Happy Birthday, Jason!

Taking a moment today to wish one of our Front Desk Managers, Jason DeVilbiss, a very happy birthday! Jason started at the Boulderado in 2002 working as a valet attendant. He moved on to bellman and the front desk clerk before taking a brief hiatus in Arizona. Upon his return, he was hired as a Front Desk Manager and has been in that position ever since. Happy Birthday, Jason!

Don't Forget Mom!

Mother's Day is less than two weeks away -- have you decided on a way to show her your love, care, and appreciation? When a card just won't do it, plan on bringing her to the Hotel Boulderado's Mother's Day Brunch Buffet. Taking place in our Grand Ballroom, this event honors the special mother(s) in your life. A tantalizing menu awaits her, and her every need will be taken care of by our attentive staff. See the full menu, and give us a call when you're ready to make reservations at (303) 440-2880.

Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day! While Earth Day should be every day, I've decided to take this opportunity to share how the Hotel Boulderado strives to be as green a property as possible. Here's just a taste of what we do.

WE RECYCLE!

Office paper, cardboard, newspapers, plastics, glass, cans, coat hangers, carpets, carpet pads, batteries, computers, copper and metal pipes, wood crates, wood products, motor oil, cooking oil, and more are recycled. What we cannot recycle on our own, we take to Eco Cycle or Green Mountain Recycling. We use recycled paper products, and we also use old linens for rags.

WE DONATE!

We donate towels, sheets, blankets, and pillows to homeless shelters and local charities, along with furniture, mattresses, lamps, case goods, partially used shampoos and other amenities. Leftover food from catered events are given to the Boulder Community Food Share Program. Eyeglasses and sunglasses left behind that remain unclaimed are donated to Habitat for Humanity and charities for Tibetans and Jamaicans. Partially used bath amenities, like soap, shampoo, and conditioner, go to the Cheyenne River Lakota/Sioux Reservation in central South Dakota. And when we renovated our Events Center in 2008, we donated over 100 light fixtures to Habitat for Humanity.

WE USE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS!

Our cleaning products are as environmentally friendly as possible. All of our carpet cleaning products are green. Our drain cleaners use a natural enzyme instead of harsh chemicals. All of our solvents and soaps are biodegradable. No oil-based paints are used anywhere in the hotel. And our dry cleaner, Art Cleaners, uses non-toxic, environmentally friendly products.

WE SAVE ENERGY, WATER, AND HELP ELIMINATE WASTE!

We use a water recovery system to clean outside and our patios, and we have thermal blankets on our water heaters. Our toilets are the low-flush variety, and we use aerators in the showers. We use CVL light bulbs in rooms and common areas where appropriate. We encourage guests to re-use towels and linens throughout their stay. We've eliminated plastic and paper cups in guest rooms, electing instead to use china and glass. We place newspapers in common areas, like our lobby, instead of in every guest room. Our employees are encouraged to use alternate methods of transportation by offering free Eco-Passes and bike racks outside.

All these efforts happen year-round. Here at the Boulderado, Earth Day truly is every day.

505

In recognition of the Hotel Boulderado's 100 Year Anniversary in 2009, I've decided to profile several of our signature guest rooms and suites over the coming months. First on my list is Room 505, a top-floor Presidential Suite that offers spectacular views of downtown Boulder and the Flatirons.

When the Boulderado first opened in 1909, room 505 was not in the original inventory. The top corners of the hotel were used as open corner porches, according to Silvia Pettem's Legend of a Landmark, which quotes a 1910 Daily Camera article: "The upper story of the Hotel Boulderado was never finished or furnished. Because of the great patronage of the house, Messrs. Wallace, the leasees, have begun, by cooperation with the hotel company, to divide great garret-like rooms into comfortable living rooms, and furnishing them with windows and all the comforts of the other rooms in the splendid house."

The hotel manager used it as his own apartment, and is mentioned in a story recalling the first
Boulderado wedding ceremony. When Hugh Mark took over the manager's position in 1917, he and his young son moved into 505, while his wife and daughter lived in an apartment a few floors below. Mark turned much of the operations over to different family members, turning the Boulderado into a family-run business; his brother Leonard was a front desk clerk, brother William became an engineer in charge of the coal furnace, and yet another brother, Frank, took over operating the dining room with the help of his wife, Alza.

