The big, western personality screamed at me from the sidewalk. The giant stars and blocky western font on the oversized awning is the first hint of what awaits inside. The dark tint windows on the entrance aren’t very inviting, but once you open the doors and see inside, the lobby is almost breathtaking. A solid wood staircase dominates the open ceiling, two-story lobby as it wraps around a hand-laid stone fireplace that reaches to the ceiling. Two giant candelabra chandeliers hang in the center of the openness and give you a sense of the grand scale of this foyer.

The décor is historic old western in feel, which is exactly appropriate for the town of Golden. A statue of a horse with a hand-painted Indian design is magnificent in and of itself, but the statue feels awkward pushed up against the foot of the grand staircase. The side walls feature mural-sized old photographs of cowboy activities, such as an action shot of a cowboy falling during what appears to be a backyard rodeo.

The hotel manager was kind enough to let me see the hotel’s magnificent views from the