I’m in full recline mode in the Arkansas River — toes and nose are the only parts of me above the current. I’m chilling, purposefully, in an eddy along the bouldered riverbank below one of the surf waves of the Buena Vista River Park. The Arkansas’ normally bone-chilling temperature feels delightful. It’s the perfect natural cold plunge segment of my contrast therapy at Terraform Sauna, which is perched just up the river’s bank in Buena Vista’s South Main neighborhood.
Alternating segments in the 190-degree, wood-fired sauna and the 60-degree river is a cathartic reset. It’s hot, cold, repeat, with blueberry maple tea steeped and served by Terraform’s Director of Fire Erik Jacobsen in between.
This is the perfect start to a Buena Vista getaway, and with a short walk across the grassy park at the heart of the South Main neighborhood, I arrive at our perfect base: Surf Hotel.
You might say this is the softer side of BV. Don’t take that the wrong way though. The property is all about adventure on the river or surrounding 14ers of this classic Colorado mountain town. But it serves a stylishly rustic elegance for those who want to play hard on the water or trails, then kick back with friends over a craft cocktail, locally sourced meal or intimate concert before sliding under high-thread-count sheets.
What else would you expect from the blended creation of a former pro kayaker and a thoughtful artist?
Building the Hotel of Their Dreams
Surf Hotel — the collective name for the adjacent hotel, Surf Chateau and Surf House — is the brainchild of Jed and Kennley Selby. He brings the riversong of concerts by artists such as Trevor Hall, The Hip Abduction and Stephen Marley. She delivers the welcoming style and gorgeous weddings both indoors and out. Together they set out to craft a place inspired by their global travels yet rooted in the local river lifestyle.
“We created Surf Hotel to be a gathering place and social hub for the community in the middle of the South Main neighborhood,” Jed tells us. “We wanted to create a vibrant hotel with food and beverage, live music, weddings and company meetings.”
The hotel collection is the primary anchor on the town square and river park of South Main. That larger mixed-use, walkable community was co-founded by Jed and his sister, Katie Urban. It began as a concept in 2003 and broke ground in 2005. The New Urban development has helped spur economic and residential growth in the town of 3,000 people. It has also been a catalyst in connecting downtown Buena Vista with its river park and keeping access open to all. The first of the Selbys’ hospitality options, Surf Chateau, opened in 2014, with Surf Hotel following in 2018 and Surf House in July 2025.
How does it all come together?
Beautifully. Comfortably. Peacefully.
Choose Your Lodging Adventure
We sampled the Surf House, where our third-story windows swing open to overlook the Arkansas River and Midland Hill beyond it. Forget the sound machine, the flowing river provides the lullaby all night and day. It’s an idyllic sensory experience to enjoy while sipping morning coffee or decompressing in the oversize soaking tub.
Along with our room we have access to a large kitchen, dining room and den, complete with a fireplace. Outside its French doors are a wide porch facing the river and riverside trail.
The Surf House is designed to provide a luxury experience, but it does so with an understated elegance that blends perfectly with its mountain town setting. Natural wood beams, iron accents, handmade furniture, custom wood flooring and plush wool carpeting are just a few of its bespoke accents. Its 10 king guest rooms can be booked separately or combined into apartment-style lodging for families, groups or wedding parties.
The original Surf Chateau has a romantic, Old World charm. Built with local river stone, many of its cottage-style rooms open onto a European-style courtyard where aspen trees flutter with the breeze. Riverside rooms feature private balconies overlooking the Arkansas.
The main Surf Hotel is ringed with shared New Orleans-style balconies and wrought-iron railings. “Surf Hotel was inspired by a building we fell in love with in the French Quarter of NOLA, and we sort of blended it with our local mountain aesthetic,” Jed says.
The building hosts the property’s river-rock fireplace in the lobby and its restaurant and bar, Wesley & Rose. It also overlooks The Lawn concert stage in South Main’s town square. When there’s not a show, the typical scene there is locals and visitors mingling and kids scrambling around a playground and climbing boulder.
“Our hope is for people to have an amazing time with family and friends,” Jed says. “We believe the beauty of the natural and built environments and our friendly staff help support this. I hope people drive away planning their next visit.”
I know we did.
Where to Eat and Drink in Buena Vista
Wesley & Rose
Here’s your plan. Walk downstairs from your room to Surf Hotel’s in-house restaurant and snag a patio table for daily happy hour alongside the Arkansas River Trail. Order the Shacked Margarita — or two — and savor the kiss of that smoked salt rim. Start with a sharable Roasted Beet Salad or Savory Apple & Camembert Galette board. Then move on to a pizza of your choice or a Local Beef Cut. You won’t go wrong.
Wesley & Rose is open to anyone, but its culinary experience will complete your Surf Hotel stay. The restaurant uses local, organic ingredients whenever possible, with most of its meat coming from Arrowpoint Cattle Co. in Nathrop and produce from Headwater Farms in Buena Vista. The menu changes seasonally, but staples like appetizers, pastas and pizzas stay constant year-round.