Today, 505 is one of our most popular rooms, with everyone from brides, celebrities, and VIPs staying in the Presidential Suite. Its beauty, spaciousness, and views make it a truly unique stay for any guest. A full-sized living room with a stereo and conference table leads into the bedroom.

Photo by A Life Exposed Photography

Photo by A Life Exposed Photography

Photo by A Life Exposed Photography

Over the years, people have left their mark on the window ledges found outside 505. Some are newlywed couples, others are just looking to add to the room's history.

Stay tuned for upcoming profiles of other guest rooms at the Hotel Boulderado!

Booking Meetings at the Boulderado

It's Administrative Professionals Week, time to recognize the hard-working support staff to so many professionals, managers, and executives. As a special treat for those folks, the Hotel Boulderado is offering a limited-time promotion this week: book a meeting at the Boulderado for your boss, mention "CHOCOLATE" to your sales manager, and receive a complimentary Boulderado tin of delicious chocolates!

The Hotel Boulderado is also offering some special perks to meeting planners to increase the value and caliber of your next event. Book a meeting after March 15th, 2009 to be held before June 30th, 2009 and discover the best value for your meeting on the Front Range. Groups up to 20 may select one of the following, and groups with 20 or more may select two of the following:

• $10 per person off any 2009 Meeting Package (Packages include room rental)


• Afternoon Break Upgrade with the purchase of any 2009 Meeting Package (value up to $12 per person)


• Complimentary Upgrade to a Suite for 1 overnight guest


• Upgraded Gourmet Coffee Service with the purchase of any 2009 Meeting Package (valued at $5.50 per person)


• 25% off Meeting Room Rental

Contact our Sales Managers today by calling (303) 440-2880 or toll free at (866) 826-2887.

Luncheon with Boulderado Memories

Last week, Beverly Silva and I had lunch with three gentlemen callers -- Terence and Denis Keleher, and Tom Harrold (pictured below from right to left). Each of them have a special connection to the Hotel Boulderado.

Denis and Terence's grandparents were Leila and Lee, and they were married at the Boulderado on May 17th, 1911. Terence and Denis submitted the story of this wedding ceremony, the earliest ceremony to be performed at the Boulderado on record, to our Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign. (Read the whole story.)

Lee and Leila Keleher (above) the year before they were married.

Terence brought with him the original plate that was used to make the Kelehers wedding invitation, as well as a photocopy of the invitation.

Denis has been coming to the Boulderado for years, and would often stop in at one of the restaurants or at the Mezzanine Lounge, when it operated as a hip jazz lounge in the 1980s. Denis brought with him several matchbooks from the different establishments as they changed ownership over the years.

Tom was recruited by CU's basketball team in 1951. When he came to Boulder from Muncie, Indiana to investigate the campus, he stayed at the Boulderado. Tom was so talented he was named "Mr. Basketball," and as a member of the starting lineup, helped the team to many victories. When Tom's team held their 50th reunion, it took place right here on the Boulderado's Mezzanine, completing the circle of Tom's involvement with basketball and the Boulderado.

Beverly and I both enjoyed all the stories, pictures, and memorabilia that these kind gentlemen brought with them. It's precisely this kind of hotel history that we are striving to preserve in the Memories of the Boulderado collection.

Happy Camper Kids Package offered again this summer

It's Tax Day, but it's not too early to be thinking about your summer vacation. For some families, this means road trips, camping, and listening to never-ending renditions of annoying, repetitive songs (think "99 Bottles" or "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt"). If you're looking to combine the excitement of camping for the kids, but really would rather order room service or get a facial, consider booking the Happy Camper Kids Package at the Hotel Boulderado. This package combines the fun of urban camping with the comfort of Boulder's oldest luxury hotel. Included in the package are the guest room or suite, an indoor pop-up tent with two sleeping bags nestled inside, a backpack filled with toys and a non-leaching plastic water bottle for each child, maps and guides to child-friendly activities and outings located downtown, and a $25 towards breakfast in Q's Restaurant or room service. Starting at $264 for a room with two queen-sized beds, it's a great value for families. In order to book this package, you have to contact the Reservations department directly, either by emailing reservations@boulderado.com or calling (800) 433-4344.

