Presiding since New Year’s Day 1909 over its shady, scenic spot one block from the iconic Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo., the elegant Hotel Boulderado is steeped in history and Wild West lore. This summer, this beloved local institution debuted the results of a $2.5 million renovation, including a redesigned lobby with a new sycamore wood bar surface, and an updated second-floor mezzanine level with 10,000 feet of flexible meeting space. At the lobby bar, guests can enjoy cocktails, small plates and Boxcar Coffee drinks. Notorious for many things including famous guests Helen Keller, poet Robert Frost, musician Benny Goodman, actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and a ghost or two, the hotel was featured in the Stephen King novel Misery (Viking Press, 1987), and is home to a 1908 Otis elevator, which requires an attendant to ride along.

Designed in Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival styles by William Redding & Son, guests can choose from two styles among the 160 rooms and suites: 118 freshly renovated North Wing rooms with a modern mountain décor; or 42 Victorian-inspired rooms in the Historic Wing. Four corner towers mark the building’s exterior, and the lobby is located directly beneath a resplendent stained-glass canopy. A gleaming curved cherrywood staircase connects the fifth floor to the basement level below the lobby level, where License No. 1 evokes a 1920s speakeasy vibe with a wide selection of top-shelf spirits and eclectic cocktails, along with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

There are three dining venues, including Spruce Farm & Fish, where chef John Payne offers a creatively prepared, locally sourced menu with fresh, sustainable seafood flown in daily. Bonus: Brunch is served all day, seven days a week. The hotel is the setting for numerous seasonal events and holiday teas and is renowned for the annual lighting ceremony of its 30-foot Christmas tree in the lobby, and a yearly New Year’s Eve Party. The property is also dog friendly, with complimentary walking services and special rooms equipped with dog amenities. Human guests can take advantage of 1977 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow service to Boulder locations and nearby trailheads for hiking and walking. There’s also complimentary shuttle service to any downtown location in a 15-seat Mercedes van that accommodates dogs, allowing guests to take advantage of stellar hiking options located nearby in the company of their four-footed travel companions.