I'm definitely not much help on where to stay in the Springs... we usually drive down, and/or take the fifth wheel down there somewhere and park it... since it's only two hours drive from the house or so.
We're about exactly 90 miles of two lane road north of it, via the nicer non-I-25 "back way" into the Springs.
I'd have to check with Karen, of course, but if you really want cheap... we have a guest bedroom. There is absolutely nothing fancy whatsoever about our place, and people get lost finding it, but it's 1/2 hour or a little more east of KAPA driving-wise, and then 2 hours down to the Springs.
There's two big dogs who are overly-friendly and don't see people at the house enough, so they're a bit obnoxious, but after I bit I can get them to leave you alone. LOL... one weighs 85 lbs, the other 45, but she knows how to launch herself into your lap when you're not looking.
Place isn't anything to write home about, but it's always open for pilots... it's just a long way from anything.
I've always joked that if someone hates the house or the dogs, we can always pull the fifth wheel out of the grass out back and put it in a level spot somewhere near the driveway, it's nice inside... heh... but we're talking about selling it. Not quite sure on that one yet, but we aren't using it enough and with my weekends likely to be headed for CFI/teaching stuff more and more, it's just going to sit there and taunt us.