One of my first big writing gigs covered gaming—and boy was I surprised by what I found when I started researching the industry.
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Below the surface of EA Sports releases and battle royales like League of Legends lies a world of wildly niche gaming interests. One of the most interesting niches I covered is simulations.
Simulations cover everything imaginable—from outright weird simulations like Octo Dad: Dadliest Catch (gamers play as an octopus/father who is desperate to prevent his family from finding out he’s not human) to hardcore simulations like iRacing (gamers set up an at-home driving rig that’s highly realistic to take on other digital racers).
Some simulations actually teach you something, like iRacing. Others let you disappear into a world of nonsense, like Octo Dad.
But let’s focus on the latter for a moment: simulations that educate gamers. Some simulations are so highly realistic that they’re actually used to educate learners.
Enter the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator, a game that’s been around since the 70s and is now so detail-oriented that some pilots use it as a resource to teach students the basics.
So, how does this relate to travel?
A four-star hotel on the grounds of the US Air Force Academy just opened its doors, and it’s got two state-of-the-art flight simulators on its grounds. And yes, they’re way more realistic than the Microsoft game linked above.
Welcome to Hotel Polaris, one of the coolest new ventures in hospitality, where you can step into a simulated cockpit to man an F-16 and a 737 Max.
Hotel Polaris is taking hospitality to new heights
Hotel Polaris is located at the US Air Force Academy outside Colorado Springs, Colorado. (The academy is also home to Cadet Chapel, one of the coolest churches in the US.)
The hotel is a brand-new project from CoralTree Hospitality that opened its doors on November 14, 2024. The resort-style hotel is designed to offer guests a pathway into the Rocky Mountains while also letting them relax and engage with the Academy.
The hotel was built with family visits in mind, meaning it has a kid-friendly atmosphere and design. Not only are there six eating venues, but the hotel also organizes outdoor activities and special events for the Academy.
For example, there’s a Junior Cadets kids’ program, a glider and paper airplane program, and even a K9 cadets dog-friendly program.
But I think the coolest feature is its flight simulators. Like I mentioned up-top, it’s the only hotel in the country that offers them on the grounds.
What flight simulator programs can visitors take part in?
In celebration and honor of the Air Force Academy, Hotel Polaris rolled out two highly realistic flight simulators.
Above, I outlined video games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which you can download for PC. But the offers at Hotel Polaris are a lot more realistic than a PC game thanks to their scale and realism. In other words, they aren’t video games.
Guests have access to a tactile and real-life experience thanks to full-scale flight simulators. There are three total: two F-16s and one 737 Max. They come with seats, throttles, switches, yokes, and pedals from the real-life aircraft.
To make the experience even more faithful to real-life piloting, guests learn the ropes with a 200-degree wraparound screen that immerses them 35,000 feet in the air. It’s a seriously unparalleled flight simulation experience—and it’s backed by the Air Force.
Whether or not you have an interest in earning your pilot license or joining the Air Force, that’s a pretty sweet deal.
How can you take part?
If you’re heading to Colorado Springs or the Air Force Academy, I highly suggest calling ahead of time to book a flight with the simulators. The offer is open to everyone over the age of 12 and doesn’t require any previous piloting knowledge.
The simulator programs are designed for team-building exercises, group outings, and pure fun. The programs run for a few hours, so you usually need to set aside a full afternoon to take part.
If you’re interested in taking part, check out Hotel Polaris room rates.
