Opening Of Chamonix Casino Hotel Adds Luxury To Cripple Creek Experience

Written By Phil West on 01/02/2024 - Last Updated on January 3, 2024
Rendering of new Chamonix Casino and Hotel on a story about its opening this week.

Blending “Colorado comfort with classic European elegance,” the Chamonix Casino Hotel has opened in Cripple Creek.

Along with a selection of slots and table games, the resort touts a 300-room hotel. It brings a high-end experience to the enclave of casinos in Cripple Creek. Some rooms feature fireplaces, soaking tubs and balconies with views of the mountains.

While Chamonix has officially opened, more is in the store at the resort in the next several months.

Chamonix aims to create a Las Vegas experience

The Colorado commercial casino market is limited to three gambling towns. Online casinos in Colorado remain illegal, however, sweepstakes casino games can be played online for prizes that can be converted to real money.

Cripple Creek is located about two hours west of Denver and an hour west of Colorado Springs in the Pikes Peak region. Its cluster of casinos includes the Wildwood Casino, which claims to be the “highest casino in the world” at 9,593 feet.

Baxter Lee, general manager of Chamonix Casino Hotel, said they want guests to feel like they’re in Vegas.

“Chamonix is a special place, unlike any other casino hotel in the state. It offers a high-end, Las Vegas experience in our beautiful Colorado mountain setting. We are overjoyed to open Chamonix’s doors on Dec. 27 and to welcome our friends from Colorado and beyond.”

Full House Resorts, which operates Chamonix, also operates Bronco Billy’s Casino and Hotel in Cripple Creek as well as hotels in several other states.

Chamonix will unveil several amenities in 2024

Within the next month, Chamonix plans to open its 980 Prime restaurant. Las Vegas celebrity chef Barry Dakake will bring his magic to the Colorado mountains.

That’s just one addition expected in the next few months, according to a press release.

“Chamonix will unveil Ore and Alloy, its freestanding jewelry and luxury retail store, and its opulent Chamonix Spa. The spa features a rooftop pool and deck; winter garden; large workout room with modern exercise equipment; eight massage rooms; and an assortment of saunas, steam rooms and other amenities. The spa also offers a full-service salon with hairdressers, barbers, and manicure and pedicure capabilities.”

In the spring, the adjoining Bronco Billy’s will introduce its new Italian restaurant, Firenze.

Chamonix name tied to French resorts, Olympics

The Chamonix is expected to greatly improve Cripple Creek’s contributions to the Colorado gaming economy.

The addition of Chamonix alone will nearly double the total number of hotel rooms in Cripple Creek and should provide a boost to revenue as well.

The Chamonix name also seeks to connect the hotel to the cache of the Winter Olympics. The resort “is named after the ‘Queen of Alpine’ resorts in France, located at the foot of Mont Blanc and site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924.”

The name was chosen in part because of Cripple Creek’s relative proximity to Colorado Springs. The city is home to the US Olympic Committee and Training Center.

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Phil West

Phil West is an Austin-based writer and editor who has been published in a wide range of publications throughout his career, including the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, MLSSoccer.com, The Striker, and The Daily Dot. He's currently writing about Austin FC (and more generally, about MLS and world soccer) at Verde All Day, an independent Substack-hosted and subscriber-supported site. He's also a Senior Lecturer in The Writing Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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