- Dee Demmon remembers dancing in the lobby and getting her spiked heels caught in the tile floor
- Sandy Hume recollects his impressions of the original stained-glass ceiling -- "It contained every color in heaven."
- Don Hume tells stories of his visits to the Boulderado as a young child
- Betty Chronic shares what led to her first visit to the Boulderado dining room
- Virginia Patterson's connections to Boulderado weddings and the old barber shop
- June Howard remembers what it was like running the hotel in the 1960s, with her husband, Ed
- Gwen Winterberger and her husband, Louis, ran the hotel in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and Gwen took some time to call us and share some memories
- Dick Dorman recalled his involvement with restoring the stained-glass ceiling
- Frank and Gina Day, our current owners, remember how their relationship with the Boulderado began
- Sidney Anderson, our current general manager, and his impact on the hotel
- Laurel McKown tells us how she was hired to restore, photograph, and catalog the Boulderado's extensive collection of antique furniture
- Sandy Hale shares the multitude of parties she threw at the hotel
- Mary Ann Mahoney recalls the opening of the North Wing and the new meetings market it served
- Silvia Pettem shares her experiences as the Hotel Boulderado historian
- Dan Corson remembers when the hotel was named a historic landmark
- Dorothy Sage recollects a memorable holiday tea at the Hotel Boulderado
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Videos from the Oral History Luncheon
Back in September of 2008, the Hotel Boulderado hosted a luncheon in our Spruce Room. We invited a variety of people from the community to come in, sit down, and share a memory of the Hotel Boulderado. Here's a rundown of who we talked to and what they had to say:
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Nobody Puts the Stanley in a Corner
Yesterday, Beverly, Jo, and I trekked up to Estes Park to visit another historic Colorado hotel -- the Stanley. The Stanley's biggest claim to fame is they were the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's The Shining, and they are also believed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. The three of us braved the ghosts and the winding roads to explore another gem in Colorado history.
We started out with lunch at the Cascades Restaurant, where they have unique spins on classic dishes like Buffalo Sliders, Elk Carnitas Quesadillas, and Big Game Meatloaf. Beverly, our photographer, totally busted me tweeting under the table.
After lunch, we gathered for our tour, where we heard all kinds of ghost stories and looked around the hotel. My favorite room was the Music Room, where Mrs. Flora Stanley loved to spend time with her friends and her piano.
After the Music Room and the lobby, we peeked into the MacGregor Room, where we were introduced to the story of Mrs. Wilson, a dedicated employee from when the hotel first opened in 1909 (same year as the Boulderado, by the way). According to the story, Mrs. Wilson was given the task of lighting the gas portions of the lights one evening. (Also like the Boulderado, the Stanley used fixtures that could run on gas or electric.) This was before they added that odor to gas to alert people to leaks. And sure enough, there was a gas leak in the first room she went to light -- #217, the presidential room. The resulting explosion blew pieces of the hotel half a mile away, but Mrs. Wilson survived with some broken bones, cracked ribs, and damaged hearing.
She remained a loyal employee even after the explosion. She died of natural causes at an old age, but still shows up for work at the Stanley. People who stay in #217 report items being mysteriously straightened, luggage unpacked and packed without explanation, and even an evening turndown service from Mrs. Wilson. Apparently, she feels strongly about unmarried couples sleeping in the same bed, because there are also stories of couples feeling pressure between them in the night. Some even report a visible indentation in the sheets between them!
We also explored the fourth floor, which is where the nannies and children used to be housed. There's stories of hearing disembodied giggling voices and more than one person has felt someone tugging on their shirt, keys, or hand, and it's believed that the children are responsible for this. Before our tour guide mentioned this, Jo felt pressure pulling down on her purse, and then came the explanation. Creepy!
After we finished the tour, we snooped around for just a little bit more, including checking out the dorms that used to house the workers who built the Stanley, but now houses the summer staff. They reminded me of the cabins from Dirty Dancing, so I kept expecting to see Jennifer Gray step out and samba for me.
Overall, the trip was great! If you're visiting Boulder and looking for a great day trip, I highly recommend the drive up to Estes Park and the Stanley. Or, it could be a destination vacation unto itself, since the Rocky Mountain National Park is right there. Remember: all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
We started out with lunch at the Cascades Restaurant, where they have unique spins on classic dishes like Buffalo Sliders, Elk Carnitas Quesadillas, and Big Game Meatloaf. Beverly, our photographer, totally busted me tweeting under the table.
After lunch, we gathered for our tour, where we heard all kinds of ghost stories and looked around the hotel. My favorite room was the Music Room, where Mrs. Flora Stanley loved to spend time with her friends and her piano.
