BUILT: 1903
STATUS: Burned to the ground
History
Constructed in 1903, the historic Royal Hotel served miners, railroad and timber crews, travelers, and ranchers on the Wolcott Stage line. It served a number of other purposes while in operation, including the Yampa Leader newspaper’s headquarters, a hospital during 1919’s flu epidemic when the local hospital could not accommodate the number of patients afflicted, a boarding house for school children during the winter months, a school gymnasium, a drug store, a post office, a family dining room, a general store, an upholstery store, and apartments.
It was believed to be haunted by two spirits. An unidentified young woman’s apparition used to be sighted running through the hotel’s hallways and her disembodied footsteps have been heard throughout the building. A spirit affectionately nicknamed “Rufus” by the hotel’s guests was known to turn lights on and off, move furniture around, and flush toilets, usually in rooms #6 and #7. He was believed to be either a patron who died of the flu while staying there or a gambler who was murdered for cheating in a poker game. There were also reports of a dog running through the hallways and barking.
In 2015, the hotel burned to the ground in a fire after a coal stoker malfunctioned.
Sources
- Haunted Places. “Royal Hotel,” www.HauntedPlaces.org
- The Denver Channel. “Historic Royal Hotel and Bar in Yampa burns to the ground in overnight fire.” www.TheDenverChannel.com
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