A timeline history of The Hotel Denver 1912 Mike Bosco 1884 Henry Bosco, the other
founder of The Hotel Denver, lands in America Coming to New York from Italy with just 30 cents, he made his way to Colorado at age 16. Bosco would become the eventual owner of The Star Hotel.
1904 Railroad depot is built Catering to the elegant expectations of presidents and wealthy travelers, the railroad built a beautiful red sandstone depot with vast green lawns.
1913 Construction
1885 Town of Glenwood
continues An ambitious three story remodel of The Denver House was completed.
Springs is born The first city council meeting was held at the Kendrick house.
1870s
1880s
1879 Art Kendrick,
one of the founders of The Hotel Denver, moves to Colorado at age 8 The original Denver House was started by brothers Art and Frank Kendrick and Art’s wife, Mary. Art had dreamed of a life in the West ever since he saw General George Custer come through his hometown of Chicago.
takes in lodgers Mike leased second floor space over the Oberto Saloon to operate a small rooming house. His Uncle Henry was doing well in the bottling business and had purchased the building.
1900s
1910s
1932 Chicago Gangster
1922 The Denver
House expands Improvements included telephones, toilets in each room, an elevator, and a beautiful lobby floor. An exterior lighting scheme was installed, making the room sparkle at night.
Diamond Jack Alterie is a frequent guest at The Hotel Denver
1922 Mike and
Phyllis Bosco give birth to a son, Hank
1920s
1930s
1991 Steve &
1943 WWII The Navy commissioned the Hotel Colorado and Hot Springs Pool as a hospital. Trainloads of injured soldiers descended on Glenwood Springs. The Hotel Denver was busier than ever. Hank Bosco served in the war. Upon his return, he took over the management of The Hotel Denver along with his parents.
19 40s & 1950s
1973 End of an era After 58 years and three generations of family ownership, the Bosco family sold The Hotel Denver to Kirk Whiteley of Grand Junction. Mike Bosco continued to live in the hotel, where he had lived for over 62 years, until his death in 1974.
1970s & 1980s
April Carver buy The Hotel Denver and it is owned by a local family once again.
1996 The
Glenwood Canyon Brewpub opens Local breweries were a newer concept, and the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub became a local and tourist favorite.
1990s & 2000s
1905 The Denver House
1887 First train arrives Life changed when the Denver & Rio Grande and Colorado Midland Railroads arrived. They brought miners from Aspen and Leadville to enjoy laundry, bathing, and other services.
1887 Doc Holliday As a bellhop for the Hotel Glenwood, Art Kendrick answered calls from the ailing Doc Holliday, and Doc tipped him “pretty good.”
1888 Hot Springs Pool is Completed
Art and Mary Kendrick, working as bellhop and maid at The Hotel Glenwood, saved for years to rent the upper two stories of the building that would become The Hotel Denver. The seventeen rooms were named The Denver House, to appeal to travelers coming from the city of Denver.
1981 New owners
1906 Henry Bosco arrives in Glenwood Springs He rented a room in the basement of the Oberto Saloon and sold wholesale liquor to the numerous local saloons.
1908 Mike Bosco follows
his Uncle Henry to Colorado Mike started out as a 16-year-old working in the Marble mill, enrolling in first grade to learn English, and eventually became the operator of The Hotel Denver.
visit TheHotelDenver.com for more details about our colorful history
1915 Star Hotel Henry Bosco finished constructing The Star Hotel and opened for business.
1916 Prohibition With the liquor ban in place, the bars on 7th Street were in trouble, and Kendrick and Bosco used the opportunity to expand. Although competitors, the two were great friends.
1929 The Great
Depression The Star Hotel provided a roof over the Bosco family, but little else. Mike Bosco supplemented his income by selling grapes to other Italian families to make wine. Henry Bosco died in 1929 at age 72.
1934 Clark Gable
1956 Post-WWII
Movie star Clark Gable enjoyed staying at The Hotel Denver, and would typically spend a week at a time fishing.
After the war, a group of investors, including Mike and Hank Bosco, purchased the Hot Springs Pool. By 1973, the pool operation was taking off and also taking a great deal of Hank’s time, leading the Boscos to consider selling The Hotel Denver.
1938 Hotels combine Mike Bosco purchased The Denver House, combined it with The Star Hotel, and named the combined properties The Hotel Denver. Art and Mary Kendrick retired, confident that their life-long work was in good hands.
Janet Smith and Rhudy Fowler of San Diego purchased The Hotel Denver.
1983 Changes A Glenwood Post article reported that the hotel would change its name to Grande Hotel and begin a total renovation. The hotel closed for the first time during the renovation. The name change never happened.
2001 Coming
together The final step in joining all of the buildings in Block 45 of the original Glenwood Springs township finally came to be. New construction on the site of the Rex Hotel was combined with The Hotel Denver.
2015 Happy
anniversary! 100th Anniversary of the original Star Hotel construction.