Recent Wedding Photos From A.H.P.

Adam Houseman is a talented and award-winning photographer who visits the Boulderado often, whether shooting photos for a wedding or event, or portrait work in one of our guestrooms. Adam sent us some work from a recent March wedding. As you can see, the Boulderado provides a natural, elegant venue, making every step of the big day that much more special.

Guess Who . . .

Plenty of famous people have stayed at the Boulderado, especially musicians. Some of the more notable names are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Pearl Jam. Well, as of this weekend, we can add one more to the list. The legendary B.B. King stayed here Friday night after his show at the Boulder Theater down the block. He checked in to one of our Presidential Suites, but couldn't enjoy the room for more than one night because of his tour schedule. We hope B.B. King and his band enjoyed their stay at the historic Hotel Boulderado!

Meetings are Valid!

There's been a lot of talk in the media lately about the meetings industry. Critics say that executives are mis-spending money, and Senator John Kerry has even proposed an all-out ban on meetings for companies who received bailout funds. But these opponents are being myopic in their stance. All the media attention has certainly made an impact; Smart Meetings reports that just over half of meeting planners' decisions have been influenced by the backlash, and 21% have cancelled meetings because of all the negative attention. In a Smart Meetings article discussing this new trend, "Strategic Meetings Management Program: A Solution in Challenging Economic Times," the president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association in D.C., Roger Dow, said "Portraying all meetings as junkets or worse is crushing the industry."

Meetings and events generate about $1 billion in spending each year, and 15% of travelers are making the trip because of meetings. The long-term effects of this negativity towards meetings could include hotels and venues closing, resulting in even more unemployed people. This has sparked the meetings and hotel industry to fight back against the criticism, including efforts like Keep America Meeting, which is an online petition citing the importance of meetings and their value.

Meetings continue to be a very valuable tool for companies. There are many legitimate reasons to host a meeting: product development and launches, trade shows, sales and professional conferences, training and staff development, and more. With the advent of technology like web conferencing and online meetings, some people are reluctant to invest in a "live" meeting. But face-to-face contact is becoming more and more rare, and nothing can take its place when you're meeting with investors and clients. It shows a personal touch that is disappearing in our time, and that personal touch could be the difference between a new business relationship -- or another dead end.

Let's all remember not to get caught up in the media hype over meetings. It's a legitimate industry that keeps people employed and generates revenue, something our nation cannot afford to tamper with at the moment. I urge you to sign the Keep America Meeting petition and voice your opinions.

March Winner ~ Tell Us Your Boulderado Story

One of the components of the Boulderado's 100 year anniversary is the Tell Us Your Boulderado Story campaign, which is a collection of memories and narratives from the last century about the Boulderado. The goal is to collect 100 stories which will be compiled into a coffee table book. Our staff selects a monthly favorite, and March's winner is Gordon Wickstrom, whose grandmother (pictured) was a resident at the Boulderado until she died in 1953. The following is Wickstrom's story, "Grandmother Lulu."

"Lulu W. Hatch, my grandmother, was resident at the Boulderado Hotel during the five years preceding her death in 1953. She occupied a spacious room in the southwest corner off the Mezzanine. Grandmother found the hotel life exactly suited to her needs, which were as little housekeeping, cooking, and general upkeep as necessary. Here she was able to study and sew gentlemen's fine custom neckwear.

Grandmother was a thoroughly public woman. Her interests were social, political, and commercial. She was a downtown lady, a good, old-time progressive who found conversation with the gentlemen of the hotel on matters of politics, society, and religious life down in the lobby precisely to her liking. The world was her study. The role of women, the aging, and her church life were her particular concern.

She had, earlier, with my grandfather John T. Hatch been a strong partisan on behalf of the Townsend Plan, which, in the days before and just after the advent of Social Security, had proposed a national pension payment of $200 monthly for every citizen over sixty-five. It was projected that this money pouring into the economy would greatly help to end the Great Depression.

Grandmother had sold medicinals door-to-door as one of the very first women to drive about town in a Model T Ford. Later she became the agent for the distinguished Bernat knitting yarns with which she became Boulder's first lady of knitting techniques and styles. She held style shows of ladies knit dresses and gowns in the Broadway family home, her daughters acting as models. But, for all that, it pleases me most to think that were Grandmother alive today, and forty years old, she would be a power in national liberal politics. She loved it and thrived on intellectual give and take.

