Day 331 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Piano Leg

This piano was first brought to the Hotel Boulderado by Winnie Hutson, a former owner, during the 40s/50s era. For a long time, it resided in our lobby and was used for community caroling during the holidays and other such events. Somehow, our employees managed to get it out of the Historic Section and into the North Wing, where it has been ever since. The piano's legs have been scuffed and weathered over the years, but the end result, to me, looks like a great griffin's leg perched over a claw.

Day 320 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Room 314

Welcome to Room 314, a Traditional Queen room located on the west side of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. It might be easy to think this photo was taken at our opening, except for that flat screen television!

Day 273 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Victorian Clothing Ad

This advertisement for ladies clothing dates back to the Victorian era. To view it here at the Hotel Boulderado, head to the west side of the third floor of the Historic Section, where you will find it in a display case with other period items.

Day 262 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ "Old Boulderado"

This is another photo I can't take credit for. Jeffrey Spahr-Summers, a Boulderado employee, took this the west side of the Historic Section and focused in on the fire escape that dates back to the 1920s.

Day 247 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Snow with Red Vine

The last two Wednesdays in a row, Boulder was hit with sudden snowfalls. I captured the snow resting on the red leaves of the vine clinging to the north side of the Historic Section.

Day 183 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Otis Bell and Sign

BBRRRRRRRINNNNNG! That's the sound you hear when you call our 1906 Otis elevator in the Historic Section. This is the bell responsible for that big noise. When a guest on a particular floor calls the elevator, the bell rings to let the elevator attendant know, then he or she looks at the panel attached to the bell. There should be a light lit up corresponding to the correct floor, letting the attendant know which floor the guest is waiting on.

Day 165 of 365 Days of Boulderado ~ Anaglypta Wainscoting

In the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado, there is a distinctive covering on the lower half of the walls. If you look closely at this photo, you can see the textured pattern raised. This is something known as anaglypta wainscoting and was a favorite among the Victorians.

Day 158 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Dueling Carpet Patterns

What you are seeing here is more than just two carpet patterns meeting. The red side is the Historic Section, and the blue leads you over the skywalk and into the North Wing.

Day 134 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Old vs New Bricks

Yesterday I shared with you a little bit of history of the bricks that make up the exterior of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. The Historic Section was built between 1906 and 1908, while the North Wing came in two additions during the 1980s. The picture you see here is one of the places where the Historic Section and the North Wing meet. You might notice a difference in the amount of mortar used. According to some, mortar was more precious one hundred years ago, and so buildings like the Historic Section were built using a lesser amount. By the time our North Wing was being constructed, the price of mortar had fallen significantly with the result that more was used. You can see this visual historic intersection where the two building meet.

Day 133 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Historic Section Exterior Bricks

What you are seeing here is a close up of the bricks making up the exterior of the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. The material for the bricks was brought from a quarry in northern Colorado. At the time that the Boulderado was being built (1906-1908), Boulder was full of brickyards, so the material was pressed into bricks and then laid on the foundation.

Day 118 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Connecting Hallway

A lot of the suites found in the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado have a small hallway like this one that connects the bathroom, living room, and bedroom. What most guests don't realize is that these suites used to be two separate hotel rooms that shared a single bathroom. (This was a more luxurious option dating back from our opening in 1909; most of the guest rooms didn't have a bathroom, and guests shared a community one.) When we renovated the Historic Section in the early 1980s, the rooms that shared bathrooms were converted into suites.

Day 113 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ 4th Floor Interior Courtyard

Here is a glimpse of the interior courtyard at the Hotel Boulderado -- also known as the space between the roof and above the stained glass canopy ceiling that perches over the lobby. This vantage point is from the fourth floor of the Historic Section.

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 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 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 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 60 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Skywalk

This is the skywalk that connects the Historic Section to the North Wing in the Hotel Boulderado. The skywalk was added in after our first round of additions in the early 1980s. Some of our most interesting artifacts can be found on the skywalk, including a Christmas menu from the dining room dating back to the year we opened.

Day 57 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Transom

Take a look at this door from the Historic Section of the Hotel Boulderado. Ever wondered what that weird thing above the actual door is? Once upon a time, all our guest room doors were installed with a transom, which was a window just over the door that you could open to ventilate the room in the days before air conditioning.

Day 54 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Red Bud Tree

This redbud tree blooms outside the hotel every year and is best seen from the skywalk connecting the Historic Section and North Wing. It's rare to see these trees this far west because of their intense water needs, but this one is still going strong!

Day 47 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ The Driftwood Room

Welcome to our Driftwood Room! Like the other function spaces located on the Mezzanine level of the Hotel Boulderado's Historic Section, the Driftwood Room was originally a hotel room that was converted into a space that could be used for meetings, small receptions, etc. What is unique about the Driftwood Room is that when it was a hotel room, it was Room #201, and #201 was used as a workshop for Marie Garcia and her husband when they were creating the current stained-glass ceiling.