Coyote Mezcalería y Cervezería
If you favor the sultry smoke of mezcal, this spot is can’t-miss. If you don’t, order a flight and let owner Stephen Trujillo introduce you to the signature Mexican spirit. Or order any of the other superb agave cocktails. The ’Yote is a vibe, including its in-house Lonesome Hat Bar.
Eddyline Restaurant @ South Main
If it’s local craft beer you crave, all you have to do is walk across the town square for a Crank Yanker IPA, Boater Beer Pilsner or one of the other signature “beers for any adventure.” You’ll find a menu full of burgers, BBQ, steaks and sandwiches to pair with.
The Buena Viking
Burger lovers, this is your spot. What started as a food truck outside BV’s Deerhammer Distillery has taken the town by storm (as Vikings are prone to do). It is now a hot spot of its own with a wide patio and a sunny rooftop deck looking down Main Street to Mount Princeton.
The Viking Burger is a standard classic. I’m partial to the Hygge Hype Burger (Swiss, Gruyère, whiskey caramelized onions) or The Caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil pesto and balsamic drizzle). And if you’re eating vegetarian, the Portobello-centered Asgard Burger and the Bodacious Bodil Burger, featuring an Actual Veggie sweet potato patty, are both excellent.
What To Do in Buena Vista
Surf the River
This is your chance to surf the Rockies. It’s no coincidence Surf Hotel sits just above BV’s favorite manmade waves. Head to CKS River Supply to rent a river surf board, helmet, PFD, wetsuit and any other gear or watercraft you might need. Kayakers can suit up in their rooms and put in beside the hotel.
Ride the Rapids
The Arkansas River is one of the most popular whitewater rafting rivers in the country, and BV is filled with outfitters to make your adventure fun (and safe). Noah’s Ark and River Runners are two of the biggest, and both are headquartered riverside just above the classic Brown’s Canyon — making put-in and logistics especially easy. Of course, AVA has an outpost in South Main if you don’t want to drive at all.
Soak Away Stress
A little nature-centered self-care goes a long way. Buena Vista is home to several excellent hot springs, but Terraform Sauna in South Main is a can’t-miss experience.
The larger vision of co-founder Mike Mayer is eventually to create a larger wellness campus, but he and his brother started with a sauna to help bring people together in a small mountain town where isolation can be a problem for seasonal workers or part-time residents. While he says sauna is an incredible healing modality, that’s only part of the picture. “The more community you can create, that’s the real medicine that we serve,” he says. “The sauna is just the vehicle.”
“This is a way you can build connection and build friendship with others and also do something really positive for your body,” adds co-owner Erik Jacobsen. “And it gives people an NA option, which I find really attractive.”
Plan a session for some recovery time after those outdoor adventures — and an excellent way to meet some locals and like-minded travelers. Pro tip: Pick up a punchcard if you find yourself in or passing through BV relatively often.
Head for the Hills
From Surf Hotel, explore the Arkansas River Trail and Whitewater Trail lining the river right outside your door. Cross the Whipple Bridge and follow the Bridge to Bridge Trail for an easy loop along both sides of the river. Or link the North Trail and Broken Boyfriend Trail for a 4-mile loop with bird’s-eye overlooks of downtown Buena Vista and Surf Hotel below. Find trail info here.
Beyond that, BV is an outdoor paradise. The 15 14ers of the Collegiate Peaks span the horizon, beckoning for a peak-bagging challenge. And there are hiking trails in every direction without having to take on that high of elevation. Stop by The Trailhead on Main Street for some local tips and new gear. Or arrange guided trips or rentals for mountain bikes, e-bikes, ATVs, Jeep tours, fly fishing or other adventures.
Don’t Miss the Music
Surf Hotel owner Jed Selby is a self-professed avid Phish fan and live music lover. His hotel has been a way to live his dream of hosting intimate concerts by nationally touring artists. The Lawn can host 1,000 people, and, yes, those wraparound balconies on the hotel are prime seating. The indoor Ivy Room boasts a world-class sound system and can host 350. And watch for shows at the Saltwater Hot Pool for 150-plus.
The list of Surf Hotel concerts is impressive and long, including Shaky Graves, John Butler, STS9, Band of Horses, Watchhouse, Leftover Salmon, Elephant Revival and many more.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to be sure it’s real,” Jed says. “I am often blown away and extremely grateful for how lucky we are that it worked. It was honestly a pretty harebrained idea that has come together better than we could have expected.”
The property schedules a handful of concerts throughout the year, and you can still catch a show in 2026. Is there any doubt you should make a full stay of it? Here’s what’s coming up.
Chali 2na and Cut Chemist: Sept. 9 in Ivy Ballroom
Halloween Weekend with The Polish Ambassador: Oct. 30-31 in Ivy Ballroom
Find all the details and book your stay at surfhotel.com.
