ABOUT

Your favorite hotel in Canon City

Where timelessness meets four-star luxury

The living room of Cañon City, Hotel St. Cloud is where elevated dining and beautiful atmosphere meet to provide hospitality for the ages.

Unbridled Hospitality Group’s contemporary revival of this historic landmark brings rich comfort into the building’s inspirational history. Relax with all the modern amenities you’d expect during executive travel but refresh and invigorate yourself with our historic concierge service: personal care that replenishes you to explore your next frontier.

It is a stately hotel with a storied past. From its move, brick-by-brick, to Cañon City’s Main Street to its significance in the golden age of Hollywood, the St. Cloud reflects the life found in the historic gems of the west

July 24, 1886

Pg. 1, Col. 7 ST. CLOUD HOTEL

ST. CLOUD HOTEL


This magnificent structure has been completed but about two weeks, and now it rises before us in all its glory with one of the neatest and most modern fronts in Southern Colorado. This magnificent building has been developed into a much more elaborate and larger structure than was first intended, another story having been added to the original plan, and there are but few today who realize its importance from a business standpoint. The erection of so splendid and costly a building has not only ornamented the city, but it has marked a confidence in the stability and future of Canon that is of inestimable value to all the country around. It has added thousands of dollars to the market value of Canon property, and whoever owns a foot of land within ten miles of here is indebted to the St. Cloud Hotel for a very large percentage of the increased marked value of their property. To the capitalists whose faith in Canon’s future who has erected this building, all thanks are due, and it is an indication of the public appreciation of this enterprise that one of its owners, and efficient superintendent, Mr. J.P. DeWoody was chosen not long since by so flattering a majority to a seat in the city council, an appreciation which marks the kindest spirit of a good community, and it is this spirit, we apprehend which stimulates the wonderful growth of Canon, that it is our pride and pleasure to record every week. 

The Hotel's Story

The city's Story

The Formation

Silver Cliff Hotel Association forms to build the St. Cloud in Silver Cliff, CO.

The Transportation Hub

Cañon City becomes a key stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, enhancing its role as a regional transportation hub.

1881

The Grand Opening

The hotel opens as the "St. Cloud Hotel" in Silver Cliff with a grand ball.

The Penitentiary

The Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City expands, becoming one of the largest employers in the area.

1883

The Move

The hotel is disassembled in Silver Cliff and moved to Cañon City via the Rio Grande Railroad.

The Apple Blossom Festival

The first Apple Blossom Festival, now known as the Colorado State Fair, is held in Pueblo, reflecting the growing agricultural economy of Southern Colorado.

1886

The Cañon City Era

Hotel opens in Cañon City as a four-story hotel with modern amenities, including an elevator and electric lights.

The Population Grows

Cañon City's population grows significantly due to the influx of railroad workers and the expansion of local industries like mining and agriculture

1887

The Loan

DeWoody and Stebbins borrow $15,000 from Fremont County Bank for the hotel.

The City Connection

The Cañon City & Cripple Creek Stage Line begins operation, providing transport between these two mining towns, boosting local economy and tourism.

1889

The Courthouse Purchase

H.L. White buys St. Cloud on the courthouse steps after the previous owners default on their loan.

The News Is Here

The Cañon City Daily Record, one of the oldest newspapers in Colorado, starts publication, offering a new voice for local news.

1892

The Bridge

The Royal Gorge Bridge construction begins near Cañon City, becoming the highest suspension bridge in the U.S. and a major tourist attraction in Southern Colorado.

1906

The Hotel Renamed

Anderson Shore buys the hotel, later renaming it Hotel Denton.

The Courthouse

The Fremont County Courthouse, a significant architectural landmark, is completed in Cañon City, reflecting civic pride and growth.

1908

The Silent Picture Era

The hotel becomes the headquarters for Selig Polyscope Company from Chicago and provides the sleeping quarters for many cowboy stars, including Tom Mix, Bill Duncan, and Joe Ryan.

The Silent Picture Era

Cañon City becomes known as "The Hollywood of Colorado" for its production of silent films, hosting the Colorado Motion Picture Company for many years. 

1910

The Fire

The building suffers a significant fire but is repaired and continues operation.

1914

The Dark Age

Recently renamed, Hotel Cañon becomes the headquarters of the KKK for four years while Cañon City's political landscape was taken over by Klansmen. 

The Dark Age

The KKK becomes 20% of the population of Cañon City, taking over both political parties for a short time. 

1925

The Impossible

Against all odds, Diedrich N. Cooper overthrows the Klan in the election of 1928, sending the KKK headquarters back to Denver in 1929.

1928

The Hollywood Era

Cañon City serves as headquarters for multiple motion picture companies and houses many stars, including Burt Lancaster, Robert Walker, and Slim Pickens

The Hollywood Era

The film "Cañon City" is released, shot on location and showcasing the area's landscapes, coinciding with the hotel's Hollywood connections.

1948

The Ownership Transfer

Harold Sanders sells to Harry, who plans to retain its historical character.

The Railroad

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad begins operation, adding to the tourism boom in Canon City around this time.

1974

The Failed Ownership

Jack, Kelly, and Connie Mitchell purchase the hotel, reverting its name back to St. Cloud Hotel, but their venture fails by 1988.

The Blossom Festival

The Cañon City Music and Blossom Festival becomes an annual event, celebrating local culture and history, aligning with the hotel's rebranding.

1987

The Preservation Attempt

The Future of Yesterday Foundation takes ownership, aiming to preserve the hotel's history.

The 130th Anniversary

Cañon City celebrates the 130th anniversary of the Colorado State Penitentiary, which has been a significant part of the city's identity and history.

2014

The Future Begins

Unbridled Holdings III purchases the St. Cloud on auction & begins plans for restoration

2018

The Grand Reopening

Hotel St. Cloud completes its 7-year, three-phase restoration, celebrating its Grand Reopening in Summer 2025.

2025

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