Day 6 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Train Spikes

In 2003, when Broadway was under construction, a former Boulderado employee unearthed a pair of railroad spikes at the northeast corner of Broadway and Pine, near the Trinity Lutheran Church. The Denver & Interurban Railroad began making hourly trips between Denver and Boulder in 1908, one year before the Hotel Boulderado opened. These train spikes are now housed in a display case found at the hotel's south entrance to the lobby.

Day 5 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ North Wing Stained Glass Ceiling

Many people are familiar with the stained-glass ceiling in the Hotel Boulderado's lobby. What they often don't realize is that the ceiling has a "sister" over in our North Wing. Marie Garcia, who was responsible for the stained-glass ceiling in the lobby, created this smaller, muted version when we added the North Wing.

Day 4 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Mezzanine Bar

The recent return of Music on the Mezz has put a lot of focus back on one of our most famous function spaces, the Mezzanine. The Mezz happens to be home to one of my favorite built-in fixtures at the Hotel Boulderado -- the gorgeous wooden bar.

Beginning in 1976, the managers at the Hotel Boulderado started removing hotel rooms on the Mezzanine level, and they started with the south area. They were looking to decrease the room inventory while opening up a new way of bringing in revenue: a lounge where people could enjoy drinks and listen to live music. While Music on the Mezz has been absent for many years, it was brought back late last year to recreate that same lounge atmosphere. And at the heart of that atmosphere is the bar. Next time you're on the Mezzanine for a private event, a Music on the Mezz night, or just exploring the hotel, be sure to take your time noticing craftsmanship and detail of the bar.

Day 3 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Antique Photo: Pearl and 13th St.

We keep antique photos all over the hotel, most of which capture what Boulder looked like in the early 20th century. The above photo is my absolute favorite in the entire building and can be found on the fifth floor of the historic section. Take a close look at it, and if you're familiar with downtown Boulder, you'll recognize the intersection of Pearl and 13th Streets. The left building now houses the Wells Fargo bank, and the building on the right is the site of the Boulder Cafe.

Day 2 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ The Fifth Floor Hallway

When Frank Day bought the Hotel Boulderado, the rooms on the west side of the historic section of the hotel were still located on the interior of the hallway. Each room, rather than having a window to the outside, instead had a window that overlooked the interior courtyard. When the first round of renovations occurred in 1980, the hotel rooms were "moved" to the other side of the hallway -- in a nutshell, the rooms became the hallway, and the hallway became the rooms. When walking down the hallway of the 5th floor on the west side, you can still see the arches that designate the spatial dimensions of the original hotel rooms, as seen in the photo above.

Day 1 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Exterior in March

I've decided to start something new on this blog. Every day, for the next 365 days, I will be posting a photo of the Hotel Boulderado. It could be of anything in the building, outside the building, a detail in a hotel -- anything. In my time here, I've noticed that there are some things that people notice and are intrigued by. Items like the stained-glass ceiling, the cherrywood staircase, etc. But there is so much more history and detail in the building that no one outside our staff realizes. That is my mission in 365 Days of Boulderado Photos; to share the "hidden" details and histories.

One thing I've noticed in reviewing decades of archived photos is how little the exterior changes. The fashions and the cars are the biggest indicators of what time period you are looking at. Yet every day when I come to work, the building looks different to me, depending on the light, the weather, and the time of year. On the first day of each month, I will be taking a photo from the same spot at the corner of 13th and Spruce to show how these factors make the Hotel Boulderado look unique every time I walk through the front doors.

Hotel Boulderado Exterior ~ March

Love Song Drink Recipe

Our friends over at Liquor Mart recently held a Valentine's Day contest, and the winner received a complimentary stay at the Hotel Boulderado. The winner, Jenny Redpath Wilhelm, submitted an amazing recipe with a musical twist: The Love Song.

To make 2 servings of the Love Song, you will need:

2 oz. ABSOLUT Vanilla Vodka
1 oz. Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
8 oz. Blood Orange Italian Soda
splash of Mathilde Blackcurrant Liqueur
6 frozen raspberries

1 heart-shaped raspberry
1 guitar-shaped cucumber (garnishments optional, but pretty mandatory if you want that WOW factor)

Add the first four ingredients together in a mixing glass. Shake well with ice. Strain into a glass of your choice. Add 3 frozen raspberries to each glass. Add ice, if needed/desired. Garnish one drink with a heart-shaped raspberry and the other with the guitar.

According to its maker, "this cocktail will definitely play on your heart strings!"

Cheers!