Adding Flair to Your Corporate Event

Who says business gatherings have to be bland? It's easy to get caught up in the same old routing for business dinners and presentations. Here at the Hotel Boulderado, we believe fun belongs in our corporate events just as much as the social ones.We are planning an upcoming spring menu tasting for corporate clients and meetings planners, and this is how we did it.

1. Pick Your Date and Time
Theory: Before you settle on the date of your event, consider things like religious holidays, school breaks, and major sporting games. You want to make sure as many people as possible will be able to attend before you even send out your invitations.
In Action: We checked the local school district's spring break, when Easter landed this year, and finally decided on the date of April 17th, 2013 between 4pm and 7pm.

2. Choose a Theme
Theory: Keep in mind factors like the season, who is attending (Are they clients? Company employees? People you want to educate about your organization?), and also the tone of your event -- will this be a black tie fundraiser for donors, or a casual get-together among employees?
In Action: We loved the idea of a spring themed event for several reasons: 'tis the season, it can be friendly and elegant at the same time, and all the fresh produce and flowers coming into season make it a natural for us to show off our menu and venue.

3. Plan a Mouth-Watering Menu
Theory: People love food. However, it's important to not just choose food based on what you love -- while you might be a huge fan of pizza with mozzarella sticks, this might not be the best fare for a black-tie event. If your event is formal, think about a plated dinner. If it's more casual, a buffet might be the way to go. If you want to ensure your guests mix and mingle, a cocktail style reception would energize them to do so.
In Action: We are planning a mix of platters (e.g. fruit and cheese, vegetable crudite), passed/butlered hors d'oeuvres (Beef Tenderloin on Crispy Polenta, anyone?), and heavier munchies to fill people up and show off as much of our menu as possible.
(PRO TIP: Build options into your menu for people who are vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, etc. That way, when someone mentions to you the night before your event that they have a celiac intolerance, you won't have to scramble to accommodate them.)

4. Partner Up
Theory: It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes partners to help put together a successful event -- especially if budget is on your mind. Reach out to a local florist to see if they will offer you discounted arrangements if you let them bring business cards and promote themselves.
In Action: We've not only partnered up with a florist (Living Interiors). We also have brought on board the fantastic folks at Shutterbooth, a DJ from Get Up and Dance, and are providing complimentary chair massages from the Bodywork Bistro.

5. Mastermind the Setup
Theory: By figuring out your floor plan in advance, you can manipulate the crowd to go where you want. Registration tables should always be as near to the room's entrance as possible. Spread out your food tables and stations so people have to walk through and mingle more. And put your bar in an easily accessible place to make it easy for guests to grab a drink (or two ... or three ...).
In Action: We made sure to follow our own advice. And to sway guests to go into a separate room with vendor information about our partners, we will be placing the massage chairs so that they are visible from the foyer.
(PRO TIP: If you have an ice sculpture, have seafood served in an ice bowl, or one of those ice luges for shots, place it against a window or source of natural light. The end result is dazzling!)

6. Everybody Loves Games, Because Games Mean Prizes

Theory: There's lots of different games you can offer at corporate events that are professional and fun at the same time. Networking games get your guests up out of their chairs and talking to each other, and can be a great way to get people out of the rut of only talking to people they know. Here are three game ideas that you can use at your next event that includes networking. Present the winners with prizes that they will find valuable: a Starbucks gift card, a product with your company or organization's logo on it, or a special treat from one of your partners is always a hit.
In Action: We are creating our own networking game that asks the attendees to find someone in the crowd who meets a certain criteria; for example, someone who was born in New York, someone who has gone skiing this season, and someone who has held a meeting at the Hotel Boulderado. Once they have met someone in each category, they can enter their card into a drawing for a very special prize.

7. Order Supplies
Theory: Be prepared for running out of anything and everything. Make sure you have enough paper to print out the invitations, enough drink tickets to offer to your guests, enough swag bags for handing out at the end. And by "enough," I mean your estimated guest count plus 10-20% overage. (If you are accepting walk-ins at the event, increase the overage to 25-50%.)
In Action: Done. Done. And done! (We are professional planners, after all.)

8. Invite Everyone
Theory: Use postcards, email, and and the good old-fashioned phone call to invite everyone you can think of.
In Action: We've done that, plus we've added a line about our event to our email signatures to extend our reach.

