Historic Lift at Hotel Boulderado

Opened on New Year’s Day 1909, Hotel Boulderado is considered Boulder, Colorado’s first luxury hotel. The elevator shaft was the first thing to be built during the historic hotel’s construction with an Otis elevator installed in early 1907. Today, guests can still request a ride on the manually operated lift by speaking with front desk staff (though they are asked to use the automatic elevator for regular hotel use and transporting luggage). The elevator’s unique charm has made it a popular backdrop choice for wedding photographers.

A portmanteau of “Boulder” and “Colorado,” the name Boulderado was selected so no guest would ever forget where they stayed. Architects Redding & Sons were inspired by Italian Renaissance and Spanish Colonial Revival styles and notable design features include a stained-glass ceiling in the interior lobby, Spanish-style arched windows, mosaic floors and a curved cherrywood staircase. The hotel has provided more than a century of memorable stays and retains an on-staff historian to provide guided tours of the iconic building. Hotel Boulderado is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a City of Boulder Landmark.

References

[1] wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Boulderado
[2] boulderado.com