Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is a large resort-based meeting and exhibition destination in Aurora, Colorado. Located near Denver International Airport, the property combines extensive convention facilities with more than 1,500 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, a spa, swimming pools and a three-acre water park.
The resort offers more than 500,000 square feet of flexible meeting, exhibition, pre-function and outdoor event space. Its facilities include Aurora Exhibit Hall, four major ballrooms, 78 breakout rooms, outdoor lawns and the Mountain View Event Pavilion.
Unlike a downtown convention centre, Gaylord Rockies is designed as a self-contained destination. Attendees can stay, meet, dine and relax without leaving the property. However, the resort is large, so visitors should check the ballroom, hall, entrance and parking instructions supplied by their event organiser.
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center Quick Details
| Detail | Information |
| Official name | Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center |
| Address | 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora, CO 80019 |
| Location | Aurora, near Denver International Airport |
| Total event space | More than 500,000 square feet |
| Main exhibition space | Aurora Exhibit Hall |
| Exhibition hall area | Approximately 175,000 square feet |
| Largest ballroom | Aurora Ballroom |
| Aurora Ballroom area | Approximately 59,467 square feet |
| Breakout rooms | 78 |
| Major ballrooms | Aurora, Colorado, Adams and Juniper |
| Guest accommodation | 1,501 rooms, including 114 suites |
| Loading docks | 17 dedicated exhibit-hall docks |
| Self-parking | $35 daily |
| Valet parking | $49 daily |
| Distance from Denver airport | Approximately 6.3 miles |
| Airport shuttle | Not provided by the resort |
| Nearest rail station | 61st & Peña RTD Station |
Address and Location
The official address of Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is: 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora, Colorado 80019
The property is located on the eastern side of the Denver metropolitan area, close to Denver International Airport. The airport is approximately 6.3 miles away, making the resort particularly convenient for national conferences whose attendees are arriving by air.
The resort is not in Downtown Denver. The downtown convention and entertainment district is roughly 19 miles away, depending on the route. Visitors planning to combine a conference with downtown dining, sporting events or sightseeing should allow additional travel time.
The surrounding area is more open and less walkable than a downtown convention district. Most visitors arrive by private car, taxi, rideshare service or organised group transportation.
The convention centre and hotel are part of the same connected resort. Guests staying on-site can reach meeting rooms, ballrooms and the exhibit hall without travelling to a separate building.
Facilities at Gaylord Rockies
Gaylord Rockies provides more than 500,000 square feet of flexible convention, meeting, exhibition, outdoor and pre-function space.
Its principal event facilities include:
- Aurora Exhibit Hall
- Aurora Ballroom
- Colorado Ballroom
- Adams Ballroom
- Juniper Ballroom
- Seventy-eight conference and breakout rooms
- Mountain View Event Pavilion
- Outdoor terraces and patios
- Front Range Lawn
- Grand Lodge Lawn
- Juniper Patio
- Registration and pre-function spaces
- Seventeen dedicated loading docks
- On-site FedEx Office
- Restaurants, cafés and bars
- Relâche Spa and fitness centre
- Indoor and outdoor swimming pools
- Arapahoe Springs Water Park
- Business and package-handling services
- Accessible entrances and meeting areas
The resort contains 1,501 guest rooms, including 114 suites. This makes it possible for large convention groups to accommodate many attendees at the same property where their meetings are being held.
Arapahoe Springs Water Park covers approximately three acres. It includes an indoor pool, heated outdoor pool, waterslides, a seasonal lazy river, private cabanas and sunbathing areas. Access is primarily designed for registered overnight resort guests.
Hall Capacity and Layout
1. Aurora Exhibit Hall
Aurora Exhibit Hall is the resort’s main exhibition facility. It provides approximately 175,000 square feet of contiguous floor space and can host conferences, trade shows and large events for up to around 10,000 attendees, depending on the layout.
The hall can be divided into smaller sections, allowing organisers to use only the amount of space required for their exhibition.
It is suitable for:
- Large trade shows
- Vehicle exhibitions
- Machinery and equipment displays
- Sporting competitions
- Consumer exhibitions
- Corporate general sessions
- Product demonstrations
- Large banquet arrangements
The complete hall has a published capacity of up to approximately 10,000 people for theatre, reception or banquet-style configurations. Actual capacity depends on stages, booths, audiovisual installations, catering areas, aisles and fire-safety requirements.
Seventeen dedicated loading docks support exhibitor move-in and move-out. These docks allow freight, display equipment and large exhibition materials to be transferred directly into the hall.
