We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley & Alea LaRocque and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley & Alea, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My wife and I both grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit. Her first job was at the Small Business Development Center in Springfield, MO. I was a freelance videographer and had side hustles shooting videos for local sports teams as a teenager. We have always had the creative drive and spirit to make something from scratch. When we met we both shared a love for hospitality – first it was critiquing restaurants (secret shopping), and then expanded into hotels. The more we ventured into hospitality experiences the more we realized how much we wanted to bring what we were learning to our corner of Colorado. From the beginning it has been a labor of love and we have made a point to surround ourselves with like-minded businesses and professionals that have helped build our business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Juniper Mountain House is a 5 bedroom boutique hotel and gathering space in Evergreen. CO. It was built in the mid-90s by a Scottish couple and has been run as a Bed & Breakfast since then. Alea and I are so proud to continue the business as Juniper Mountain House. The lodge has had lots of love over the years and we feel grateful to be able to continue on the tradition as an intimate lodging option among so many chains. We rebranded in the Fall of 2019 and have almost completely remodeled the lodge. We have also added a new deck and event space which is the cherry on top of an already beautiful space.

In our personal lives, I am the Executive Direction of Media Production at RE/MAX Headquarters in Denver and Alea is a Divisional Vice President of Airports at WH Smith North America. We continue to work full time while also fully operating Juniper, as that has propelled our business and our skillset over time. We definitely work a lot! But living here and pursuing our dream has made it worth it!

What we want others to know about our philosophy and what we inject into Juniper is that hospitality is all about human connection. When you arrive at Juniper we want you to of course be surrounded by a beautiful, well thought out space, but more importantly we want you to feel a sense of home and have a welcome that elevates your stay from just a hotel to an experience. We want you to feel something more when you come here. That is what we have learned from our most special experiences while traveling, and that is what we hope to bring to Juniper every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Alea and I travel and experience a place through food & drink! So our typical itinerary usually revolves around restaurants and watering holes. Mix in some beautiful Colorado scenery and that would be the perfect trip. We would recommend some local hikes in Evergreen – maybe Elk Meadow Park or Panorama Point followed by dipping your feet in Bear Creek. From there, a stop at a brewery in Golden, followed by one of our favorite restaurants nearby…Abejas or Murphy’s Mountain Grill.

We are also lovers of Denver despite calling Evergreen home. We love to bring people to a show at the DCPA alongside oysters at JAX Fish House or Italian at Jovanina’s Broken Italian.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our family & friends who have supported the start of our business, lifted us up in times of stress, and continued to encourage us during the challenges that come with balancing multiple jobs. We also would not be where we are without our business partners – from the contractors and designers to the engineers, it is a team effort at Juniper!

Website: www.junipermountainhouse.com

Instagram: @junipermountainhouse

Image Credits
The wedding photo and the photo of Alea and myself centered at Elk Meadow are both Ashlee Crowden Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.