in the pool area.

Tap Room has two foosball tables and a Wii for kids to use while waiting for meals

Dining

We had an outstanding meal one night in Meritage, serving contemporary American cuisine with a slight French influence. The salads, soups and entrees – such as steaks, seafood and pasta – that we sampled were great. Highlights included the flatiron steak my nephew ordered (which he deemed “One of the best steaks I’ve ever had”), as well as the Caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and delicious mozzarella.

The other night we were on property, we had a late supper in the Tap Room, a casual bar/restaurant that has two foosball tables and a Wii for kids to use while they wait for their meals to be served. The menu of “Regional Sliders” is vast – choose from Albuquerque Fire, a burger topped with guacamole and roasted tomato salsa, or Tennessee Moody Blues, with slow-cooked smoked pork, Jack Daniels braised onions and cheddar cheese. My vegetarian daughter said her Caesar salad was excellent.

As I mentioned, the kids ordered room service for breakfast each morning, opting for silver dollar pancakes and oatmeal with berries. I ate breakfast in Meritage one day, ordering the muesli with berries and Greek yogurt; other “healthy” items include protein smoothies and steel cut oats. Guests can also go big with the banana split waffle or smoked salmon benedict. At Morsel’s in the Omni Interlocken lobby, you can get Starbucks coffee to go, as well as take-out bagels, croissants, pastries or breakfast egg sandwiches.

Water park adjacent to Elitch Gardens is a huge summer hit

Broomfield Area Attractions

The Omni Interlocken is in a corporate neighborhood – major companies like Vail Resorts and Staples have business offices here – but within walking distance is the Flatiron Crossing shopping complex, with dozens of stores and restaurants. A 15-minute drive brings you to Westminster, and the Butterfly Pavilion, as well as Water World in Federal Heights. That’s where we spent one day, and the kids had a blast playing in the massive wave pool, and tackling the speedy body slides and raft rides at this 64-acre water park – one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in the United States.

Downtown Denver is about a 30-minute drive away, where you’ll find Coors Field (check to see if the Colorado Rockies are in town for a home-field baseball game), the Downtown Aquarium, Children’s Museum, U.S. Mint, and the wildly popular summer attraction Elitch Gardens.

We spent a whopping 9 hours at this downtown theme park, which offers roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, carousel and dozens of other rides for all ages, not to mention a variety of carnival games and daily live shows. But it’s also adjacent to a water park, whose admission is included in the daily ticket price. The kids spent most of the morning in the water park area, where wave pool was again a big hit, and then spent the afternoon and evening on the coasters and spinning rides in the main theme-park area.

I recommend both Water World and Elitch Gardens for summer family fun in the Denver area. Just be prepared for crowds – arrive early when each park opens, and be prepared to stay until closing time, as your kids won’t want to leave!

Editorial Note: Kara received complimentary accommodations and meals at Omni Interlocken Resort. Water World and Elitch Gardens provided complimentary tickets for the day as well. Photos by Kara Williams

Kara Williams is a Colorado-based freelance travel writer who co-owns the award-winning blog The Vacation Gals.

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