9. Promote Free Drinks and Food
Theory: Did we already mention people love food? Well, they love free food and drinks even more!
In Action: Did we already mention there will be free food and drinks at our menu tasting on April 17th?

10. Party On!
Theory: Enjoy yourself! This is the moment you've been working towards, so make sure you are smiling all the way through it.
In Action: We haven't gotten there yet, but we hope to see you when we do! We are currently accepting RSVPs to our menu tasting event on April 17th. If you are interested in seeing this event in action in real life, please call us at (303) 440-2880 to RSVP by Monday, April 15th.

Archive Photo ~ North Wing circa 1989

We have a pretty amazing collection at the hotel of historic and archived photographs. The one I'm sharing with you today is a relative newcomer, having been taken in 1989 shortly after the last expansion of our North Wing opened.

To give you an idea of how much the landscape has changed, here's a photo I took a couple of years ago, and you can see the saplings from 1989 have grown into mature trees.

Famous Guests ~ Messrs. Darrow, Frost, Ellington, and Armstrong

The Hotel Boulderado has been honored to have some famous people stay with us over the years. We recently started a new regular post on our Facebook page that features one of these famous guests each Friday. In case you miss one of these Facebook posts, we will be doing a wrap up on our blog each month to share with you some of our most famous guests of the past.

Clarence Darrow was one of the most famous defense lawyers of his time and stayed at the Boulderado during the 1920s. He participated in two of the most highly publicized trials of the era: the Scopes trial focused on teaching evolution in schools, and the trial of thrill-seeking killers Leopold and Loeb.

The poet Robert Frost was a frequent guest of ours during the 1930s. His daughter was a tuberculosis patient at the Boulder Sanitarium at the time, and whenever he came to town to visit her he would stay at the Hotel Boulderado. Some of Frost's most famous poems include "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", "Mending Wall" and "The Road Not Taken".




Musician Duke Ellington showed up on our doorstep during the 1960s with an entourage of forty people -- and no reservation! We were happy to accommodate him and his entire party. During his career, Ellington elevated jazz music (which he referred to simply as "American music") to a whole new artform thanks to his use of the big band and all its instruments.

Another jazz musician, Louis Armstrong, also stayed at the Boulderado in 1961 when he was in town to perform at the nearby University of Colorado. Armstrong became recognizable as the most famous trumpet player of the 20th century and was also well-known for his scat singing abilities.


 One interesting follow up to our last two guests. During the 1960s, not every hotel in Boulder would accept an African-American guest. The Hotel Boulderado was, in fact, one of the few establishments at the time in the city that Black guests were permitted to stay at.

First Bite, and A Look Back in Time

First Bite Boulder kicks off today, and many local restaurants are offering diners a prix fixe three-course dinner, including Q's Restaurant. (Click here to see the menu they are offering.) To celebrate First Bite, I thought I'd share some interesting tidbits of the history behind the Boulderado dining room, where Q's now calls home.

Upon our opening on New Year's Day of 1909, a newspaper article in the Daily Camera touted all the luxuries the Hotel Boulderado had to offer. In addition to the guestrooms and the building, the reporter commented on the dining room and kitchen as well:
"The spacious dining room, with its snowy linen, polished silver, and delicate bouquets, gave promise of the tempting delicacies and huge banquets that are to come. The kitchen, with its massive ranges and variety of modern conveniences, appeared equal to the tasks of furnishing the best and the most that could be demanded of it. The handsome electric chandeliers, the exquisitely patterned rugs, the profuse decoration of palms, ferns, and flowers, the beautiful music of the orchestra, all added to the sum to make a perfect total."

The above photo is how the dining room looked; it was so formal that there were no waitresses on the staff, only waiters, who wore white gloves while serving, and tables were set with small bowls of water so guests could wash their fingers between courses.

Over the past century, the dining room at the Hotel Boulderado has undergone a multitude of changes and renovations, as has most of the original building. We've done our best to keep anything original intact, even if it has to be moved somewhere else. Case in point: the photo below may look to you like an empty hallway. But the three light fixtures you see in it date back to the hotel's opening and were originally located in the dining room.