2. Aurora Ballroom
Aurora Ballroom is the largest ballroom at Gaylord Rockies. The resort markets it as offering approximately 59,467 square feet of carpeted event space.
The ballroom can connect with Aurora Exhibit Hall, making it practical for conventions requiring a large general session beside the main exhibition floor.
It can also be divided into smaller sections for:
- Keynote presentations
- Awards programmes
- Banquets
- Entertainment
- Corporate meetings
- Conference sessions
- Formal receptions
The ballroom is supported by more than 11,000 square feet of pre-function space. This area can accommodate registration counters, refreshment stations, networking activities and sponsor displays.
Published room configurations allow several thousand attendees, although the final figure depends on which ballroom sections are used.
3. Colorado Ballroom
Colorado Ballroom provides approximately 34,463 square feet of meeting and event space. It is positioned near the Red Rock, Willow Lake and Homestead breakout rooms.
The ballroom can be divided into four main sections. This allows a large conference programme to operate several sessions simultaneously.
The complete ballroom can accommodate approximately:
- 3,800 people in theatre-style seating
- 2,100 people in classroom seating
- About 2,000 guests for a banquet
- More than 3,100 people for a reception
It is supported by approximately 10,957 square feet of pre-function space and additional foyer areas.
4. Adams Ballroom
Adams Ballroom covers approximately 34,467 square feet and is located near the Cottonwood, Maple and Spruce meeting rooms.
Its overall capacity is similar to Colorado Ballroom. Published configurations include approximately:
- 3,885 people in theatre seating
- 2,184 people in classroom seating
- 2,040 guests for a banquet
- 3,162 people for a reception
The ballroom can be divided into several sections. This makes it useful for general sessions, exhibitions, dinners and multi-track conference programmes.
An adjoining terrace and the Front Range Lawn provide outdoor space for receptions and informal gatherings.
5. Juniper Ballroom
Juniper Ballroom is the most intimate of the four principal ballrooms. It is divided into three sections and works well for private dinners, smaller conferences, receptions and social events.
The adjoining Juniper Patio covers approximately 13,444 square feet and can accommodate around 900 people for a reception.
Because of its smaller scale and direct outdoor connection, Juniper Ballroom is often suitable for executive meetings, private celebrations and events that do not require the resort’s larger ballrooms.
6. Mountain View Event Pavilion
Mountain View Event Pavilion is one of the resort’s newer venues. It adds approximately 12,118 square feet of indoor event and pre-function space.
The venue also includes:
- More than 14,000 square feet of outdoor terraces and patios
- Approximately 15,000 square feet of lawn space
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- A skylight
- West-facing mountain views
The principal indoor pavilion area can accommodate approximately 867 people in theatre seating, 450 for a banquet or 800 for a reception.
It is useful for corporate receptions, weddings, private dinners, product presentations and events that combine indoor and outdoor areas.
Parking at Gaylord Rockies
Gaylord Rockies provides on-site self-parking and valet parking for hotel guests, convention attendees and resort visitors.
Current standard parking rates are:
- Self-parking for up to four hours: $15
- Self-parking for four to eight hours: $25
- Self-parking for more than eight hours or overnight: $35
- Valet parking for up to four hours: $24
- Valet parking for four to eight hours: $39
- Valet parking for more than eight hours or overnight: $49
Parking fees are not automatically included with a standard hotel reservation. Some packages, conferences or group bookings may include reduced or prepaid parking.
Visitors should confirm whether their event offers a discounted rate. Wedding and private-event guests may receive special parking arrangements depending on the organiser’s contract.
Accessible self-parking and van-accessible spaces are available. The property does not currently list electric-vehicle charging stations.
Since the resort includes several entrances, drivers should follow event-specific signs. Parking near the wrong wing can result in a long walk through the property.
Reaching the Resort and Convention Center
Gaylord Rockies does not provide a regular airport shuttle. Visitors travelling from Denver International Airport can use:
- Taxi services
- Uber or Lyft
- Rental cars
- Private airport transfers
- Convention-organised buses
- Hotel transport arranged by a group organiser
The drive from the airport generally takes around 10 to 15 minutes under normal traffic conditions.
The nearest public rail stop is 61st & Peña Station on RTD’s A Line. However, the station is not directly beside the resort. Passengers normally need a taxi, rideshare service or arranged shuttle for the remaining journey.
Travellers going to Downtown Denver can use a car or rideshare service. Another option is to reach an A Line station and continue by rail to Denver Union Station.
