Travel back to the Wild West at these 10 historic Colorado hotels

Colorado may be a beloved outdoor recreation destination, but it has more to offer than ski slopes and hiking trails. Once home to miners and cowboys, the Centennial State was a key player not only in the development of the American West but also in establishing Wild West culture. Whether deep in the Rocky Mountains or amid the urban sprawl of Denver, stay in historical hotels to experience this culture for yourself. These properties function as living museums, with antiques, ghosts, and Victorian architecture keeping the past alive. 

1.  The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, Denver

Best for history buffs

Entering the grand Italian Renaissance-style lobby of The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver, where light filters in through a stained glass atrium, it’s easy to see why this is the crown jewel of Colorado’s historical hotels. As the passion project of Henry Brown—the real estate developer who donated land to create the state capitol in Denver—The Brown Palace is intertwined with the story of the capital city itself. Since 1977, the hotel has employed its very own historian who gives tours that highlight the property’s quirks, famous guests, and little-known trivia. For instance, did you know that the eagles that decorate the hotel’s Palace Arms restaurant were once distributed by Napoleon to his troops? Here, every nook and cranny tells a story. 

2. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park 

Best for paranormal activity

This 20th-century property located just minutes from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is thought to be one of the most haunted places in all of Colorado. It’s even said that Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining after the author had a lucid nightmare while staying in one of the hotel’s haunted rooms. Guests can take a themed tour or visit the on-site International Cryonics Museum, the first of its kind in the world. If you’re uneasy about run-ins with ghosts, book a stay in the modern townhouses or boutique lodge on the property instead.

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3. The Oxford Hotel, Denver

Best for access to the city

When it opened in 1891, The Oxford Hotel was called a “city within a city,” as in addition to guestrooms it offered horse stables, a Western Union, a barbershop, and more. These days the property has more of an elevated boutique hotel feel, but its history is still everywhere you look, right down to the ornately designed 19th-century door hinges. Keep an eye out for ghosts, including The Postman, who occasionally bellies up to the bar in the Prohibition-era cocktail lounge, The Cruise Room. Another dose of history in the hip LoDo neighborhood is The Oxford’s freshly renovated sister hotel, The Crawford, located across the street inside Union Station.

4. Hotel Boulderado, Boulder

Best for classic elegance

The combination of Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival architecture, cherry wood detailing, and a stained glass skylight gives the Hotel Boulderado (a portmanteau of “Boulder” and “Colorado”) its class. With its on-site restaurants and speakeasy, the hotel is a popular gathering place for visitors and locals alike. Ride the original Otis elevator up to posh Victorian guest rooms, and if you’re in town for New Year’s Eve, check out the property’s big bash in honor of its opening on New Year’s Day in 1909.

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5. The Western, Ouray 

Best for a mountain retreat

You can’t miss this imposing white Italianate building just off Main Street in the small mountain town of Ouray, nicknamed "the Switzerland of America." The property went through years-long renovations that padded the building’s original 19th-century bones with luxurious modern touches. Rather than 40 cramped boarding-house-style rooms, The Western now offers 16 wide-open suites furnished with custom leather and dark wood furniture. Take advantage of the Wild West-style saloon and underground spa on the property as well.

6. Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs 

Best for families

This haunted, U-shaped building that guards a Victorian garden was built by a silver tycoon in 1893, during Glenwood Springs’ heyday. President Theodore Roosevelt even stayed here, twice, as did president William Howard Taft and the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. The kid-friendly property offers easy access to all the activities in the area, including the natural hot springs. 

7. New Sheridan Hotel, Telluride 

Best for mountain views

The New Sheridan Hotel is tucked into Telluride’s box canyon, just down the street from the site of legendary cowboy Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery. Right from the get-go it served as the town’s main gathering place thanks to its upscale The Continental Room Restaurant—it supposedly rivaled the luxury dining in The Brown Palace over 300 miles away. These days, the property houses both a high-end chop house and one of Telluride’s most popular watering holes. Take in views of the San Juan Mountains from many of the hotel’s well-appointed rooms and suites.

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8. Hotel Jerome, Aspen

Best for an upscale ski vacation

The Hotel Jerome in Aspen has been open since the town’s silver boom in 1889. Although the rooms are done up in modern luxury style as you’d expect from any other Auberge Resorts Collection property, you’ll still find some cowboy-esque touches, like cowhide chairs facing floor-to-ceiling windows. While in the hotel’s four restaurants or spa, keep an eye out for the Water Boy ghost, the victim of a tragic drowning accident in the 1930s.

9. Beyul Retreat, Meredith

Best for outdoor enthusiasts 

Deep in the Frying Pan River Valley, about an hour outside of Aspen, you’ll come across Beyul Retreat, which once served as the ticket office for the Colorado Midline Railroad. It was turned into a private homestead in 1928 and then into a guest ranch, where travelers would come to fish and collect wildflowers. If you’re willing to give up phone service, you’ll be richly rewarded with a dose of mountain quiet in both the main lodge and rustic-chic wooden cabins scattered around the property. Beyul also hosts regular yoga, adventure, and culinary-themed retreats.

10. Strater Hotel, Durango

Best for wannabe cowboys

The small mountain city of Durango in southern Colorado has retained much of its Wild West charm, best represented by the Strater Hotel that has been around since 1887. In its early days, the property was popular among Durango locals, who would move out of their houses in the winter in favor of hotel rooms with wood-burning stoves. Those days don’t feel so far away when you spend time in The Strater’s Victorian-style rooms, saloon, and restaurant.