After the Music Room and the lobby, we peeked into the MacGregor Room, where we were introduced to the story of Mrs. Wilson, a dedicated employee from when the hotel first opened in 1909 (same year as the Boulderado, by the way). According to the story, Mrs. Wilson was given the task of lighting the gas portions of the lights one evening. (Also like the Boulderado, the Stanley used fixtures that could run on gas or electric.) This was before they added that odor to gas to alert people to leaks. And sure enough, there was a gas leak in the first room she went to light -- #217, the presidential room. The resulting explosion blew pieces of the hotel half a mile away, but Mrs. Wilson survived with some broken bones, cracked ribs, and damaged hearing.
She remained a loyal employee even after the explosion. She died of natural causes at an old age, but still shows up for work at the Stanley. People who stay in #217 report items being mysteriously straightened, luggage unpacked and packed without explanation, and even an evening turndown service from Mrs. Wilson. Apparently, she feels strongly about unmarried couples sleeping in the same bed, because there are also stories of couples feeling pressure between them in the night. Some even report a visible indentation in the sheets between them!
We also explored the fourth floor, which is where the nannies and children used to be housed. There's stories of hearing disembodied giggling voices and more than one person has felt someone tugging on their shirt, keys, or hand, and it's believed that the children are responsible for this. Before our tour guide mentioned this, Jo felt pressure pulling down on her purse, and then came the explanation. Creepy!
After we finished the tour, we snooped around for just a little bit more, including checking out the dorms that used to house the workers who built the Stanley, but now houses the summer staff. They reminded me of the cabins from Dirty Dancing, so I kept expecting to see Jennifer Gray step out and samba for me.
Overall, the trip was great! If you're visiting Boulder and looking for a great day trip, I highly recommend the drive up to Estes Park and the Stanley. Or, it could be a destination vacation unto itself, since the Rocky Mountain National Park is right there. Remember: all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Famous Guests
Since we opened in 1909, the Hotel Boulderado has played host to a wide variety of guests, some more famous than others. Here's a few of my favorite stories:
- Ethel Barrymore stayed here in 1915 while she was performing at the Curran Opera House (now the Boulder Theater).
- Helen Keller stayed here twice (once in 1914 and again in 1923) while doing lectures at the University of Colorado. On one of these trips, Annie Sullivan accompanied her and they stayed in room #205.
- Duke Ellington showed up at the Hotel Boulderado in the 1960s with his forty-two person entourage -- and no reservation.
- Louis Armstrong stayed here in 1961 when he played a concert at the university. At the time, not too many hotels in Boulder would allow black guests. The Hotel Boulderado was an exception.
- Robert Frost was a frequent guest here in the 1920s because his daughter was a patient at the nearby Boulder Sanitarium.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 4th Photos
We had some technical difficulties getting some photos showing our July 4th decorations up on Twitter -- so I'm sharing them here!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Boulderado Events Center
If you're familiar with the Hotel Boulderado, you probably know that there are two wings of the building: the historic section, which is the original structure that was built and opened in 1909, and the north wing, the two additions that were constructed in the 1980s.
When the second addition was made to the north wing, Frank Day planned to also add a new function space along with the guest rooms. This in effect doubled the Boulderado's capacity to host events with our nearly 3,000 square feet of space in what is now known as the Events Center. The space is flexible both in size and purpose; a seminar, boardroom meeting, and class can simultaneously take place during the day and then be transformed into a wedding's cocktail reception by evening.Here's a picture from the Boulderado archives of the Event Center still under construction:
And the finished product:
When the second addition was made to the north wing, Frank Day planned to also add a new function space along with the guest rooms. This in effect doubled the Boulderado's capacity to host events with our nearly 3,000 square feet of space in what is now known as the Events Center. The space is flexible both in size and purpose; a seminar, boardroom meeting, and class can simultaneously take place during the day and then be transformed into a wedding's cocktail reception by evening.Here's a picture from the Boulderado archives of the Event Center still under construction:
And the finished product:
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Frank Day
My blogging series about the different Boulderado owners and managers had to come to an end eventually, I guess. And perhaps this is the blog post I've been pointing towards ever since I first started sharing the history of these people. Beginning with William Beattie and Hugh Mark, then moving on to the Hutsons, Ralph Hume, and the Howards, and continuing with Louis Winterberger, William Brantmeyer, and Bart Bortles.
Bortles and Dick Dorman sold the hotel to Boulderado Hotel Ltd. in 1980 after just two years of ownership. Sid Anderson stayed on as the general manager. Frank Day became the new managing general partner of the hotel. At the time, Day described the rooms as "threadbare and tatty, but clean and comfortable." He decided to renovate the building from top to bottom.
