My husband and I just got back from a trip to Ouray, CO, and we stayed at the Beaumont Hotel. When you walk into the Beaumont, it's as if you've stepped back in time. The furnishings and decor are lovely, with antiques and rich fabrics. However, even though the atmosphere was elegant, we didn't feel out of place in jeans and shorts. The service we received from everyone in the hotel was excellent, and they were all very friendly. The food was good in the casual restaurant, but we didn't eat in the fine dining restaurant - it was somewhat pricey and we didn't feel like dressing up. There are quite a few good casual restaurants in Ouray, so we didn't feel the need to go to the fine dining restaurant in the hotel.
Our room was quite large (we had a luxury room, which is the least expensive of the three room types - we paid $200 a night). It had a great TV/DVD/VCR combination, and the furniture and linens were beautiful. The bathroom was very roomy with a tub and a separate shower that were both large enough for two.
The only thing that could have been improved was our view of the mountains - we overlooked the outside dining patio more than the mountains, but if we had gotten a more expensive room, our view probably would have been better (although it didn't appear that any rooms directly faced the best view, which was at the back of the hotel).
And speaking of the mountains - the San Juan Mountains are absolutely spectacular! We could have spent days just driving up and down the Million Dollar Highway (which runs through Ouray) marveling at the scenery. And Ouray is a great little town. Even though it's fairly small, it has lots of interesting shops and good restaurants and saloons. We were never bored. In fact, we're thinking of going back this January for our wedding anniversary.
One day we took the Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad round trip train ride. It was fantastic! It's about a 2-hour drive from the Beaumont Hotel to the Railroad Depot in Durango (where the train departs), but the drive is so beautiful, you don't notice the time. And the round-trip train ride takes a full day, but again, time goes by quickly because you're so busy looking at the spectacular scenery.
Overall, we would highly recommend staying at the Beaumont Hotel. After driving around Ouray and looking at the other lodging available, we felt the Beaumont was the absolute best offered in Ouray. It may be more expensive than the others, but it is definitely worth the price.
