A meticulously restored 1886 Victorian landmark in downtown Ouray, featuring a soaring skylit rotunda, authentic antiques, and an adults-only atmosphere.
The Beaumont Hotel, established in 1886 at the height of Colorado's gold and silver boom, stands as a premier historic landmark in downtown Ouray. Built by the Ouray Real Estate and Building Association, which was formed by five local residents to impress visiting East Coast mining investors, this three-story brick structure was designed by architect Otto Bulow. The hotel's architecture features a distinctive slate mansard roof, blending French Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Victorian styles. Upon its grand opening on July 25, 1887, the property was celebrated as the "Flagship of the San Juans," boasting modern innovations like alternating current electricity, making it one of the first hotels in the nation to have electric lighting. Distinguished guests of the era, including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover, walked through its doors to experience its unmatched mountain luxury.
After decades of prosperity, the hotel's fortunes declined alongside the local mining economy, leading to its closure in 1967. This closure resulted from a legendary dispute between the owner at the time and the city council over parking spaces. For thirty-six years, the property sat abandoned, boarded up, and deteriorating, with a partially collapsed roof that nearly led to its condemnation. In 1998, Dan King purchased the derelict building and initiated a multi-million dollar restoration that concluded in 2003, earning both the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award and the Colorado Governor's Award for Historic Preservation. In June 2023, Texas-based real estate investors Eliot and Tara Vancil acquired the hotel for 6.3 million dollars, launching a new era of updates to enhance the experience for overnight guests.
Today, the adults-only boutique hotel features a small, exclusive collection of twelve uniquely decorated guest rooms and suites, which were created by combining multiple smaller historic rooms into spacious, modern chambers. Each room contains authentic antiques, including at least one piece of original furniture from the hotel's 1887 opening, which was originally manufactured by Marshall Field's in Chicago. The interior architecture is centered around a soaring rotunda encircled by balconies, illuminated by a cathedral-glass skylight that provides natural light and historic cross-ventilation. A second set of stairs, known historically as the "unescorted ladies" staircase, remains intact near the grand oak staircase. Guests can start their day with house-made pastries at 1886 Coffee, located in the northernmost space of the building, and unwind in the evening at Roosevelt's Tavern, which features the original 1886 back bar, hunter green walls, and a menu of craft cocktails, fine wines, and hearty tavern fare.
Be sure to ask the staff to show you the "unescorted ladies" staircase, a historic architectural feature from the mining boom era when women traveling alone were expected to use a separate entrance and stairs rather than the grand lobby staircase.
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