#dhphotels

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Hotels

     Denver like many burgeoning Western City during the turn of the 20th century had its fair share of hotels for those stopping by the Mile High City. With Union Depot up and running bringing people from the East and West upon the Transcontinental Railroad, hotels were essential for people looking to attend one of the many activities that the Front Range had to offer. For instance, the Oxford Hotel which opened in 1891 and the Brown Palace Hotel built in 1892 are the only two of the many hotels to accommodate visitors to Denver that still remain standing as functioning hotels (”Denver: Historic Denver Hotels”).  The hotels in Denver were known for the luxurious rooms, fair prices, unique architecture, and their ease of access to the shops as well as activities throughout the downtown Denver area. To give an example the Oxford Hotel built by Adolph Zang a local brewer set the standards for Gilded Age accommodations with fine hardwoods, dazzling chandeliers, fresco painted walls and outfitted with the latest technologies of the time.  The amenities that made the hotels the most technical for the early 1900’s included elevators, steam heating, both electric and gas lighting, and the real luxury “bathrooms with separate water closets” (”The Oxford Hotel”).  

     However the crown jewel of hotels in Denver at this time was the Brown Palace Hotel built by Henry Cordes Brown a carpenter turned real estate mogul who helped to dramatically shape Denver.  The Brown Palace was built by the same architect as the Oxford Frank Edbrooke on a triangular plot that was previously used by Henry Brown’s cattle to graze.  Nonetheless the hefty expenditure of $1.6 million dollars to create this impressive hotel rivaled the elegance, style, and amenities found in the big cities like New York or London and hosted presidents, royalty and even the Beatles in the 1960s (”The Brown Palace Hotel”).

     Most hotels during the early 1900’s Denver had rates that ranged from $1.00-$6.00 for a single night (Denver Public Library).  Denver Hotels during this period also boasted often that they were fireproof, trying to encourage prospective customers that they had the modern amenities that could assure support and prevention of fires in their hotel. It’s also interesting to note that whenever there was an advertisement of even a brief article explaining the arrival of someone of note it pays its respect to the management. In other words, your hotel was sometimes only as good as the reputation of not only the hotel but the manager(s) who were overseeing the hotel.

[denverhistoryproject]

An image of the St. James Hotel. The hotel was torn down in 1920 in order to build a theater. 

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The Columbia Hotel was built in 1890. Numerous United States’ flags are being flown on this street. 

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An advertisement for the Albany Hotel. 

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Photograph of the Albany Hotel located at 17th and Stout. 

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Brown Palace Hotel was completed in 1892 by architects Frank E. Edbrook and Company.

[denverhistoryproject]

Windsor Hotel

Commonly referred to at the ‘Grand Old Lady of Larimer Street’, the Windsor  Hotel was built in 1880. Opening its doors on June 23, the Windsor became a beacon of the West and would come to host a long line of distinguished guests (“Colorado History – The Windsor Hotel: the age of opulence”).  The large five-story building was 125 feet wide by 225 feet long and approximately 112 feet tall and would contain 176 rooms. The building’s exterior was an imported lava stone, trimmed with red sandstone, and finished with an elegant iron fretwork (Bretz).  Sitting on the corner of Larimer Avenue and 18th street, the Windsor Hotel was just  blocks away from City Hall and was near the center of financial power that existed during that period in the West. 

     One could rent a room in the Windsor for $2.00 or $2.50 for a room that contained a bath. Additional amenities that the Windsor featured included: were water and lighting in almost every room, an elevator, multiple casinos, a bar, an elegant dining room and dance floor and a fine-cuisine restaurant (“Colorado History – The Windsor Hotel: the age of opulence.”).  Services available also included a Western Union, barber and tobacco shop; an underground corridor system also gave guests access to the Union Station, parking and a series of shops (“The Grub of 1859”). Many of these amenities were impressive for the time, and some believed to be the first in Colorado, but the crowning feature of the Windsor Hotel was the Tabor Suite.  The Tabor Suite shared its name with one of the Hotel’s owners, Horace Tabor, a millionaire silver mogul, who used the suite to house his mistress. The Tabor Suite was complete with a gold-leaf bathtub, marble fireplace and fine furnishings from around the world (“Colorado History – The Windsor Hotel: the age of opulence.”).  

     The Windsor Hotel was also widely known for its fine cuisine and bar selection. Livestock was imported and housed on the hotel’s farm, in addition to the employment of hunters to bring in wild game. The menu varied greatly, ranging from grub like beans and bacon to extravagant dinner meals with numerous fish and meats. Additionally, the restaurant frequently served English dishes, for its guests, many of whom were English investors (“The Grub of 1859”). 

     The Windsor Hotel hosted a number of guests, ranging from cattlemen to numerous presidents. Among the list of distinguished guest include: Mark Twain, Sir Henry M. Stanley and four United States Presidents: Grant, Cleveland, Roosevelt and Taft (“Colorado History – The Windsor Hotel: the age of opulence”). The Windsor Hotel flourished during the Silver Rush of the late 19th century;  it became a destination of the West and was in the heart of wealth in the developing Denver area (“Larimer Street: What’s Around the Bend on Last Stretch of Denver’s FirstCenter?”). However, the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which occurred in 1983, would cause the price of silver to drop dramatically, resulting in a heavy loss of wealth in the region (“Colorado Mines”).  Many of the aristocrats who enjoyed the luxuries of the Windsor lost their fortunes, including Horace Tabor. As the elite would move South, so too would the money. What was once the great Windsor Hotel would become rundown and much of Larimer Avenue would become overrun with hostels and crime.