Spending a night at the historic Palace Hotel in Salida
I’d much rather stay in a historic old hotel with creaky floors and stairs instead of elevators than at a modern, cookie cutter chain, so I knew I’d be happy as soon as I swung open the front door of the Palace Hotel in downtown Salida.
Here are 10 things I loved most about the place, which opened in 1909:
- The lobby, decorated with historic photos of cowboys, a chandelier straight out of the Old West and old-fashioned tin type photos made by a local artist. I needed to do a little work, so I set up shop at the desk and logged onto the WIFI.
- Free guest laundry, which I took advantage of since I’m burning through long underwear and ski socks like they’re made of kindling.
- Breakfast, delivered. The chef himself dropped off a yogurt parfait made with yogurt, granola and fruit, along with the fresh-baked muffin of the day (I liked oatmeal best, but also tried cranberry orange and banana). Its breakfast delivered to your room at whatever time you request.
- The environmental consciousness. No individually-packaged containers of shampoo or conditioner (it’s in a big pump bottle), a tiny bar of hand-made soap without a wrapper, and no daily maid service (really, who needs it?) unless requested.
- A kitchenette. The Governor Hunt suite where we stayed ($195 per night) comes with a small kitchen complete with full-sized fridge, microwave oven, a tiny oven and stovetop, plus all the dishes you need to cook pasta, which we did one night. The Palace Hotel in Salida opened in 1909. Pam LeBlanc photo[/caption]
- A gorgeous view of the mountains from all the windows.
- A great downtown location across from a park, kitty corner to an old Victorian bar, and a block down from the bustling Boathouse Cantina, where you can eat a burger and watch the river roll past.
- Walking distance to the amazing Café Dawn, which serves amazing soup for lunch (we had white bean and spinach), along with an assortment of bagels, quiches and coffees.
- Plenty of room. Our suite, the Governor Hunt (Room 301) was spacious, with a king-sized bed, a kitchenette with a small table, and a couch arranged in front of a flat-screen TV.
- An amazing staff. One night I was craving chocolate. We couldn’t find a nearby shop, so we asked the clerk at the desk. Everyplace nearby was closed, so she shared her own personal bag of peanut M&Ms with us. Breakfast is included in room rates. Pam LeBlanc photo[/caption]
I’d much rather stay in a historic old hotel with creaky floors and stairs instead of elevators than at a modern, cookie cutter chain, so I knew I’d be happy as soon as I swung open the front door of the Palace Hotel in downtown Salida.
Here are 10 things I loved most about the place, which opened in 1909:
- The lobby, decorated with historic photos of cowboys, a chandelier straight out of the Old West and old-fashioned tin type photos made by a local artist. I needed to do a little work, so I set up shop at the desk and logged onto the WIFI.
- Free guest laundry, which I took advantage of since I’m burning through long underwear and ski socks like they’re made of kindling.
- Breakfast, delivered. The chef himself dropped off a yogurt parfait made with yogurt, granola and fruit, along with the fresh-baked muffin of the day (I liked oatmeal best, but also tried cranberry orange and banana). Its breakfast delivered to your room at whatever time you request.
-
4. The environmental consciousness. No individually-packaged containers of shampoo or conditioner (it’s in a big pump bottle), a tiny bar of hand-made soap without a wrapper, and no daily maid service (really, who needs it?) unless requested.
- A kitchenette. The Governor Hunt suite where we stayed ($195 per night) comes with a small kitchen complete with full-sized fridge, microwave oven, a tiny oven and stovetop, plus all the dishes you need to cook pasta, which we did one night.
- A gorgeous view of the mountains from all the windows.
- A great downtown location across from a park, kitty corner to an old Victorian bar, and a block down from the bustling Boathouse Cantina, where you can eat a burger and watch the river roll past.
- Walking distance to the amazing Café Dawn, which serves amazing soup for lunch (we had white bean and spinach), along with an assortment of bagels, quiches and coffees.
- Plenty of room. Our suite, the Governor Hunt (Room 301) was spacious, with a king-sized bed, a kitchenette with a small table, and a couch arranged in front of a flat-screen TV.
- An amazing staff. One night I was craving chocolate. We couldn’t find a nearby shop, so we asked the clerk at the desk. Everyplace nearby was closed, so she shared her own personal bag of peanut M&Ms with us.