On the same floor on the other side of the building, you'll find a chair sitting in a corner (below photo), which is the most recent addition to the living history museum on the west side of the third floor at the Hotel Boulderado. The story is that we've had this chair in storage for many years, but it was only recently that we sent it out to have the cane seat replaced by a skilled tradesman who specializes in antique pieces.

If you happen to stop by Q's Restaurant during First Bite Boulder, be sure to take the Otis elevator up to the third floor to explore the antiques and learn more about what it was like to live like the Victorians would.

A Look Back in Time: Victorian Dining

Denver’s Restaurant Week has come and gone for another year. Seeing all the fabulous menus and tasting all the flavors the local chefs are able to dream up is always fun to see, but it invariably inspires me to dream about what it would have been like to dine at the Hotel Boulderado back when ladies were ladies and gentlemen were gentlemen – in other words, during the Victorian era, when the Boulderado was being built. Did you know that it wasn’t fashionable for women to eat out in restaurants until about the 1860s? (I personally find it hard to imagine such a thing, but that’s how history works some time.) When it came time for the Victorians to eat, they made an event out of it! Dressing up was absolutely necessary, as they considered any outside dining event after 6pm a formal occasion.

In a Victorian house, each room had a specific purpose, and the dining room was one of the most important rooms in the entire home. Mealtime was an opportunity for prosperous people to show off their wealth, which they did with rich foods, the use of fine china and silverware, and servants. Extensive décor in the dining room could have included massive furniture, stuffed birds in cages, potted plants, huge mirrors, and ceramic and china figurines, among other items. George Matel explains:

“The goal of the hostess was to display every piece of fine china, stemware and silver she owned, so it wasn’t uncommon to find 24 piece place settings including up to eight different forks each with their own special purpose. Add to that an additional 8 knives, game shears, seven pieces of stemware for water, wine, sherry and more, a dinner plate, and a bread plate containing a single piece of bread.” George Matel, “Victorian Dining and Dining Etiquette”

Most formal Victorian dinners were similar to our modern all-you-can-eat buffet, but the food was brought to you in an exhaustive multi-course meal. Dinner parties could include up to seventy dishes!

Victorian Silverware Set

Ironically, with all their formality and pomp and circumstance, the Victorians migrated towards simpler foods than their predecessors. They preferred simpler tastes and flavors as opposed to extravagant flavorings that would drown out the main ingredients. (However, elaborate dishes were another way to show off your cook’s skills, and by extension, your own wealth.) New advances in science and technology during the 19th century helped the Victorians eat better and more varied foods than was previously available. For example, fish could be eaten by people who were living inland because the combination of ice and railways meant the fish could be kept fresh and transported over long distances.

Food itself wasn’t the only thing improving thanks to technological advances; cooking and storing the food improved in the 19th century. Ovens and ranges developed to the point where temperature could be controlled, meaning a cook could prepare complicated meals that before had only been eaten by the wealthy. Ice chests became common, triggering the late Victorian fad for ice cream and sorbets. We have an ice box on display here at the Boulderado.

Boulderado Ice Box

Tinned, or canned food, also grew by leaps and bounds in the Victorian era. Up until then, the process was so expensive and time-consuming that only the military used canned goods. While techniques were improving there was also an increased demand from the growing urban populations for large amounts of cheap, easy to store food while still offering a variety. A lot of companies got their start providing quality canned foods, including familiar names like Heinz and Nestle.

Heinz Ad, 1918

Leaving the dinner table had its own procedure, according to the Victorians. After the last course had been eaten, servants would bring a small water-filled bowl to each guest so the ladies and gentlemen could wash their fingers. (When the Boulderado first opened, this practice was in place in our dining room, but our waiters filled in for the servants’ role.) The hostess would signal to the ladies that it was time to leave by making strong eye contact with the woman seated to the host’s right before standing. A nearby gentleman (or servant, if one wasn’t available) opened the door to allow the women to retire to the drawing room. The men would remain at the dinner table for more conversation but were also free to withdraw to the library to enjoy a cigar or glass of port. How many of you who participated in Restaurant Week finished off your meal with such luxuries?

The Magic of . . . Baking Soda?

Over the weekend, I was contemplating what it means to be classic. I finally decided that whatever is being designated as a "classic" must be familiar, ever-present, yet relevant. I had this epiphany while tackling some spring cleaning tasks around my home -- more specifically, while my head was in the fridge, I caught a glimpse of my baking soda.

