Legendary Guests

Glenwood Springs, CO…Many well-known guests have visited the Hotel Colorado over the years.  Dignitaries, presidents, movie stars, and outlaws were drawn to the luxurious accommodations.

In 1905, Hotel Colorado became the temporary home for the President of the United States and his assistants during a three-week bear hunting expedition.  Already a fan of the state of Colorado, Roosevelt stayed at the Hotel Colorado on multiple occasions.   On a three-week trip in January 1901, the Vice-President hunted mountain lion on the Keystone Ranch near Meeker.  It was reported by his guide that Colonel Roosevelt hung over a cliff to shoot a wounded lion between the eyes.  Roosevelt’s first trip to Glenwood Springs delighted him so much that he returned year after year.

According to legend, the world's most irresistible toy, the teddy bear, received its birth at Hotel Colorado.  To cheer Theodore Roosevelt after an unsuccessful day of hunting, Hotel Colorado maids presented him with a stuffed bear pieced together with scraps of fine material.  Later, when he did bag a bear, his daughter Alyce admired it saying, "I will call it Teddy." The term caught on and became the name for the world's most popular toy, the Teddy Bear. 

Rising quickly to wealth as a result of her husband’s abundant gold strike, Titanic-survivor Molly Brown visited the Hotel Colorado to enjoy one of society’s favorite playgrounds.  Today, one of the Hotel's Tower Suites has been transformed into a living tribute to this dynamic woman of history.  The Molly Brown Suite is magnificently appointed with family photos, memorabilia, and period furnishings.

During the roaring '20s, Hotel Colorado became an attractive playground for Chicago gangsters such as Al Capone. Legend has it that the Hotel Colorado erected a special entrance canopy that kept the arrival and departures of the notorious guests out of view.   Another member of Capone’s Chicago gang, Diamond Jack Alterie frequented the hotel wearing high-heeled boots, a ten-gallon hat, flashy diamond rings, shirt studs, watches, and belt buckles.  Cloaked in bodyguards, these big spenders arrived at the hotel in large Lincoln convertibles.

Many presidents have visited the Hotel Colorado.  On September 23, 1909, President William Howard Taft arrived in his private train car.  He was presented with wild raspberries and mountain trout for breakfast then spoke to 700 people from the Hotel’s "Roosevelt" balcony.  When offered exclusive use of the Hot Springs pool, he declined saying, "I’ve found it’s much better for a man of my size not to bathe in public." 

In the 1920’s, one prized resident of the Hotel Colorado was affectionately called Pete, a full grown Colorado black bear.  Occasionally, when Pete would decide to take a tour of the surrounding area, it was the job of ground’s keeper, John Pretti, to find Pete and escort him back to the Hotel.  The mischievous companion always returned willingly, strolling alongside John, back to his home at the Hotel Colorado.