Long ago, in late April, 1896 two fierce conflagrations burnt the then-shabby city of Cripple Creek to the ground. It may have seemed like an apocalypse, but it turned out to be cleansing and invigorating. As the Cripple Creek Morning Times editorialized a year later, “The era of shacks has ended. No longer can Cripple Creek be called a poor man’s camp. In little more than a year after its ordeal it has become a city of handsome dwellings whose elegance and refinements are reflected in the brilliant social life. A throb beats through its every artery, giving the people a dash and drive that fascinates visitors.”
The long-departed editorial writers for the Morning Times sure knew how to write flashy copy, but the Cripple Creek of that era spawned reams of flashy copy – so maybe it wasn’t too exaggerated after all.
The apex of the city’s recovery from disaster may have been the National Hotel, a four-story brick and stone edifice with an elevator, private baths, service bells and telephones on every floor. It was called “The Brown Palace of Cripple Creek,” having cost the then-unimaginable sum of $150,000.00. To celebrate its opening, the owners threw a party and invited every resident of Cripple Creek to come watch the festivities.
A grand time was had by all, according to Cripple Creek Days, a book published in 1958 by Mabel Barbee Lee, who was there with her Mom as a 12 year-old.
Nearly 127 years after the opening of the National, the Chamonix may be its renascent twin. Most recently, the Cripple Creek casinos have been updating and reinvesting in an effort to attract more than local visitors. Enter Full House Casinos, a Vegas-based company that acquired Bronco Billy’s casino and adjacent undeveloped properties, then revealed plans for a $300 million multi-storied hotel/casino/convention center on Bennett Avenue, including a parking structure, a rooftop pool, luxurious rooms and suites and everything else associated with a world-class hotel. Many wondered whether such a project was feasible, or whether it was just a Vegas-based exaggeration.
It’s Cripple Creek’s Waldorf Astoria, more luxurious and fun than any Colorado Springs hotel except the Broadmoor (and the Broadmoor lacks a casino). The rooms are spacious and comfortable, the views of the city and surrounding mountains are delightful. The rooftop pool is extraordinary, and the bars and restaurants are as good as any associated with hotels along the Front Range. The architecture blends seamlessly with the historic buildings along Bennett Avenue, and the quality of its construction far surpasses any of its Colorado contemporaries.
In true Las Vegas style, the hotel isn’t afraid to toot its own horn. According to its website, “Chamonix is the only Colorado casino with roots in Las Vegas. The management and design team has been part of the development of some of the world’s leading casinos, including Wynn (Las Vegas and Macau), Bellagio, Beau Rivage, L’Auberge, the Borgata and numerous Four Seasons and Montage hotels. This is not the Cripple Creek you know. Chamonix offers a Vegas-quality level of Colorado gaming. And while we may only have 300 high-end guest rooms and suites (versus Vegas resorts with 3,000+ rooms), how many rooms do you intend to sleep in? We provide a more intimate experience—with the same exciting games and slots, and the same quality of restaurants and amenities—as the best of Las Vegas.”
The restaurants live up to the hype, the bars are friendly and comfortable and the prices are surprisingly moderate. Many rooms have a lovely view of the city and mountains, the slots are loose and the employees friendly and professional.
Free drinks for gamblers, a spectacular art-filled lobby and barroom, friendly and competent employees crisp …what more could you ask?
Perhaps a bigger jackpot?
