Utente ospite
29 maggio 2023
The "Historic Western Hotel" is well-named, having been built in 1891. It was closed for almost 3 years for significant restoration, opening again on May 1. We stayed for 2 nights and here are some observations... We loved the fact that the developers have preserved as much of the historic touches as possible, even down to the old wallpapers - which in other circumstances would undoubtedly have been painted over or removed. Historic touches are everywhere, with the restoration focused on more modern "facilities" (e.g. en-suite bathrooms, king beds etc). The new restaurant is very roomy and the kitchen provides beautiful food with a very "local" flavor and some fascinating twists on old classics. We all fell in love with the gazpacho - simply spectacular and we had it on both nights. The Saloon is also very charming and certainly worth spending some time there. The floor has a wonderful portrait painted on the floorboards which has quite a story that the bartenders can share with you - and has somehow survived many years of boots walking over it. Large photo portraits of Hunter S. Thompson adorn the walls, plus a spectacular female nude painting similar to many found in old saloons. Quite the touch of authenticity and not at all offensive unless you're unduly prudish. There are rumors of some ghostly experiences, but I suspect they're simply a result of some people sleeping in historic buildings and being more susceptible to suggestion. We certainly didn't encounter any unusual phenomena, despite wishing we had. Some things to keep in mind... which are largely due to the inescapable fact that it is a genuinely historic building (which frankly we loved). First, there's currently no assigned parking area, which means you park on the street - not a problem unless it's a holiday period when Ouray is swamped by visitors from all over. Second, the staircases to the 2nd and 3rd floors (where the rooms are located) are original - quite steep and there's simply nowhere for an elevator to be added without tearing the building apart. So, try to pack lightly as heavy/bulky suitcases can be a challenge for the elderly or infirm - particularly if you're also unlucky enough to have parked far from the hotel. Third, no air conditioning (again, old buildings simply weren't built for such niceties) - but I have no way to know how that would play in the middle of summer as we've never been there at that time. Open a window, folks - it's called "mountain air-conditioning". There's also a full-service spa called The Grotto located downstairs from the lobby, but it was still unfinished when we visited. We did manage to get a brief tour of the project and it looks like it will be truly amazing when complete. That said, we're not necessarily into spa trea**ents anyway so we really didn't find that a negative. In short, the Western is an historic gem lovingly restored to as close to the original as possible - with as many of the modern necessities as could
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