Popular Hotels Near Gaylord Rockies
Gaylord Rockies itself is the most convenient hotel for convention attendees. Other hotels in the airport and Aurora areas generally require a car, shuttle or rideshare journey.
- The Westin Denver International Airport: Directly connected to the airport terminal. It is useful for travellers with early flights or short conference visits, although transportation is required to reach Gaylord Rockies.
- Courtyard by Marriott Denver Airport: A practical airport-area hotel offering business facilities and airport transportation. Guests should confirm how they will travel to the convention centre.
- Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park: A full-service hotel with dining, meeting facilities and airport shuttle service. It can suit visitors combining a Gaylord event with business elsewhere in Aurora.
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Denver International Airport: An extended-stay option offering suites, kitchen facilities and breakfast. It may be useful for longer convention visits.
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver International Airport: Provides two-room suites and breakfast, making it suitable for families, exhibitors and groups needing additional space.
- Hyatt House Denver Airport: Offers suite-style rooms and extended-stay facilities near the airport corridor.
- Residence Inn by Marriott Denver Airport/Convention Center: A useful alternative for longer stays because rooms generally include kitchens and separate living areas.
None of these properties offers the same convenience as staying inside Gaylord Rockies. Visitors choosing an outside hotel should check driving distance, shuttle availability and event start times before booking.
Dining at and Near Gaylord Rockies
Gaylord Rockies has ten on-site restaurants and dining outlets. Choices range from quick coffee and takeaway food to full-service restaurants.
Popular options include:
- Garden + Grain Seasonal Kitchen: Seasonal dishes, stone-fired pizzas, salads and locally sourced ingredients.
- Old Hickory Steakhouse: Premium steaks, seafood, artisanal cheeses and fine wines.
- Copper Table: Colorado-inspired dishes including trout, rotisserie chicken and steak.
- The Fortunate Prospector: An English-style pub serving fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and traditional desserts.
- Mountain Pass Sports Bar: Burgers, sandwiches, salads and drinks served beside a large television display.
- Embers Lodge Bar: Small plates and Colorado-inspired cocktails with mountain views.
- Rockies Marketplace: Grab-and-go meals, snacks, fruit and drinks.
- Arapahoe Springs Bar & Grill: Poolside food and drinks.
- Cocoa Bean: Starbucks coffee, baked items and sandwiches.
Dining immediately outside the resort is limited. Guests seeking more restaurants will generally need to drive or use rideshare services to the airport corridor, Green Valley Ranch or other parts of Aurora.
Accessibility
Gaylord Rockies provides accessible parking, van-accessible spaces, elevators and accessible routes from its public entrance.
Accessible routes serve:
- Meeting and convention spaces
- On-site restaurants
- The business centre
- The fitness centre
- Relâche Spa
- Swimming-pool entrances
- Guest rooms and suites
Accessible guestrooms may provide roll-in showers, grab rails, lowered fittings, accessible vanities, visual alerts and hearing-accessibility kits.
Service animals are welcome without an extra fee or documentation. Guests requiring specific room features or meeting assistance should contact the resort and event organiser before arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do convention attendees have to stay at Gaylord Rockies?
A: No. Visitors can attend an event while staying elsewhere. However, outside guests must arrange their own transportation and pay any applicable parking charges.
Q: Can day visitors use Arapahoe Springs Water Park?
A: The water park is primarily an amenity for registered overnight resort guests. Access may depend on a qualifying reservation, package or wristband.
Q: Are pets allowed at the resort?
A: Yes. Up to two pets weighing no more than 50 pounds each are permitted in a room. A non-refundable fee of $125 per stay applies. Pets are not allowed in pools, restaurants or dining areas.
Q: Does Gaylord Rockies have electric-vehicle charging?
A: The resort’s current official property information does not list on-site electric-vehicle charging stations.
Q: Can attendees bring outside catering into an event?
A: Food and beverage service for organised events is generally handled by the resort. Exhibitors or organisers wishing to distribute samples should obtain prior approval.
Q: Is luggage storage available?
A: Registered guests can ask bell services to hold luggage before check-in or after checkout. Non-guests should confirm whether their event organiser has arranged a supervised bag-storage area.
Q: Is the resort within walking distance of Downtown Denver?
A: No. Downtown Denver is approximately 19 miles away. A car, rideshare service or combination of road transport and RTD rail is normally required.
Q: Can visitors dine at the resort without staying overnight?
A: Yes. Non-guests may generally use the resort’s public restaurants, although parking charges, reservations and temporary event-access restrictions may apply.