Day 92 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Q's Wine Wall

Behold! One of the most mesmerizing, tantalizing, captivating sights to be found at the Hotel Boulderado! (... also known as the wine wall of Q's Restaurant)

Day 91 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Grandfather Clock Face

Here's a close up shot of the face of the grandfather clock in the lobby. Click here to learn why the moon never moves.

Day 90 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Detail on Fire Extinguisher

Here's a close up shot for you of the antique fire extinguisher I shared with you a while back. You can actually see the instructions listed on the canister!

Day 89 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 3rd Floor Light Fixtures

Continuing with my newfound obsession with light fixtures, I wanted to share these with you and also share with you an interesting history fact. The three light fixtures you see here can be found in the southeast hallway of the third floor of the Historic Section at the Hotel Boulderado. These three fixtures represent the last three original light fixtures from our dining room's original decor, dating all the way back to 1909. Since I learned this, I have thought of it every time I pass under these lights, knowing so many former guests and employees must have done the same.

Day 88 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Telephone and Register

Check out this old-school telephone in the display case. The long sheets of paper you see are original sign-in registers dating back from the 1930s.

Day 87 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Events Center Entrance on Broadway

This is one of the other entrances to the Hotel Boulderado, found on Broadway. The awning welcomes guests to our Events Center in the North Wing.

Day 86 of 365 Day os Boulderado Photos ~ Mirror in 505

I just love this antique mirror in 505, one of our Presidential Suites. Many brides have used this same mirror to prepare for their wedding, proving that when you stay at the Hotel Boulderado, you become a part of our history.

Day 85 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Honey Bee's Dress

Remember when I shared the portrait of Honey Bee with you? Well, the dress that Honey Bee is wearing in the painting can also be found at the Hotel Boulderado. On the first floor of the North Wing, we have a display case containing the same dress. You might also notice a familiar-looking pair of red ballet shoes. They aren't the same pair, but rather one former employee's gift to the hotel as she departed. Summer was on staff here for nearly a decade, and one of her other passions besides the Boulderado is dance. Before she left, Summer took an old pair of ballet shoes, dyed them red, and gifted them to the hotel to be added to the display case with Honey Bee's dress.

Day 84 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Foyer Light Fixtures

I'm not entirely sure what my new fascination is with light fixtures, but I'm just going with it for now. Check out these lights that can be found in the foyer of our Events Center in the North Wing of the Hotel Boulderado.

Day 83 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mezzanine Ceiling from the Lobby

Here's the stained-glass ceiling as seen from below, in the lobby. Whether you're close to it or further away, the beauty carries over any distance.

Day 82 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Corner Bar Bar

Next time you are in the Corner Bar for drinks and late-night munchies, check out the bar itself. There is so much detail, so much intricacy, that it's amazing. Plus, the mirror always reminds me of that one famous painting.

Day 81 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Furniture Stacked in Bathroom

This is another behind the scenes photo that tends to crack me up. I snuck into a guest room that was being painted to show you exactly how we manage to paint without moving furniture too far: it gets stacked on top of each other in the bathroom. (No antiques were harmed in the painting of this room.)

Day 80 of 365 Days Boulderado Photos ~ Staircase Layers Looking Down

I captured this shot of the Hotel Boulderado's cantilevered staircase at the top of the stairs on the fifth floor, looking down. You are looking directly three floors down -- that light source and armchair peeking out were on the Mezzanine level.

Day 79 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Balconies

Here are some balconies seen on the Hotel Boulderado's south side of the Historic Section, just above the Spruce Street entrance. They were never functional, rather ornamental. Ornate iron balconies like this were popular with Victorians who loved embodying the neo-classical, Italianate styles in their daily life, hence why they were included in the architecture for our Victorian era hotel.

Day 78 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Front Door Handles

Whenever I look closely at the handles for the front doors to the Hotel Boulderado, the scrollwork never fails to remind me of owls. What do they remind you of?

Day 77 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ The Mezzanine

Perhaps the Hotel Boulderado's most famous, beautiful, and versatile of all our function spaces, the Mezzanine is also, relatively speaking, a recent development. The Mezzanine was created from space that had been used as guest rooms on second floor of the Historic Section. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing into the early 1980s, guest rooms were knocked out or converted to create a new spot where people could come together, gather, and celebrate. Everything from corporate luncheons to wedding receptions to Murder Mysteries take place on our Mezzanine.

