Visitors to the world class Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Colorado are transported to a mountain-themed playground. The colossal structure encompasses 1.9 million sq-ft of high-end hotel, restaurant, and convention space. Designed and constructed with a ski village vibe on an 85-acre site, the property boasts 1,501 rooms, five sit-down restaurants and an indoor and outdoor recreational park. The resort’s interior design and décor is modeled after aspects iconic to Colorado – everything from cascading waterfalls over boulders and local nature artwork to native landscaping and even elevators designed to look like old mine shafts, paying tribute to Colorado’s gold rush history. The recreational facilities at the resort include an 800-ft lazy river, expansive event lawns, a resort-style outdoor pool and an indoor pool venue with slides, tennis courts, pool bar, putting course and a basketball court. Outdoor spaces feature native vegetation and walking paths, while a 485,000-sq-ft convention facility is connected to the hotel lobby via a wide pedestrian corridor lined with retail outlets, a marketplace, and a coffee shop. Considering the sheer size of this $800 million project, it is no wonder that the resort required equally enormous fireplaces to highlight the grandeur of the space. A massive custom 13-ft by 6-ft traditional single sided fireplace (BF156) commands the great room in pride of place next to the impressive 800-ft winding indoor river. To provide a seamless look with the surroundings, Montigo supplied a masonry mesh to ease installation of the brick selected to compliment the surrounding stone. Montigo also supplied a 10-ft four-sided postless fireplace with a traditional logset in the hotel lobby. This fireplace provides the space with tremendous warmth without feeling cramped. The traditional logset compliments the welcoming lodge feeling and artwork from local artists used in the décor throughout the hotel. Montigo’s Custom Commercial traditional single sided BF52 creates an experience of total relaxation and comfort at the 14,000 sq-ft European-styled Relâche Spa. The guests can enjoy an enhanced atmosphere of warmth in the Alpenglow Fireside Lounge, while the Power COOL-Pack glass system manages the amount of heat in the room, so things never get too hot. The Old Hickory, a classic American Steakhouse, is the perfect setting for Montigo’s Custom Commercial see through BF60ST fireplace. The casual but polished atmosphere in this dining room is enhanced with the traditional look of the fireplace, which can be enjoyed by guests from both sides of the smartly sophisticated and oh-so-cozy space. Montigo’s Divine Series residential fireplaces were used to furnish the Gaylord guest suites with warm and sophisticated comfort. The Divine H36PV fireplace was the perfect addition to each of the resort’s 14 exquisite Presidential Suites. Last, but certainly not least, the crowning jewels of the resort are two exclusive penthouses a grand match for the simple elegance of Montigo’s H38FSD, a 38-inch see through fireplace also from the Divine Series. Photography: Dan Ham Photo, Architectural Photography