Hotel Boulderado was the first luxury hotel built in Boulder, Colorado. This year, this beautiful property celebrates 113 years in business, and with it 113 years of being a part of this town’s culture and history. As a city landmark, member of the Historic Hotels of America, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s a property that oozes elegance and old world charm.
The five-story brick building features both Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival architectural styles, and unique design elements that can be found throughout the property such as a colorful stained glass ceiling situated in an open court lobby setting; an original Otis elevator that’s hand operated to this day; a cherrywood staircase; antique trunks; historic paintings; original hotel safe and more.
Many rooms and suites are outfitted accordingly with authentic Victorian decor, paintings, furniture, and more. Guests interested in the hotel can even take a tour with their in-house award-winning historian, Laurel McKown.
The hotel is also a dining destination in Boulder, offering four distinct dining experiences worth staying for: Spruce Farm and Fish, License No. 1, The Corner Bar, and Boxcar Coffee Bar.
Spruce Farm and Fish
The hotel’s upscale restaurant, Spruce Farm and Fish, offers guests seasonal cuisine utilizing the best of local ingredients. It offers brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and drinks.
Popular breakfast favorites include the Prime Rib Hash with CAB prime rib, bordelaise, over-easy eggs and roasted fingerling potatoes; House Smoked Salmon Hash with house-smoked fresh Verlasso salmon, poached eggs, and hollandaise; as well as the Carrot Cake Pancakes with grilled pineapple, caramel and carrot cream sauce and maple syrup. They also offer a selection of omelettes and Benedicts, and lighter options like house made granola and berries.
The lunch and dinner menus are extensive, offering a variety of seafood dishes that include Icelandic Cod Fish and Chips; Rocky Mountain Trout; Verlasso Salmon Sandwich; Sea Scallops and Corn Nage with corn nage, and butternut squash succotash; and Seared Sable with a golden raisin and pecan velouté and roasted summer squash medley.
Also offered are hearty meat plates like the Bison Strip Steak with creamy whipped potato with rosemary butter; Cherry Glazed Duck Breast with barley-pearl couscous and grilled corn and sweet pea purée; and the Grilled New Zealand Lamb Loin with red and golden beet purée, farro and leeks.
License No. 1
This underground speakeasy-style cocktail lounge is the holder of one of Boulder's first liquor licenses after citywide prohibition. It was in 1969 that one of the first legal licenses to serve hard liquor in a restaurant was issued to the bar located in the basement of Hotel Boulderado and today License No. 1 continues to run business with the very same liquor license first issued in way back then. They offer weekly live music, open mic nights, comedy and more!
This super cozy lounge features a menu of cocktails with all sort of liquors from mezcal and rum to bourbon, rye and whiskey. Popular cocktails range from the classics like the sazerac, old fashioned and mule to cocktails with a twist like the Buffalo Blueberry Tea with Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, blueberry black tea, lemon, honey or the Bridge to Hawaii with Espolon Reposado Tequila, Aperol, lime, pineapple and orgeat.
The food menu serves small bites like Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower; Lemon Pepper Wings; Prime Rib French Dip Sliders and more. It also offers a selection of sandwiches and burgers like the Rosemary Chicken Sandwich and the Bistro Burger with bacon jam.
The Corner Bar
This lively spot offers an all day menu; Happy Hour; late night bites and excellent martinis. Sharables on the menu include oysters on the half shell; Grilled Caribbean Shrimp; and Prince Edward Island Black Mussels.
Popular salads include the Tuna Nicoise with chili-fennel crusted and seared rare tuna and fingerling potato salad; a Blue Crab and Fennel Citrus Salad; and a Mustard Crusted Salmon Salad with quinoa. Bigger dishes include the Steak and Fries; Bison Pastrami Sandwich; and the Chile Relleno Burger with a goat-cheese-stuffed poblano pepper in a crispy wonton.
Boxcar Coffee Bar
Nestled in the iconic lobby is Boxcar Coffee Bar. This charming coffee spot offers drip coffee, lattes, teas and freshly baked pastries. Definitely the place to grab coffee and a quick bite before starting the day in Boulder.
Discover the fascinating history of Hotel Boulderado and book your stay!
Read the full article from Forbes here.
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Historic Hotels of America has more than 300 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated historic hotels. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.
