We’ve stayed at just about every hotel between Austin and Colorado over years of making this drive 3–4 times a year, and this Aloft is consistently the best stop. It’s clean, well-located with plenty of good restaurants nearby, and genuinely dog-friendly—they don’t charge for pets, and both staff and guests are welcoming to our two high-energy golden retrievers. On a recent stay, we accidentally left medication in the room fridge, and when we passed back through a week later the staff had kept it safely stored for us. That kind of follow-through and kindness is rare and appreciated.