First to be done were the fourth and fifth floor guest rooms on the west side of the building. Rooms that connected to share a bathroom were converted into large suites. Rooms without bathrooms had them installed in what used to be the closets. Each room received a makeover in time, and the tradition of each Hotel Boulderado room having a different decorating scheme was born. (Each of our guest rooms are individually decorated with their own carpet, drape, and wallpaper.) At the time, the hotel was also full of original antique furniture, but most of them had lost their luster over the years. Every piece of furniture was refinished on the fourth-floor porch, cataloged, and photographed.
Amazingly enough, the Hotel Boulderado remained open during this entire process. While seven or eight rooms were taken out of the rental inventory, the rest remained open to guests. By the time the renovation had been completed, it brought the hotel's room count to 42. With an occupancy averaging 92% almost every night, Day felt confident in expanding the guest rooms at the Hotel Boulderado. First one expansion in 1985 and then another in 1989 increased the hotel's inventory to the current 160 and also added the Events Center in the North Wing.
Without the initial renovation and the subsequent expansion, the Hotel Boulderado may never have recovered the grandeur it exudes today. When you walk into the lobby, the cherrywood staircase gleams, the stained-glass ceiling glitters, and friendly faces greet you at the door and the front desk. This is the Boulderado that I've come to love and treasure, made possible by the people who contributed over the years not only to the hotel, but the hotel's history as well. Boulderado employees are also caretakers of a landmark, and we make sure to hold that duty in as high a regard as we do for our daily tasks.
Bortles and Dick Dorman sold the hotel to Boulderado Hotel Ltd. in 1980 after just two years of ownership. Sid Anderson stayed on as the general manager. Frank Day became the new managing general partner of the hotel. At the time, Day described the rooms as "threadbare and tatty, but clean and comfortable." He decided to renovate the building from top to bottom.
First to be done were the fourth and fifth floor guest rooms on the west side of the building. Rooms that connected to share a bathroom were converted into large suites. Rooms without bathrooms had them installed in what used to be the closets. Each room received a makeover in time, and the tradition of each Hotel Boulderado room having a different decorating scheme was born. (Each of our guest rooms are individually decorated with their own carpet, drape, and wallpaper.) At the time, the hotel was also full of original antique furniture, but most of them had lost their luster over the years. Every piece of furniture was refinished on the fourth-floor porch, cataloged, and photographed.
Amazingly enough, the Hotel Boulderado remained open during this entire process. While seven or eight rooms were taken out of the rental inventory, the rest remained open to guests. By the time the renovation had been completed, it brought the hotel's room count to 42. With an occupancy averaging 92% almost every night, Day felt confident in expanding the guest rooms at the Hotel Boulderado. First one expansion in 1985 and then another in 1989 increased the hotel's inventory to the current 160 and also added the Events Center in the North Wing.
Without the initial renovation and the subsequent expansion, the Hotel Boulderado may never have recovered the grandeur it exudes today. When you walk into the lobby, the cherrywood staircase gleams, the stained-glass ceiling glitters, and friendly faces greet you at the door and the front desk. This is the Boulderado that I've come to love and treasure, made possible by the people who contributed over the years not only to the hotel, but the hotel's history as well. Boulderado employees are also caretakers of a landmark, and we make sure to hold that duty in as high a regard as we do for our daily tasks.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Social Media -- It's in the Eye of the Beholder
SOCIAL MEDIA! SOCIAL MEDIA! SOCIAL MEDIA! TWITTER! FACEBOOK! BLOG! LINKED IN! FOURSQUARE! YELP! DIGG! SOCIAL MEDIA! SOCIAL MEDIA! SOCIAL MEDIA!
Doesn't it seem like we've been hit over the head with all that for the last year, year and a half? Especially for those of us in the marketing world, every other word that falls out our mouths has been about this or that related to social media. Sometimes, I get tired of it myself. Social media -- both creating it and monitoring it -- are exhausting to take on. And as much as its importance is stressed, small businesses who operate with just a few employees are finding it difficult to engage in the social media stream.
Time and time again, I hear the same comment at seminars and discussions: "I want to get involved in the social media world. But I only have so many hours to devote to a new project like that. What's the *one* platform I can use to get my message across?" And whoever is speaking uses the same line: "Whatever fits your business best." While the speaker is right, this answer is also frustrating to whoever is asking the question. In this blog, I'm going to try and explain as best I can what each social media medium offers and which businesses are best suited to each.
Ultimately, the most important thing to do when making your social media strategy is to commit to whatever platform you decide on, but commit smartly. If you want to publicize 40% off last season's snow tires, don't write a blog post -- send a tweet or special on Foursquare. Likewise, if you want to chronicle the life and times of your grandfather who started the business, don't do it in 140 characters -- leave a note on Facebook or blog about it. With the variety of platforms available, there's surely one best suited to your needs and your message. It's up to you to decide what that is.
