Hotel Boulderado: Boulder’s Bastion of Tradition

Hotel Boulderado: A Sight to See

“Why aren’t I staying here?” exclaimed Alec Baldwin upon a recent visit to Boulder’s renowned place of lodging, the Hotel Boulderado.

Mr. Baldwin was staying at another fine property in town but like any informed visitor to this tony Colorado city, he popped into Boulder’s landmark hotel for a look around. Certainly a lot of people feel this way as they gawk–neck-cranked and wide-eyed–up at the stunning leaded glass canopied ceiling of the Boulderado’s lobby.  The beauty of this masterpiece crafted out of cathedral glass from Italy bedazzles one and all.

As you look around the lobby you discover other treasures from the hotel’s more than a century-old past. Glass showcases display historical artifacts from the hotel and Boulder while other features of the lobby provide a living history experience extraordinaire; the Boulderado’s original safe, for example, is on display behind the front desk and the more than one-hundred year-old, operator-attended Otis elevator still works like a charm. Guests and passersby are encouraged to poke around to take in this marvelous slice of Colorado history.

Remnants of a Bygone Era in the Hotel Boulderado Lobby

The Old Elevator

Blooming Splendor

Standing the Test of Time

It’s All in the Details

I’ve stayed here a few times since I moved to Colorado over twelve years ago and each time I become increasingly enchanted with the Old West charm of this lovely hotel. I was here for a night about a year ago, in a glorious corner room, during a late-summer storm. The wind whistled all night, blowing the sheers in my fifth-floor sanctuary into a billowy dance of light and air. I woke up to the tawny color of first light on the Flat Irons, an incredible view punctuated by tufts of sage and other brush against neighboring red brick buildings below. This scene and many others–from the Victorian splendor of the Hotel Boulderado and the breezy feel of Boulder itself–remain indelible in my mind.

Chocolates on Crisp Bed Liinens

My Sultry Night

By Dawn’s Early Light

Many famous people have stayed here over the years from Robert Frost to Robert Plant along with others just passing through Boulder in the great state of Colorado. I’m sure Alec Baldwin will check in here some time soon as well.

But famous or not, I encourage all to experience–in one fashion or another–this gem of an establishment, a destination hotel to be considered for your fall foliage viewing and all other seasons.

And if you’re lucky, you might even be able to revel in a late-summer storm here, too.

Sweet dreams, dear Western traveler.

Hotel Boulderado in September