Hotel Colorado is an icon in Glenwood Springs, having opened just eight years after the town itself was founded. But there’s far more than meets the eye to this Gilded Age masterpiece. Stories abound from employees and guests alike of paranormal events that have occurred throughout the grounds. Yet, certain areas of the hotel are especially prone to tales about the supernatural. The basement is one such place, hosting its fair share of unexplainable phenomenon. For instance, a houseman named “Dave” was once conducting his nightly rounds in the basement, when an old women started peering at him through one of the windows. Eerily, her hands were cupped around her face as if she was having trouble seeing inside. The window itself had a rather deep well, and could only be accessed by a steep ladder. As such, Dave grew concerned that the elderly woman would fall and hurt herself. Walking across the room to access a light switch, he was stunned when he turned around to notice that she had vanished. Another employee named "Richard" had his own experience at the hotel shortly thereafter. On one of his tours, Richard heard two women talking to one another in the room next to the executive housekeeper's suite. Their unidentifiable chatter was accompanied by the distinctive sound of a typewriter clicking away. Richard subsequently burst into the room, only to find that no one was present. Even stranger, Richard saw that there was no typewriter, either!

Further up on the main floor, countless people have reported encountering a ghost that the staff refer to as “Bobbie.” According to the legend, “Bobbie” was a female nurse who worked at the Hotel Colorado while it served as the US Naval Convalescent Hospital in World War II. A naval officer stationed at the hotel developed an unrequited love for the nurse, which had become unstable and dangerous. Eventually, the officer supposedly killed Bobbie with an accomplice, but the U.S. Navy had them both reassigned to conceal their actions. Nevertheless, the story was leaked by fellow hospital workers, which gave rise to the legend. Guests have since seen the ghostly apparition of a women wearing a military uniform, especially in the dining room around lunch and dinner time. In addition to spying her spirit from the corners of their eyes, both patrons and employees recount smelling perfume at the table that Bobbie allegedly frequented when she was still alive. Some attest that the fragrance was a popular type from the 1930s and 1940s called “Gardenia.” Amazingly, that product was longer in production!

But perhaps the most famous apparition to haunt the Hotel Colorado is affectionately named “Walter” after the business’ founder, Walter Devereux. Most often sighted around the lobby at the night “Walter’s” presence is typically heralded by the disembodied smell of thick cigar smoke. What has made the tale even odder is that the hotel’s managerial team has not allowed smoking inside the facility for several decades. Some people today believe that the identity of “Walter” may in fact be the spirit of Elmer Lucas, who originally joined business as its first bookkeeper in 1893. Becoming the general manager in 1905, Lucas himself eventually became the owner of the hotel a decade later. He continued to operate the business alongside his wife, Katherine, until his passing in 1927. Many believe that Lucas’ connection to the Hotel Colorado was so great that his spirit never left.

Several guestrooms contain their own paranormal mysteries, too. In 1993, two guests—a husband and a wife—had requested Room 661 during their stay. The accommodation itself was among the best onsite, for it was one of the building’s two tower suites. Unfortunately, the man had fallen ill, prompting his partner to open all the windows within the room. She had hoped that an influx of fresh air would cure him of all his ailments. The wife then departed the suite for just a brief moment. Shockingly, another woman burst into the space and slammed the windows shut. Upon leaving, she proclaimed that he needed to stay out of the draft. More stunned rather than scared, the two continued to stay in the suite for the next three days. Yet, the process continued, with the windows mysteriously closing whenever the two had reopened them and left the room. But that married couple has not been alone in their experience. On the contrary, many other guests have reported seeing such a female figure in the suite looming over their bed at night.