A ha, I thought. Baking soda, like the Hotel Boulderado, is a "classic."

(Stay with me on this one.)

Baking soda, or as it's known to chemists, sodium bicarbonate, has been utilized by humans since the ancient Egyptians figured out its usefulness as a cleaning agent. Our great-grandmothers and grandmothers relied on baking soda to help with laundry, housecleaning, and food preparation. Now, with the green movement, people are once again looking to baking soda because of its effectiveness and lack of toxic properties. Here's an incomplete list of things baking soda can be used for:

• As an antacid. Take a teaspoon of baking soda, mix with one-half glass water, and drink. Or, to reduce the acidity in tomato-based recipes, add a pinch of baking soda.
  
• As an ashtray buddy. By sprinkling it on ashtrays, you can cut down on bad odor and prevent smoldering.
• As a cleanser. Add 1 cup to your toilet bowl, leave for one hour, and flush away dirt and odors. Sprinkle a handful on dirty clothes to boost your laundry detergent's cleaning power. Clean your garbage cans and refrigerator with a baking soda solution to keep smells away. If you have pans with burnt-on food, soak it in baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing. Clean your drains by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them weekly -- just flush it down with hot water.
  
• As a decongestant. Add a teaspoon to your vaporizer to clear up stuffy noses.
• As a deodorizer. Keep an open container of baking soda in the fridge and it will absorb odors. Sprinkle some inside boots, shoes, slippers, and socks to remove stinky foot odor.
  
• As diaper rash reducer. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to your baby's bathwater.
• As a digestive aid. Try soaking dried beans in a baking soda solution to make them easy to digest and cut down on gas.
  
• As flower life-extender. You can keep freshly cut flowers longer if you add 1 teaspoon to the vase water.
• As a gardening tool. Tomatoes will taste sweeter if you sprinkle some baking soda on the soil around the plants.
  
• As a repellent. Wiping your car's windshield with baking soda will repel rain. Put some baking soda under your sinks and along basement windows to repel roaches and ants.
  
• As relief from itchy bug bites, poison ivy irritation, bee stings, or painful sunburns.
  
• As a skin softener. Add 1 cup to your bathwater when this dry air has your skin screaming for mercy.
• As underarm deodorant. Apply using a powder puff.
  

Baking soda is one of the Hotel Boulderado's housekeeping departments favorite secret ingredients. We repeatedly receive compliments on how fresh our rooms smell, and how they don't have that "hotel smell." When asked about it, our housekeepers revealed that simple fresh air does the trick most of the time. For those stubborn odors, they recommend sprinkling some baking soda on the carpet, letting it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then vacuuming everything up.

Baking soda. So green! So historic! So very Boulderado!

Historic Tours at the Hotel Boulderado

Did you know that you could take a historic tour of the Hotel Boulderado? They are a lot of fun, and it gives you the opportunity to learn more about the history, architecture, and stories behind the hotel. Tours begin in the lobby, and then you take the Otis elevator up to the fifth floor and work your way down the staircase until you reach the lobby level again, visiting guest rooms and interesting focal points along the way. Tours need to be scheduled ahead of time, and this can be done by calling us at (303) 440-2880.

Louis Winterberger

The Howards sold the Hotel Boulderado in 1967 to Court Plaza Inc, a group of local investors in Boulder. Louis Winterberger was a partner in the group, and he took over the day-to-day task of managing the hotel. Like the Howards, Winterberger wished to keep the hotel rooms period in nature.

In an attempt to keep the hotel full, Winterberger allowed more permanent residents to stay at the Boulderado. Most of them were elderly folks whose spouses had already passed away. One such resident was Walter Lawry, who marched such a familiar trail from the Boulderado to his favorite restaurant that the alley he walked down would later be renamed "Lawry Lane" in his honor. According to Legend of a Landmark, "Senility was a trait of . . . Winterberger's guests. 'A woman came to the front desk one day and asked if we had any rooms,' he said. 'I showed her her own room and she said it was delightful, and that she'd take it.'"

