Located among the mountains of Durango is a lively and historic hotel that has welcomed guests for over 130 years.

Built in 1887, the Strater Hotel served as a popular winter retreat for local residents who would close their homes during colder months and relocate to the hotel. Henry Strater, a Cleveland pharmacist, constructed the hotel, as he believed that the town of Durango would prosper. According to Atlas Obscura, the terminus of the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway is around the corner of the Strater Hotel, once carrying miners and ore through the Animus River Valley while mining was a major industry in the area.

In 1926, a group of Durango businessmen purchased the property intending to revitalize it, preserving its current Victorian charm. Fine woodwork and hand-printed Bradbury and Bradbury wallpapers were installed, as well as a configuration suiting the Victorian Period.

Formerly home to The Strater-Thorpe Drug Store, this section of The Strater was transformed back into a saloon in 1957 by Earl Barker Jr. The saloon girls and bartenders of the Diamond Bell Saloon dress in costume as they serve customers American fare in the Old West setting.

The restaurant even has some decor from when it was first built, including the upper plate glass windows (original from 1887), English wallpaper, and stained glass over the front door from 1887.

The Strater has attracted many famous guests over the years, including Louis L’Amour (who even has a room at the hotel named after him), Gerald R. Ford, John F. Kennedy, The Grateful Dead, Marilyn Monroe, Dan Fogelberg, Steven Spielberg, Chevy Chase, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Will Rogers, Audie Murphy, Jack Elam, and Harry Carrie Jr.

As a historic hotel with an intriguing past, The Strater and Diamond Belle Saloon, in particular, offers guests an opportunity to step back in time to Durango’s Old West past as they enjoy a stay in the mountain town.

Learn more about the hotel here.

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