Day 214 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Gift Shop

This is a peek into our gift shop, located directly across from the Q's Bar. What people know today as the gift shop was used as a ladies' music and reception room when we first opened in 1909. According to Legend of a Landmark, "[In the music and reception room] female guests played the piano, wrote letters home, admired their flowered hats in the wall mirror, and lounged on the settees.

Day 213 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Otis' Gate

Our Otis elevator is installed with its own gate to protect the attendant and guests who are riding the elevator between floors.

Day 212 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Curtain Pattern

Here is another gorgeous, rich pattern I found here at the Hotel Boulderado. This is actually a drawn curtain with the swag set on top of it.

Day 211 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Q's Bar

It consistently amazes me how areas and spaces in the Hotel Boulderado get renovated/transformed/recycled through the years. What people know today as the Q's Bar was used as a gentleman's smoking room when we first opened in 1909. Since we were built during the Victorian era, and the Victorians were very specific about men in one space and women in another, there were dedicated "rooms" for each gender. Stay tuned to see where the ladies' writing room was, and what it is today!

Day 210 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Rollup Bouquet

One day I walked into our catering kitchen and found these roll-ups. I couldn't help but be reminded of a bouquet of roses, so I decided to get a shot of a "Roll-Up Bouquet."

Day 209 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Sarah "Noe-tis"

Sarah Noe (now Sarah Danzl) has always been a fan of the Hotel Boulderado, and especially of our original elevator, Otis. So when it was time for Sarah to marry Jon, she knew there was no place better than the Boulderado. Sarah was kind enough to take time out of her busy day to pose for a photo with her beloved Otis.

Day 208 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Thank You Card

In the early summer of 2009, the Hotel Boulderado was honored to be part of making one little boy's dream come true. We were contacted by the Make-a-Wish Foundation to see if we could provide accommodations for a family who was trying to make one of their son's wish come true. The son's wish was simple; he wanted to climb a mountain. While the family was in Colorado pursuing their goal, they stayed at the Hotel Boulderado. We made sure the whole family felt welcome, from the staff greeting (complete with welcome banner) when they arrived to treats for the entire family in their suite. The family sent us a thank-you note after they went back home, and it still hangs behind our Front Desk today.

Day 207 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Interior Courtyard from the 5th Floor

This photo was taken from our 5th floor and shows you the "interior courtyard," or more simply, the empty space between the stained glass canopy ceiling and the roof.

Day 206 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Local Author's Shelf

In our Gift Shop, we have entire shelf devoted just to local author's, including Silvia Pettem's book about the history behind the Hotel Boulderado, Legend of a Landmark.

Day 205 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Potted Fern

Some people ask why we have so many potted ferns and palms in place around the Hotel Boulderado. These, along with fresh flowers, were among the favorites of the Victorians when it came to interior decor and were often spotted around the hotel when we first opened. We like to keep this part of our history intact and in front of guests' eyes.

Day 204 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Catering Kitchen

Would you believe that each year more than 35,000 people are fed from this kitchen? It's true! That's the rough average number of people who are served a meal through the Hotel Boulderado Banquets department, and the vast majority of those meals are prepped right here, in our catering kitchen.

Day 203 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Sprinkler Head Inside Staircase

Here at the Boulderado, we take fire safety very seriously. So serious, in fact, that we installed a sprinkler head inside our staircase. Click here to learn why.

Day 202 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Phones

We still keep a pair of telephones in our lobby that are free to use for calls to guest rooms and taxi services. They don't get nearly as much use since cell phones arrived in Boulder, but we like to keep them around for those "just in case" situations.

Day 201 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Ivy Tower

Whenever I approach the Hotel Boulderado from the north and I reach this corner of the building, I never fail to mistake the hotel for some ivy-encrusted tower of a magnificent castle.

Day 200 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Event Center Patio

I can't think of a better excuse than the 200th post in this series than to show off our recently resurfaced Plaza at the Event Center.