Day 76 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Randy's Tulip Photo

One of my friends in Maintenance, Randy, came to my desk one day and asked to borrow my camera. He returned with shot after shot of these gorgeous tulips found on the north side of the building, near the Events Center. People rarely see this flower bed because of its out-of-the-way location, so he wanted to make sure they were included in the 365 Days of Boulderado Photos. Thanks, Randy! They DO look like they belong in Holland!

Day 75 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Room 409

Welcome to Room 409! This Boulderado King room sits on the southwest corner of the Historic Section with views of downtown Boulder and the Flatirons. Rumor has it that Jack Nicholson once stayed in this very room -- but neglected to tip the housekeeper! We don't hold it against Jack, because all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy indeed.

Day 74 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lion Guarding Staricase Cubby

If you blink, you'll probably miss this lion's head guarding the keyhole to the closet under the staircase on the Mezzanine level of the Historic Section. (I once told a small child that this is the door to Narnia, and the lion was Aslan. He believed me. I believe myself, some days.)

Day 73 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Detail on Wet Bar in 306

Here is a close up shot of the antique bar in 306 that I love so much. Craftsmanship like this just cannot be found these days!

Day 72 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Victorian Hallway Tree

This is a Victorian Hallway Tree that lives on the third floor of the Historic Section here at the Hotel Boulderado. The Victorians hadn't yet learned the beauty of built-in storage amenities like cabinets and closets. To compensate, they often favored furniture with storage options, like this hallway tree. A piece like this would stand in your entryway or the first hallway in your home. There are multiple levels of hooks to hang your hat and coat, and the seat lifts up to store away your boots.

Day 71 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Transom Handle

Welcome to my office! I literally work out of a closet (affectionately known as "Cubby") in the Sales Office at the Hotel Boulderado. While it looks like a closet, it is actually part of a former hallway, which means that the entrance to Cubby used to be a hotel room door. You can still see where the transom would have been located, and even better, you can see one of the only remaining transom handles left in the building. Guests would use the transom handle to open or shut a small window located above their door to ventilate the room before air conditioning was introduced.

Day 70 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Fire Escape

In this shot of the Hotel Boulderado, you can see the fire escape on the south side of the Historic Section. According to Silvia Pettem's Legend of a Landmark, "Fire escapes were put up in 1923, on the east, south, and west sides of the building. The action was prompted by a chimney fire in the attic above the service elevator on the northwest corner. Blackened rafters still can be seen inside."

Day 69 of 365 Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Standpipe

The standpipe you see here is original to the Hotel Boulderado from our 1909 opening. Standpipes were often installed in multi-story buildings so that firefighters could attach their hoses and put out any fires. Think of it as a fire hydrant, but indoors.

Day 68 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Radio

This radio keeps the Honey Bee portrait company near the stairs on the fifth floor of the Historic Section at the Hotel Boulderado. When we first opened, we had a small string orchestra to entertain guests in our lobby. Over the years, the orchestra was replaced by a Victrola, which was replaced by a radio (like the one you see above), which was replaced by a television. After that, televisions were installed in all the guest rooms, which were recently replaced by high-definition televisions. I can't help but wonder what those high-def TVs will be replaced by.

Day 67 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Floral Explosion in the Lobby

Spring MUST be here! Just take a look at all the blooms residing in our lobby right now.

Day 66 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 504 Wallpaper

This soothing blue floral wallpaper is found in room 504, among others. Get ready for a different kind of floral explosion tomorrow!

Day 65 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Light Fixture Covers

From time to time, I run across a sight like this one and feel the need to capture it. What you are seeing are parts from the light fixtures on our skywalk. They were recently taken down to complete a painting project, and this is where I found them -- lined up on a windowsill, seemingly watching over the property.

Day 64 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo of the Interurban Station

Here is another antique photo we have on display. Pictured above is the old Interurban Station that was found at the intersection of Broadway and Pearl Streets. The Interurban made regular runs between Denver, Boulder, and Greeley.

Day 63 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Flower Bed

Spring is springing here at the Hotel Boulderado, and to prove it, the flower beds out front are blooming.

Day 62 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Exterior in May

Well, this exterior shot shows there are definitely some buds peeking out on the trees that surround the Hotel Boulderado. The other noticeable difference between this shot and the ones I took in March and April is the moody sky. Clouds come and go quickly in Boulder this time of year, and you can see how the Boulderado looks up against the cloudy backdrop.