This historic property was Boulder’s first luxury hotel. The name is a combination of Boulder and Colorado, intended to help guests remember where they stayed. Hotel Boulderado is a City of Boulder landmark, a member of Historic Hotels of America, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is a part of Boulder’s rich culture.

On New Year’s Eve 1908, the hotel celebrated its grand opening with a Gala Ball. The first visitors arrived on New Year’s Day, 1909. Every year since then, the hotel has celebrated its original grand opening with a magnificent New Year’s Eve celebration.

The five-story brick building was designed by local architects William Redding & Son and incorporates both Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival architectural styles. It continues a trend started by the Palace Hotel in San Francisco and carried over to Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel, which was built in 1892. As a result of the extensive updates completed in the lobby and mezzanine spaces, Hotel Boulderado was awarded Best Renovation Project by Colorado Meetings + Events in 2018.

Conservationist Enos Mills, actress Ethel Barrymore, actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and evangelist Billy Sunday were among the early guests. Clarence Darrow, Helen Keller, Robert Frost, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong were among those who followed, as was a diverse range of today’s political figures, speakers, entertainers, and musicians.

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