The Cliff House at Manitou Springs, Colorado ~ Julie Lence

courtesy TheCliffHouse.com 

  A handful of miles west of Colorado Springs lies Manitou Springs, a small mountain community at the base of Pikes Peak Mountain and known for its mineral springs. Within Manitou Springs lies The Cliff House, a 125 year old hotel that has stood the test of time. Built in 1873, The Cliff House, known then as The Inn, was a 20 room boarding house along the stagecoach route to Leadville, Colorado. Guests flocked to the inviting parlors and porches, and as the mines continued to pan out, more and more investors stayed at the boarding house. In some instances tents had to be set up to accommodate everyone.  Eventually the gold mines began to dwindle and by 1876, The Inn barely had guests. But in the ensuing years, interest in the mineral springs rose. American Indian tribes had been drinking from the springs for years, and with the water cool and good tasting, many believed the high concentration of minerals benefited the body. Edward E. Nichols was one of those believers. Battling tuberculosis, he came west in 1870 and beat the disease. He took up permanent residence in Manitou Springs, became mayor, and bought The Inn in 1886. He renamed it The Cliff House and joined forces with the governor in 1914 to build the Manitou Bath House Company.

Bath House; Pinterest

   The Manitou Bath House is located across from The Cliff House and aided in making Manitou Springs and The Cliff House a profitable resort area specializing in water therapies, with the wealthy flocking to the Cliff House into the 20^th century. During that time, Nichols expanded The hotel from 20 rooms to 56 rooms, and then to 200 rooms; the result a four-and-a-half story grand building. Guests included Teddy Roosevelt and P.T. Barnum, and each night after a formal dinner, everyone was invited across the street to Soda Springs for a glass of mineral water before turning in for bed. Tunnels were built underground connecting the hotel to the spa. A bath house followed, and bell boys filled bottles and glasses at the springs for guests.    

In 1921, a flash flood roaring down from nearby Williams Canyon washed through The Cliff House’s Grill Room (a sandwich and soda shop) in the rear of the east wing. Hymn books were destroyed and the floor buckled up to the ceiling. James S. Morley, a real estate developer from California, bought the hotel in 1981 and turned it into an apartment building, which caught fire in March of 1982. The 4^th floor roof had so much damage that it had to be replaced. Inside, all plumbing, plaster, and floor coverings were removed. The water damage from putting out the fire threatened the existence of the building that action was immediately taken to keep it standing. But with the economy not good, it stood vacant until 1997 when Morley vowed to restore it to its original grandeur, to include preserving the Rocky Mountain Victorian architecture of the 1800’s. He invested 10.5 million dollars and incorporated 21^st century technology to make this happen.

courtesy www.booking.com

  In September 2007, Gal-Tex Corporation bought The Cliff House and added on to the hotel. Along with 1859 Historic Hotels L.L.C, they have kept the core staff and continue to improve the hotel’s reputation, including an East Addition housing a full bar, fitness room, garden patio, meeting room in what was Williams Canyon, and a 3^rd level outdoor atmosphere space that can be turned into an indoor area as needed. Today,  The Cliff House is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is both a grand hotel and restaurant.