Western Hotel Ouray

This is a very nice, well-restored, truly 'Western' hotel in stunning and historic Ouray. We stayed in Room 204, a spacious king room with a kitchenette and a fantastic deck with excellent views and sun. The spa in the basement is well done, with a superb sauna and great hot tub. The 'Saloon' is an excellent restaurant. The staff of the hotel and restaurant are kind and attentive.

I spend a lot of time in Hotels due to my job. So I spent 2 weeks at the Western in the winter. The hotel is old (the oldest wooden commercial structure in Colorado?) and has been meticulously restored only to maintain its old world charm. It's fantastically funky. The floors are slanted and creek, your rolling suitcase may scoot across the floor, the walls may have cracks, the windows strange ways of closing but it works. The design is cowboy rustic chic, but the character is real and not over done. Great linens, comfortable beds, soft robes, kitchenettes, nice snacks and amenities. The food in the restaurant is primarily cooked in a wood fired over. It's fantastic and best when simple and elegant. But like so many of my favorite hotel experiences it's the staff that makes this place special. I was lucky enough to get to know many of them over the course of my stay and they made it a wonderful experience. They have an easy going mountain vibe and pride in service and hospitality. All unique characters in their own rights that add to the charm of this fantastic hotel in a beautiful town. Shout out to Jarrod, Derek, Katie, Kelly, Robin and Michelle (thanks for getting me a dresser for the stay)! Till next time.

Historic hotel with lots of charm, nicely renovated. Unfortunately, there is not an elevator, steep stairs to all rooms, not ADA friendly. Room was "cozy" with a western chic decor, with the scent of lavender throughout. The room was not very clean, fingerprints on windows, TV screen, and headboard. Room floor was visibly dirty, bathroom floor had hair on it and dust on the fixtures and pictures. The worst part was the comforter was clearly not clean. It was stained with multiple unknown things, and visibly dirty. We tried to let the front desk person know, but there wasn't anyone there when we discovered it or upon check out. Overall, the atmosphere was great. However, the cleanliness of the room, was quite disappointing. I will think twice before staying there again or recommending it to others, especially for $275 a night.

Absolutely horrible dinner experience! My wife and I, along with another couple came for a celebration dinner. We ordered an appetizer, a 2 salads and 3 ribeyes. Our salads were served at the same time as the steaks. 2 of the 3 steaks were cooked medium at best when we ordered them medium rare. We also ordered an expensive bottle of wine for which the waitress had no clue of what we asked for and had to come back to ensure that we didn't order a "*******o". The restaurant did comp 2 steaks and 2 salads. Against my wishes, my wife was kind enough to tip $100 on a $300 appetizer, one steak and a bottle of wine. Manager (aka bartender) came to discuss our issues and blamed the issues on a seasonal staff change. Huge disappointment!

Quality establishment for lodging, food and beverage ! We visited in September of 2023 and had a very good visit. We enjoyed the Bar with views of the kitchen and watched many good offerings being made and served. The setting was historic, quality and welcoming. A must stop when in the area. No disappointments. Quality service, atmosphere and offerings.

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 treatments 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

RESTURANT ONLY-The place and STAFF were Awesome. The food.... well, a bit overpriced for what you get, and not that good (yet). I was told the chef and restaurant were newly re-opened. I ordered the Bison skewers. Note to chef, Bison is tough, not the best meat for a skewer, it was so tough and chewy. The garnishment was great though. However, it was 50 bucks for a dinner, I could barely chew. We didnt say anything, as the staff was so nice. But..chef..bison is best for a burger :)

The room itself was nice, liked having a little kitchenette. There was a window in the shower which was only covered on the bottom part but I could easily see/be seen by neighboring buildings. Although it is newly redone, the sink did not drain well and some shelves were not level. Bed was also very low to the ground, would be an issue for anyone with mobility concerns. There is also no elevator so be mindful of carrying suitcases. When I was there the restaurant and bar were closed for a private event so I had to scramble to find dinner/place to relax as I had planned on trying out their restaurant/bar. Overall it was a nice location but not worth the price.

Although we did not stay here, we went inside the lobby and bar/restaurant area, before they opened for business. Lovely wooden bar with a stuffed mountain lion on te wall above the mirrors. There is a painting of a lady dated 1917. Some antiques around too. The restaurant area very nice indeed. Pity we did not have time to experience the food.