The same year that Court Plaza Inc. took over the Boulderado, Boulder residents finally voted to repeal the prohibition the city had been under since the 30s. For the first time, full-strength wine, beer, and liquor could be legally served within the city limits. Winterberger turned an unused space in the basement into Catacombs Bar and Restaurant, which opened in 1969 to thirsty patrons. He also added an entrance to the bar from 13th Street, paving the way for the hotel entrances to be switched in the future. (The hotel's main entrance since its 1909 opening was located on Spruce Street. But with the crumbling stone portico and Catacombs traffic, the entrance was eventually moved to 13th Street.)

When Court Plaza Inc. sold the Boulderado in 1976, Louis Winterberger shared his thoughts. "Naturally we have mixed emotions about selling the hotel. Our Christmas carol sing in the decorated lobby at Christmas time soon became a family tradition and we have pleasant memories of the lovely weddings, the Philharmonic Balls, and many other social events which have taken place in the lobby. We know the new owners feel as we do about the historic preservation of the hotel, and we are pleased they will be continuing our efforts."

Gwen, Winterberger's wife, shared her memories of running the hotel with her husband in our Memories of the Boulderado. Click here to read her story.

The Driftwood Room

Once upon a time at the Hotel Boulderado, the 2nd floor, or Mezzanine, was occupied with hotel rooms like the rest of the building. By the 1970s, a typical room might look like this:

(Photo Credit: Daily Camera)

But beginning in the late 70s and continuing into the early 80s, management started removing hotel rooms from the Mezzanine to open up space for events and parties. Eventually all the hotel rooms on the second floor were converted into an array of offices, a catering kitchen, function spaces -- like the Driftwood Room. Room #201 was renovated to become what is now called Driftwood Room, a popular site for small meetings and receptions.

(Photo Credit: Alison M. Fleetwood, Jr. Photography)

You may remember that the Driftwood Room was the site where Marie Garcia and her husband spent three months designing, cutting, and installing the stained glass for the current canopy ceiling over the lobby. Just goes to show you that when you book an event at the Boulderado, you're not just renting a room -- you're sharing in the history of a Boulder landmark.

Christmas at the Boulderado

It's Christmas Eve, which means that the holiday decorations that have bedazzled the Hotel Boulderado all month will soon be packed up and put away til next year. If you haven't stopped by to see the tree, be sure to do so before Tuesday the 29th. We'll be taking the tree down that day to make room for Dressed in Black, our band for New Year's Eve. Here's some fun facts about the decorations that have been in place for the last month:

• 1000 feet of garland and 2400 white lights are strung throughout the historic and north wings
• Rhonda tied all the bows by hand and used 1500 feet of ribbon to do so
• The tree in the lobby is adorned with 1700 white lights and hundreds of ornaments

New Events Announced!

So, it's true that Christmas is still weeks away, but here at the Hotel Boulderado, we've already started planning for events after New Years. Are we crazy, or just crazy fun?

On Friday, January 8th, we will celebrate the King of Rock and Roll's 75th birthday with Elvis Lives! Come on down to the Boulderado Events Center where DJ Chris will be spinning the King's greatest hits from 7pm to 10pm. We'll be offering plates of some of Elvis' favorite foods, like the famous fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

We're doing something a wee bit different for Valentine's Day -- an Anti-Valentine's Day Party. Singles and couples (both married and not) are equally welcome to enjoy drinks, dancing, food, and non-romantic comedies in the Boulderado Events Center on Saturday, February 13th from 8pm to 11pm.

Stay tuned for more information about these events as it becomes available. If you RSVP for one or both of these events on our website, you will be entered in an exclusive drawing for a complimentary overnight stay at the Boulderado. Sign up today!

December at the Boulderado

It feels like just yesterday that I was filling y'all in on what was happening at the Hotel Boulderado in November, and now it's time to do the same for December! Rhonda is out in the lobby right now with our Maintenance Department, putting the final touches on our tree. This year's evergreen is a 28' white fir from New Mexico, and it's beautiful! If you are able to stop by the lobby over the next few weeks, you should definitely do so just to marvel at the tree's size. Kids especially get a kick out of it -- "It must be a hundred feet tall!" -- so bring them around once school breaks for the year. Here's what else we're cooking up this month:

• Holiday Tea series continues with Nutcracker Teas, Holiday Bazaar Teas, and carolers -- oh my!
• Our Christmas Day Buffet is filling up quickly! Many local families have made the Boulderado a part of their holiday tradition, and close to a third of the people who attend our buffets do so because they enjoyed on in the past. Thanksgiving sold out early this year, so if you are looking to book Christmas with us, call today!
• We were recently voted the #1 Place to Celebrate New Year's Eve in downtown Boulder! Find out why with our New Year's Eve Gala Ball. Later this month, I will be doing a blog post about the history and tradition related to this special night -- the official anniversary of the Boulderado's opening!
  