Doesn't it seem like we've been hit over the head with all that for the last year, year and a half? Especially for those of us in the marketing world, every other word that falls out our mouths has been about this or that related to social media. Sometimes, I get tired of it myself. Social media -- both creating it and monitoring it -- are exhausting to take on. And as much as its importance is stressed, small businesses who operate with just a few employees are finding it difficult to engage in the social media stream.
Time and time again, I hear the same comment at seminars and discussions: "I want to get involved in the social media world. But I only have so many hours to devote to a new project like that. What's the *one* platform I can use to get my message across?" And whoever is speaking uses the same line: "Whatever fits your business best." While the speaker is right, this answer is also frustrating to whoever is asking the question. In this blog, I'm going to try and explain as best I can what each social media medium offers and which businesses are best suited to each.
FACEBOOK
I think it's safe to say that Facebook is the current king of social media. And despite frustrations over privacy settings and almost constant layout changes, it's still the place where millions of people log in to connect with family, friends, and causes. It's a classic marketing strategy to place your message in a place where people are gathered, and to ignore a gathering of millions of people worldwide is short-sighted. Businesses can establish a Page for themselves where you can keep your fans updated on upcoming events/sales, current deals or promotions, or anything newsworthy. A Facebook Page is a great way to maintain an online presence if you can't afford a website of your own. It's also ideal for brick-and-mortar businesses who want to connect with their customers in an online format. BEST FOR: Restaurants, Retailers, Small Businesses without WebsitesTWITTER
What can you say about your business in 140 characters? Not a lot, right? So don't. Twitter can be great for sharing information and news with your followers, but constantly touting your bar's happy hour specials or today's lunch menu comes across as a broadcast channel. This will lead to your messages either being tuned out, or an increase in your "Unfollows." What Twitter excels at is relationship building with your clients or customers. If you're a travel agency, tweet about an article that offers tips for packing suitcases or the most beautiful destinations in the world. If someone complains about the service at your restaurant on Twitter, you can immediately see it and contact them to try and make it right. One of my favorite tweeps is @BoulderParking, the parking services in Boulder. They'll send out a message like "1 FREE Hour of parking at 15th/Pearl garage today. Just say....rain, rain go away" on a rainy day. The other thing they do right is engage in the conversation downtown businesses are having on Twitter. They'll spread the word about a shoe store's sale or a new business opening with the same enthusiasm as they talk about their own services. BEST FOR: Conversations with other businesses and customers (current, past, or future)BLOG
Blogging is more time consuming than either of the first two social media platforms we've discussed so far, so if you're looking for something quick and easy, a blog may not be best for your business. But blogs are incredibly useful when it comes to boosting your website's search engine optimization (SEO) because they are so rich in content. While you can blog about anything (and believe me, people do!), blogging about your business can become a struggle if you can't get creative with it. Variety is the key. In this blog, I have written posts about the Boulderado's history (both the people and the place), upcoming events at the hotel and in downtown Boulder, and even one about the uses of baking soda. It doesn't necessarily matter what you write, but that you're writing and linking. The linking possibilities are another reason blogs are fantastic for SEO -- all those inbound links means your rating with Google goes up. You can link back to your business' website to drive the traffic there, or to other blog posts to keep people interested in what you have to say. If you also use a Facebook Page, you can set it up so that your blog posts will be pulled through the the page automatically. If you tweet, tweet when you have a new blog post up! (See how it starts to become a web?) BEST FOR: SEO, ongoing relevant content, people with time on their handsLINKED IN
Think Facebook, but in a professional setting. LinkedIn is great for building relationships with people you already know and getting your foot in the door with the people you might not. The concept of the "Business Introduction" is used a lot on this site, where person A can ask their friend, B, to introduce them to C. If you yourself are the business, LinkedIn is where it's at for you. BEST FOR: Real Estate Agents, Networking Gurus, anyone that is self-employedFOURSQUARE
With mobile devices on the rise, geolocation is allegedly the next big thing. You can get your business on the map (literally) with FourSquare. It's essentially a way for people away from their computers to say "Here I am!" when they check-in at different locations. Some businesses offer FourSquare exclusive specials, with an extra goody for their current "Mayor" (FourSquare lingo for whoever has checked in the most times with a specific location). BEST FOR: Brick-and-mortar businesses, scavenger huntsUltimately, the most important thing to do when making your social media strategy is to commit to whatever platform you decide on, but commit smartly. If you want to publicize 40% off last season's snow tires, don't write a blog post -- send a tweet or special on Foursquare. Likewise, if you want to chronicle the life and times of your grandfather who started the business, don't do it in 140 characters -- leave a note on Facebook or blog about it. With the variety of platforms available, there's surely one best suited to your needs and your message. It's up to you to decide what that is.
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