Byline: Mark P. Couch

Mar. 24--The Colorado hotel industry's road to recovery leads to Grand Junction.

Hotels in Grand Junction and small Colorado towns are outperforming their peers in Front Range and resort cities -- a sign that frequent fliers have become down-to-earth drivers in the aftermath of the recession and the terrorist attacks of 2001.

The era of the wary traveler has become a boon for hotels in more remote reaches of the Rockies and beyond.

"It's driving traffic," said Lynne Sorlye, general manager of the 292-room Holiday Inn Grand Junction. "Instead of flying over us, people are driving through and stopping."

Hotels in towns like Grand ...