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Kwanzaa, Chanukah or nothing at all, we here at the Boulderado would like to take a moment to wish you the best the season has to offer -- warmth, joy, peace, and spending time with loved ones.

Rhonda and Living Interiors

If you've stopped by the Hotel Boulderado in the past 15 years, you've probably noticed the fresh floral arrangements in common areas like the lobby, the bathrooms, and even out front on Yuko's desk. Rhonda, who owns and operates Living Interiors, is a familiar face around the hotel. She stops by each week to bring in fresh displays of gorgeous flowers. Rhonda was also responsible for the creepy credenza we featured in our haunted lobby this year, and she loaded it up with plenty of spiders, bats, ravens, and snakes. If you've ever visited the Boulderado during the holidays, you are familiar with the enormous Christmas tree we put up every year. Rhonda and her team take on the daunting task of decorating the 28' live evergreen with courage, tasteful ornaments, and help from our Maintenance Department. Rhonda is also a perennial Preferred Vendor and attends our Bridal Show regularly. (For Sunday's show, Rhonda brought in some elm branches she collected from her own backyard and used them as the base for a striking arrangement featuring hanging votive candles.) We hear feedback from our clients all the time about her beautiful handiwork, reasonable prices, and long-lasting arrangements.

Munchkin Masquerade

Since so much is happening downtown this weekend (Halloween, CU's homecoming game/Pearl Street Stampede), Downtown Boulder Inc. pushed up their annual Munchkin Masquerade to Thursday, October 29th. Between 2pm and 5pm, trick or treaters will descend on the downtown area in search of sugar loot. Start out at the Daily Camera's building where you can pick up a starter treat bag, map of participating merchants, and a free photo of your costumed kid provided by Eight Days a Week. The Hotel Boulderado is an official stop on the map, but many people forget to stop by because it's not directly on Pearl Street. These people miss out on lots of candy given away in our "haunted" lobby, which is decked out with creepy, spooky Halloween decor.

Burger and Beer Package

With the economy in the shape it is, travelers are increasingly looking to get as much value out of their dollar as possible. One popular way to stretch your budget even further is to purchase a hotel room package, where in addition to your room or suite, additional amenities and perks are bundled in for a marginally higher price. Take the Burger & Beer Package at the Hotel Boulderado. When you book this package, you receive the room, valet parking, and a complimentary burger and glass of beer in the Corner Bar, just off the Boulderado's lobby. It's almost like booking the room and getting the burger, beer, and parking for free! Who wouldn't love that? Since the Corner Bar has one of the best patios in downtown Boulder, try and enjoy your meal out there so you can take in the sun, mountains, and passersby-watching!

Otis Elevator

Some people love it, some people hate it. I hear "It's so charming and authentic!" or "It's scary. Why can't I control it myself?" and I know people are talking about the Hotel Boulderado's historic Otis elevator. It's the only still-operating model of its kind this side of the Mississippi, and it is true that you need one of our staff members to operate it. It was installed in 1908 and the elevator you take today on the historic side of the hotel is the very same one from 101 years ago. It has become quite popular with wedding photographers, like Mark Cafiero (picture below), who are looking to infuse the Boulderado's antique charm into their couple's wedding shots.

Taking a ride on the historic Otis elevator can make your tummy do flips on its way up or down, and sometimes you have to take a big step to reach the floor if the attendant misses it. But it also embodies the historic nature of the Hotel Boulderado, and that's why I love it.

Antique Workboots

The next time you are at the Hotel Boulderado, whether it's for a drink at the Corner Bar, live jazz music in the lobby, or for a wedding on the Mezzanine, be sure to stop by the entrance on the south side of the hotel. There, you will find a display case showing off some artifacts from the Boulderado's past, like an antique train schedule and railroad spikes from the old line. One of my favorite things in the case is a pair of workboots that were found when the Boulderado rennovated the ladies restroom on the Mezzanine. We presume they date back to when the Boulderado was originally built (1906-1908). One can only imagine that some laborer decided to kick off his well-used workboots with the hope that it would be rediscovered one day and become a part of our history.

