Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel & Restaurant

What It's Like to Stay at Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel & Restaurant | Condé Nast Traveler

"I cruised down Sheridan Avenue and was immediately struck by this local institution: a historic 1902 hotel commissioned by Buffalo Bill to attract Yellowstone tourists and named for his youngest daughter, now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Inside feels like an old Western set — taxidermy stag heads, antler chandeliers, floral carpets, clashing wallpaper, lace curtains, plaques telling scandalous stories, curiosity cabinets of vintage guns and coins, and in the Silver Saddle Lounge a show saddle that belonged to Buffalo Bill himself. The wood‑panelled restaurant, with red‑topped tables and leathery booths, is my favorite room; don’t skip the signature all‑you‑can‑eat prime rib buffet — I had an enormous hand‑carved slice with tasty sides and a whiskey sauce so good I could’ve drunk it neat — and the cherrywood bar, allegedly a gift from Queen Victoria, is the nightly meeting place set to country music. Rooms are named after esteemed patrons (I stayed in the Simon Snyder, all fringed lamps, antique mahogany, two stately maroon bed frames, a plush navy armchair and thick velvet curtains), and though there’s no elevator the place pairs old‑world charm with modern comforts like strong Wi‑Fi, a hot shower and a perfectly working, appropriately ancient‑looking air conditioner. There’s a cheesy but beloved summer amateur Western street show with staged arrests and a shoot‑out, which somehow fits the hotel’s playful preservation of Buffalo Bill’s showmanship — I never felt haunted during my stay, slept deeply, and left thinking this balance of humor and history makes it one of the sweetest hotels I’ve ever stayed in." - Charley Ward