It is interesting to note that during those years that my grandmother lived in the hotel, her son Byron Hatch, my uncle, owned and operated the hotel barber shop in exactly the space of the bar in the elegant Corner Bar.

The Hatch family of six had come from Cimarron, Kansas, to Boulder in 1921. Twin daughters, of buffalo chip incubation, stayed behind in Cimarron to marry. The rest came to Boulder for the benefits of the mountain air and the university. My grandfather opened a barber shop on the south side of 1100 block of Pearl Street. Upon his retirement in 1939, his son, my Uncle Byron, took over the shop until moving to the Boulderado location, circa 1949.

In addition to Byron Hatch, were the three Hatch daughters: my mother, Thelma M. Wickstrom of the Boulder City Bakery family, Christabel Fonda, of the Fonda Bottling Company family, and Irmagene Murrin, of Sterling, Colorado.

One of my great pleasures to have lunch with Grandmother in the hotel restaurant downstairs, on the tile floor, spacious, suffused in light, and the blue-plate special lunch a flat thirty-five cents. With Grandmother, I, Gordon Wickstrom, always felt substantial."

Check out the rest of the Memories of the Boulderado collection. Which is your favorite?

Happy Birthday, Beverly!

We'd like to wish the Hotel Boulderado's Director of Sales, Beverly Silva, a very happy birthday today! Beverly has been working at the Boulderado for 26 years now. She started off as a housekeeper while attending the University of Colorado, and then after a brief hiatus in New York City (working at the swanky Lowell Hotel), she returned to Boulder and the Boulderado. Beverly spent 13 years as a wedding coordinator and calmed many a nervous bride and mother. In 2006, Beverly was promoted to her current position as the Director of Sales & Marketing. Since then, Beverly has worked tirelessly to promote the Boulderado, culminating in the Centennial Celebration that took place this past January. In recognition for her achievements, Beverly was awarded the Outstanding Downtown Dedication Award from the Downtown Boulder, Inc. on January 22nd of 2009. Happy Birthday, Beverly! Your dedication and love for the Boulderado are evident!

Plans for Easter

Easter always seems to sneak up on people, probably because it's on a different date every year. There are just SIX DAYS left until the holiday! Have you made your plans yet? Consider making reservations for the Boulderado's Easter Brunch Buffet. Seats are still available for this delectable meal, which features traditional dishes like chef-carved leg of lamb, bone-in ham, and fresh spring vegetables. If you feel more like breakfast items, there will be omelette and waffle stations along with bacon and sausage. And don't forget dessert! In addition to a medley of pies, cakes, and treats, there is also our signature chocolate fountain. Make reservations with our Sales Office by calling (303) 440-2880.

Women's History Afternoon Tea

We are all excitedly preparing for tomorrow's Women's History Afternoon Tea. This sold-out event is the first of its kind and features the Legendary Ladies, who will be performing "Unconventional Women of the West," a series of five-minute monologues from interesting female historical figures. Here's a sneak peek of the characters who will be visiting the Boulderado tomorrow:

Susan Shelby Magoffin was one of the first white women to travel on the Santa Fe Trail and enter New Mexico. She kept a detailed journal that recorded the day-to-day life on the trail.

Little Egypt was a sexy dancer who is credited with the development of what is now known as the belly dance. Her escapades and antics were often front-page news.

Marietta Kingsley (no photo available) was a resident of Boulder's Red Light District. Not much is widely known about her, but her appearance at the Boulderado is sure to be exciting and informative.

Calamity Jane was a frontierswoman and professional scout who was well-known friends with Wild Bill Hickok. She is listed in the program as "a wild, wooly, and unpredictable character."

Anne Ellis spent time in the Colorado mining camps and kept careful a record of her life and family, which was later published as three books: The Life of an Ordinary Woman, Plain Anne Ellis, and Sunshine Preferred.

The Women's History Afternoon Tea partially benefits the Circle of Care project, an elderly enrichment program. Twenty-five senior citizens have been given complimentary seats to this event.

We're Blogging!

It looks like the Historic Hotel Boulderado in downtown Boulder, Colorado now has its own blog! Stay tuned for news, information, and updates from us!