306

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. Last time we took a peek inside 444, a North Wing Classic King with amazing views. Today I'm taking you back to the historic section to peek inside our other Presidential Suite, 306. (You may remember our visit inside 505 back in April.)

Room 306 is easily one of the most posh and luxurious at the Hotel Boulderado. It was originally two rooms -- 306 and 307 -- but was modified to create an extra-large suite for brides, VIPS, and celebrities alike. The living area is well-suited for entertaining, with plenty of seating, a large table for meals or small meetings, and a beautiful antique bar.

Photos by Allison M. Fleetwood, Jr.

The bedroom is tucked away through a small hallway, making it quieter and more removed from the traffic sounds outside the hotel. Like most of our suites, there is an extra television in the bedroom to make viewing more convenient. More antique style can be found here, like the mirror, the headboard, and the artwork. Like all our rooms, the bed is the ultimate in comfort and the bedding is premium and fresh. Waking up in 306 at the Hotel Boulderado is best way to start the day in Boulder.

William Beattie

A little bit of Boulderado history for you today concerning an early owner and manager, William Beattie (seen left ~ photo from the Beattie family collection).

Beattie took over from the Wallaces, who were the original leasees of the Boulderado, in 1912. The Boulder Daily Camera applauded the move, noting "Mr. Beattie comes very highly recommended as a gentleman of high character and as an up-to-date hotel man of over twenty years experience who will undoubtedly maintain the high standard which Wallace & Company have set up for the Boulderado." Beattie moved into the Hotel Boulderado with his wife (Bessie), son (Irwin), and family dog (Buster). While living in the hotel, the Beattie's bought their first car, a Hudson Six. Gasoline cost 28 cents per gallon, a car wash was $1, and monthly storage fees were $5. Beattie and Irwin took the car up to Flagstaff Mountain on one of their first trips, and Beattie later wrote to a friend "I did not have any serious accidents, but I nearly scared myself to death a time or two."

The Boulderado's nightly room rates at the time varied between $1 and $3, with special rates available by the week or month. One of the biggest expenses for the Boulderado then was coal -- up to 3.5 tons per day were used to heat and light the hotel and heat water for the guests. William Beattie was well-known for his professionalism, particularly with his dress code. He conducted his daily business in a three-piece suit complemented by a hat, gloves, cane, diamond stick pin, and spats on his shoes.

Spats

In 1917, Beattie transferred ownership and managerial duties to his assistant, Hugh Mark. Stay tuned to the Boulderado blog to learn more about Hugh in a future post!

That Staircase!

One of the most unique features about the Hotel Boulderado, in addition to its historic charm and stained-glass lobby ceiling, is the staircase that leads down to the lobby. This cantilevered (cantilever [can⋅ti⋅le⋅ver] noun: any rigid structural member projecting from a vertical support, esp. one in which the projection is great in relation to the depth, so that the upper part is in tension and the lower part in compression) staircase requires no external bracing or supports because of its design. The staircase was made with cherrywood lumber, but the hotel staff and historian are unsure as to where the wood originated. There are no cherrywood trees large enough in Colorado to produce the lumber yield required to build the staircase. The staircase extends from the Boulderado's basement all the way up to the fifth floor of the historic section.

Staircase, circa 1960

These days, the staircase is utilized in Boulderado wedding ceremonies, which are happening more and more frequently now that wedding season is upon us. The bride and the person who gives her away descend from the third floor and walk down to the landing between the lobby and Mezzanine. As they walk down the stairs to the landing, they are flanked by bridal attendants and groomsmen standing on the stairs. The wedding guests are seated along the railing on either side of the Mezzanine and watch over the ceremony. Once at the landing, the bride joins the groom and their officiant, and when they next take the stairs up to the Mezzanine to begin their reception, it is as husband and wife.

Bride and Father ~ Photo courtesy of Cafiero Photographers

Wedding Ceremony

One of my favorite things about this staircase is that it is original to the hotel, which means that since the Boulderado opened in 1909, guests have walked up the same way regardless of which decade they stayed with us. Helen Keller, who stayed at the Boulderado twice in her lifetime, must have held onto the railing for support and guidance as she made her way upstairs.