Entry No. 18 — the Boulder file — filed under: haunted hotel
Hotel Boulderado
Opened on New Year's Day 1909, Hotel Boulderado is Boulder's most storied lodging — a five-story Italian Renaissance and Spanish Colonial Revival landmark whose cantilevered stained-glass lobby ceiling was modeled on San Francisco's Palace Hotel. The original 1908 Otis cage elevator still carries guests upward. Stephen King name-dropped the Boulderado in both The Shining (as Stuart Ullman's off-season refuge) and Misery (as the writer Paul Sheldon's creative retreat). The most charged rooms are 302 and 304: in 1924, a man administered chloroform to himself while his wife was in the bathroom, and she emerged to find him dead. On the fifth floor, a life-size portrait of Beatrice "Miss Honey Bee" Lennartz (1904–1998) — a music teacher who frequented the dining room for decades — watches over the hallway where her presence is still reported.
The story
When Hotel Boulderado opened on New Year’s Day 1909, Boulder was a strictly dry county, but the hotel built its reputation on grand Victorian flair regardless. The five-story red-brick structure fused Italian Renaissance and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, centered around a cantilevered stained-glass ceiling modeled on San Francisco’s Palace Hotel. Instead of modern quietness, you get an original 1908 Otis cage elevator that still groans as it carries passengers upward, alongside deep literary history: Stephen King picked the hotel as Stuart Ullman’s off-season hideout in The Shining and Paul Sheldon’s writing sanctuary in Misery.
The quiet corridors carry documented tragedies. In 1924, a man locked himself in a room and inhaled fatal doses of chloroform while his wife bathed; she emerged to find his corpse and swallowed the remaining chemical in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Today, adjoining rooms 302 and 304 are the hotel's most active hotspots, where guests regularly report televisions switching channels unprompted, disembodied voices echoing through empty rooms, and a grandfather clock whose hands spin wildly out of control before locking back onto the hour.
Up on the fifth floor, a life-size portrait of Beatrice "Miss Honey Bee" Lennartz (1904–1998) watches over the carpeted hallway. A local music teacher who ate in the hotel dining room for decades, Lennartz's presence persists—staff and late-night visitors report a pale woman in white wandering near her painting, or the sudden sensation of an unseen figure sitting down on the edge of the bed.
What it's like
Stepping into the lobby puts you directly under the glow of the stained-glass ceiling, where the air smells of old cherrywood and cocktail bitters. You can take the stairs or wait for the rattling 1908 Otis cage elevator, though taking the stairs is usually faster when the lobby gets busy. Grab an early table at the Corner Bar to watch the room, then ask the front desk clerks about room 302—staff are remarkably candid about separating verified history from local ghost legend. If you want to sleep in rooms 302 or 304, reserve months in advance, particularly ahead of autumn ghost-hunting season.
The move: Book rooms 302 or 304 for the full effect, or arrive early and linger over cocktails at the Corner Bar beneath the stained-glass ceiling. End the evening asking the front desk about the ghost lore — staff are well-versed and candid about what's verified versus legend.
📍 Before you go The hotel is open year-round; rooms book up quickly on fall and winter weekends when ghost-seekers visit. Valet parking is available off 13th Street; metered and free street parking is nearby. Check-in is guaranteed at 4 PM (early bag drop available). Rooms 302 and 304 are in high demand — reserve well in advance. The Corner Bar and Spruce Farm and Fish restaurant are open daily.
- 📍 Boulder
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2115 13th Street at Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- License No. 1 (The Catacombs) — Descend directly beneath the hotel lobby into this basement bar—formerly the Catacomb Bar—which secured Boulder's very first post-Prohibition liquor license.
- Boulder Ghost Tours — Walk a single block down Spruce Street to join a guided night walking tour that builds on the hotel's ghost stories.
- Columbia Cemetery — Head less than a mile south to Boulder's 1870 burial ground to explore 19th-century gravesites after interrogating the hotel desk about third-floor spirits.
- Boulder Alley Gallery — Stroll one block over to inspect outdoor artwork painted on service alley doors for a bright contemporary contrast to the hotel's dark Victorian history.
Good to know
Which rooms at Hotel Boulderado have ghost lore associated with them?
Rooms 302 and 304 are the most requested suites, stemming from a 1924 chloroform suicide incident. Guests frequently report electrical disturbances, TVs turning on independently, and disembodied voices in both rooms.
Can guests actually ride the original 1908 elevator?
Yes, the historic 1908 Otis cage elevator is fully operational and carries guests up to the fifth floor, operating manually at a slow vintage pace.
How is Stephen King connected to the hotel?
King lived in Boulder in the mid-1970s and name-dropped the Boulderado in two novels: as Overlook manager Stuart Ullman's off-season residence in The Shining, and as author Paul Sheldon's retreat in Misery.
Who is the woman in the fifth-floor portrait?
The portrait depicts Beatrice "Miss Honey Bee" Lennartz (1904–1998), a beloved local music teacher who frequented the dining room for decades and whose presence is still reported near her painting.
What are the parking and check-in details?
Guaranteed check-in is at 4 PM (with early bag drop available). Valet parking is available off 13th Street, along with nearby metered and free street parking.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · hauntedus.com · Official site · bouldercolorado.gov · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-11