Michelle J.
Yelp
This hotel is so historical, beautifully remodeled and with tons of character. We recently went there and enjoyed breakfast in the dining room. The cuisine is not in character for Del Norte, but absolutely delicious! The items are fresh - no canned mushrooms here (yuck)! Fresh and unique flavors like you find in finer 4 star and above hotels and restaurants. My stepfather and I each had an omelette and my mother had huevos rancheros which was tasty with spicy flavors and capers - not a common combination but SO good! The omelettes were great too! I don't eat pork or beef and they were happy to omit the bacon. The veggies were great! The portions are not large but satisfying because they are rich and full of taste. For a larger appetite, I would recommend ordering a side to go with your entree. For example, the omelette was just an omelette - no potatoes or bread of any kind offered with it. I worked at the Zapata Ranch near the Sand Dunes for several years which offered an amazing menu, but we struggled with offering gourmet food that was ample enough for the "meat and potatoes kind of taste," so I would order a little extra. This is the only suggestion I would have for the chef is to provide a bit of a side with some of the items to meet the tastes of the local clientele.
The group who restored the hotel, including Architect Mark Jones who happens to have the same name as my brother, who owns a landscape company, MJ's Dirt Works, in the Valley, has been working to restore the property since 1993 and it looks amazing! They used local contractors to do the work, and that is so refreshing to stimulate that local economy! I grew up all around the San Luis Valley and remember phases of the old hotel. One of them being the Wild West Emporium where the hotel had an old western themed cat walk around the entire facade of the building. My grandfather sold meat for Bar S and I remember him taking me there for candy as a child. The staff has photos in the lobby which triggered my memory, because the hotel has been so nicely renovated I wouldn't have recognized it. It was completely abandoned at one point and was almost demolished, which would have been a tragedy.
Last being said, the rich history of that whole area - with gold mining and such - is worth checking out all over the San Luis Valley and surrounding Mountain areas. There was once a lot of money in the area and treasures hidden by French miners are still searched for by some. We were told the hotel is known for 9 ghosts, including Maude, a wealthy woman who came from Creede, Colorado (about 20-30 minutes from Del Norte, where they are currently filming the Disney movie Tonto and the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp - so cool for Colorado!). Sadly, Maude walked across from the Windsor, bought a gun and killed herself. Many people have said they have seen her moving around the hotel, and especially in room 209. I can't wait to go back to check it out more, and take my daughter who is 12 and loves exploring those types of historical places!
Completely worth visiting!