Day 199 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Entrance to Catacombs

While it's true that you can get to the Catacombs from inside the Hotel Boulderado, most people are more familiar with its street entrance, seen here.

Day 198 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Ring My Bell

I can't take credit for this photo. No, really, I can't. Because Jeffrey, one of our night auditors, took it.

Day 197 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Face Planter

This is a photo showing the detail on one of the planters located in our Plaza. Between the plants and the detail of the face, this could almost be a new "green" look for Vegas showgirls' headdresses.

Day 196 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 13th Stree Tiles

This is a shot of the patterned tiles found at the 13th Street entrance.

Day 195 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Sidewalk Seal

Many people walk right by this without ever noticing it. In the ramp on 13th street, there is a small seal embedded in the cement. This is the seal found there.

Day 194 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Half a Cow, Man

I had to ask some of the more experienced employees who have been here at the Hotel Boulderado for decades about the story behind the cow in the employee break room. Well, actually, it's half a cow now.

The cow (when it was whole) used to be found at the entrance of Catacomb's. (Maybe she kept the bouncer company?) But then Catacomb's did some rearranging of their layout, and there wasn't room any more for the cow. So the cow was sawed in half, and one piece was brought to an employee's home, and the other was brought to the employee break room.

Here at the Boulderado, we're not just about history and luxury; we love random shenanigans as well. So don't half a cow, man.

Day 193 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Happy Hour in the Corner Bar

It's Friday afternoon, and the Corner Bar is ready for happy hour! (Oops, look like someone started early judging by the missing glass.)

Day 192 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Hutson Hotel Pillowcase

What may look to you like an old, stained pillowcase represents much more in terms of history at the Hotel Boulderado.

This particular pillowcase, in addition to the hotel's name, also mentions "A Hutson Hotel." Bill and Winnie Hutson owned and ran the hotel from 1940 to 1959, so the pillowcase must be from that time frame. They were gifted the hotel as a wedding present from Bill's father, who was a hotelier from the Midwest. The Hotel Boulderado was meant to be a starter hotel for Bill's own chain.

As for the ink stain, it's probably the reason this pillowcase survived to the present day. We think that it must have been stained while in use as a hotel pillowcase, and as a result, an employee was permitted to take it home. Decades later, this pillowcase was discovered in someone's attic and returned to the Boulderado.

Day 191 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Baseball Caps in Gift Shop

Take me out to the baaallll gaaame . . . The next time you're headed to the ball game, a hike, or anywhere the strong Colorado sun might hit you, be sure to wear a hat. We have a great selection of colors and designs on ball caps right here in our Gift Shop!

Day 190 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Flowers

I just love this shot of some of the flowers in our lobby because it also captures the "B" on the carpet as well as the lights shining down from the Mezzanine.

Day 189 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 402 Wallpaper

Check out the extreme floral wallpaper pattern found in 402!

Day 188 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Peppers in Catering Cooler

This shot is from our catering kitchen. Look at how many peppers we have! I hope your Labor Day weekend is as hot as these peppers so you can soak in the last bits of summer!

Day 187 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Boulder Prep Dance

People who stop by our lobby often inquire about this antique photo hanging above the Front Desk. Before there was Boulder High School, there was Boulder Prep School, and like many modern secondary schools, Boulder Prep offered its students an end-of-the-year dance (a prom, before there were proms!). Boulder Prep would use our lobby for their dance, and we would clear all the furniture away before they arrived. This photo captures one such dance dating back from the 1920s or 1930s.

Day 186 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Catering Plates

Seriously, you would not believe how many plates we have here at the Hotel Boulderado. First, there's the restaurants. Then there's the catering department (plates shown here), which have to be prepared for a wedding, conference, and/or rehearsal dinner -- sometimes all happening simultaneously!

Day 185 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Exterior in September

If you look very closely as this shot of the Hotel Boulderado's exterior taken on the first day of September, you can see the leaves on the trees are already changing!