Ameristar Casino Black Hawk

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what struck me first about the Ameristar? It’s actually way bigger than you’d expect for a mountain casino town. I mean, Black Hawk isn’t exactly Vegas, but when you pull up to 111 Richman Street, this place has some serious presence. The valet guys are quick too – which honestly surprised me because mountain resort staff can sometimes move at, well, mountain pace.

The thing about staying here is that you’re right in the thick of Black Hawk’s casino corridor, but your room feels completely removed from all that chaos. I stayed on the seventh floor and could barely hear the slot machines, even though I knew they were going 24/7 downstairs. The rooms are what I’d call “casino comfortable” – not boutique hotel fancy, but they’ve got everything you actually need and the beds are legitimately good. Pro tip: ask for a room facing the mountains if you can. The parking garage view isn’t terrible, but come on, you’re in Colorado.

What really sets this place apart is how they’ve figured out the whole casino-hotel balance. During the day, you’ve got serious gamblers mixed with tourists just up from Denver for a day trip (it’s only about 45 minutes from downtown if traffic cooperates). But honestly, the crowd thins out nicely by evening, especially on weekdays. The restaurants are better than typical casino food – I mean, we’re not talking James Beard winners here, but you won’t feel like you’re eating airplane food either. The steakhouse actually knows how to cook a decent piece of meat, and the coffee shop near the lobby makes a solid breakfast burrito that’ll fuel you for exploring the area.

Here’s something most people don’t realize: Black Hawk is tiny, and you can literally walk to half a dozen other casinos in about ten minutes. But after wandering around Central City (just up the hill) and checking out some of the smaller gambling spots, I kept coming back to the Ameristar. Maybe it’s because the poker room actually gets decent action, or because the hotel pool area – small but clean – gives you a place to decompress that isn’t all flashing lights and cigarette smoke.

The staff genuinely seems to know the area well, which is huge when you’re trying to figure out things like where to grab groceries or whether the mountain roads are sketchy that day. Front desk told me about a hiking trail I never would’ve found otherwise, and housekeeping was consistently solid without being intrusive. Check-in was smooth both times I’ve stayed there, though I’d avoid arriving during weekend evening hours when the day-trippers are all trying to squeeze in one more hand before heading home.

Look, this isn’t going to be your most Instagram-worthy hotel stay, but it’s the kind of place that just works. Good location for exploring the old mining towns, comfortable enough that you’ll actually sleep well, and the whole operation runs like they know what they’re doing. For a 4-star mountain casino hotel, that’s honestly more than you can ask for.