Adobe Charm, Reimagined
A hundred years of Colorado history, newly restored — five minutes from Garden of the Gods.
A little adobe village,
tucked between two historic towns.
In 1926, El Colorado opened as one of the first true motor courts in the West — twenty-four hand-built Pueblo Revival cabins with peeled log vigas and flat adobe roofs, set on four acres at the mouth of Ute Pass. A century later we are restoring every one of them: new kitchens, new baths, honest materials, and the same thick adobe walls that have kept a hundred summers cool.
What you get is not a room at the end of a hallway. It is a small house of your own, on a quiet lawn, halfway between Old Colorado City and downtown Manitou Springs.
Room to actually live,
not just sleep.
A casita is a small freestanding house. You park a few steps from your own door, you carry your own key, and nobody walks past your window on the way to an ice machine. Inside: a full kitchen or kitchenette, a dining table, a proper living space, and the kind of quiet that thick adobe gives you for free.
It is the difference between a place you check into and a place you settle into — which is why our guests stay four nights instead of two, and why families and remote workers keep coming back.
See every casitaTwenty-two casitas.
No two quite alike.
Studios for a weekend of two. One and two bedrooms for families. A three bedroom and a five bedroom for everyone you have ever travelled with. Fifteen are open now; the rest arrive through the year as restoration finishes.
The Studios
Compact, light and complete. A queen bed, a kitchenette and a private patio — the easiest way to spend a weekend in Manitou.
One Bedrooms
Our signature casita. A separate bedroom, a full kitchen and a living room worth sitting in — enough space to stay a week without noticing.
Two Bedrooms
Two real bedrooms, a full kitchen and a table everyone fits around. Built for families and for two couples who like each other but not that much.
The Three Bedroom
One of a kind on the property. Three bedrooms, a generous kitchen and its own stretch of lawn — the one families book a year out.
The Five Bedroom
The largest casita at El Colorado, and the reason reunions and retreats end up here. Book it alongside its neighbours and take the whole corner of the village.
Four acres to spread out on.
The casitas sit on lawns and gravel courts rather than a parking lot. We are rebuilding the shared spaces the same way we rebuilt the casitas — properly, and in order. Here is exactly where each one stands.
Gas fire pits Autumn 2026
Three seating circles with clean-burning gas fire pits — no hauling wood, no smoke in your jacket, and open on the cold clear nights this valley is famous for.
Game lawn Autumn 2026
Cornhole, a bocce court and a practice putting green, set on the level ground behind the casitas. The part of the trip your kids will describe first.
Pool, hot tub & sauna 2027
The original 1950s pool deck is being rebuilt from the ground up, with a hot tub and dry sauna alongside it. A big job, done once. We will say more when the dates are certain.
Private parking Open now
Free off-street parking a few steps from your casita door — genuinely rare in Manitou Springs, where street parking is the usual first argument of the trip.
Dog friendly Open now
Dogs under 50 lbs are welcome in most casitas for an additional fee. Lawn, shade and a short walk to the creek trail — tell us about your dog when you book.
Fast Wi-Fi & self check-in Open now
Work-capable internet in every casita and a keypad on every door, so you can arrive at midnight after a late flight and let yourself in without finding a front desk.
A hundred years
on Manitou Avenue.
El Colorado opened in 1926 as a tourist camp for the first generation of Americans to arrive by automobile: twenty-four Pueblo Revival cabins built of stucco and peeled log vigas, laid out to catch the light rather than the road. In 1929 American City magazine held it up to the nation as the model of what a motor camp could be.
It has welcomed travellers every year since — one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Manitou Springs. We are its newest stewards, and the work we are doing now is the largest restoration in its history. Same walls, same vigas, same light. Everything else, made new.
Our StoryHalfway between the red rocks and the hot springs town.
We sit on Manitou Avenue at the eastern edge of town — close enough to walk into Manitou's arcades and mineral springs, close enough to be in Old Colorado City for dinner in five minutes, and far enough out that you park at your door and sleep in the quiet.
Everything the Pikes Peak region is known for is inside a twenty-minute drive.
Explore the area- Garden of the Gods 5 min
- Downtown Manitou Springs 3 min
- Old Colorado City 5 min
- Manitou Cliff Dwellings 5 min
- The Manitou Incline 6 min
- Pikes Peak Cog Railway 5 min
- Pikes Peak Highway 20 min
- Colorado Springs Airport 25 min
- Denver 75 min
Don't just take our word for it
"We had such a wonderful stay! The location was peaceful, beautiful, and the perfect place to relax and unwind. The home was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed during our trip. We especially loved how quiet the area was while still being close to everything we wanted to explore around Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs."
"We loved this place! We rented one with a little living area, kitchenette, and bedroom. Perfect size for my husband & I & our 2 pups. My father-in-law stayed in a bedroom spot a couple spots down, and my husband's brother & his family were in a two bedroom across the street - it was a perfect spot for a multi-family getaway! It was safe & family friendly."
"This place was so cute! It was perfectly located to do everything you wanted in Colorado Springs. The bed was very comfy. They also have an outside area that is perfect for hanging and playing. 10 out of. 10 would recommend"
"We had a wonderful stay at this beautifully remodeled casita. It was clean, quiet, and quaint—the perfect place to relax and unwind. We would gladly stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy getaway in the downtown Manitou Springs area."
Stay a month.
Or take the whole village.
Two kinds of booking do not fit a normal reservation form, and we handle both directly — at rates that are not published on any booking platform.
Thirty nights and up
A kitchen, a desk, laundry, fast internet and a door that locks make this an easy place to stop travelling for a while. Remote workers, families relocating to the Front Range, insurance and disaster placements, travelling nurses on thirteen-week contracts, and anyone caught between houses. No lease, no credit check, and we work directly with adjusters and relocation coordinators.
Groups and whole-property bookings
Because every casita is freestanding, a wedding party, family reunion or company retreat can take a block of casitas — or all of them — and still give everyone their own front door at the end of the night.
Twenty-two casitas across four acres. Send us your dates and your headcount and we will come back with a plan and a price.
Why book direct with us.
You will find our casitas on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com too. Here is what changes when you book on this page instead.
No service fee
Booking platforms typically add 12–16% to your total as a guest service fee. Book here and that line does not exist.
You reach us
Your message comes to the team that runs the property, not a platform inbox. Early check-in, a crib, a question about your dog — just ask.
Better long-stay rates
Weekly, monthly and local resident rates are only available direct. Past a week the difference is substantial.
First choice of casita
Tell us which casita you want, or which one you had last time. We can hold specific casitas for direct guests.
A hundred years of
Colorado hospitality, restored.
Check dates, compare casitas and book direct — the best rate we offer, with no platform fees on top.