Outlook Hotel wants guests to know they’re in Boulder, experience area’s amenities

BOULDER — This August, the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, 800 28th St., officially completed a six-month, $1.5 million renovation designed to provide guests with distinct exposure to local flair.

The revamp includes a new commons area, complete with climbing rocks, as well as many other amenities, such as high-speed wireless Internet access and designated “pet-friendly” rooms adjacent to an enclosed dog walk.

An investment team led by Dan King and Gregory Hartmann, HVS Hotel Management (formerly Six Hats), purchased the 40-year-old property for $5 million in December 2002. Originally built in 1963 as a Holiday Inn, the hotel remained under that name until 1998 when it was replaced with the Ramada moniker.

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“We like this hotel,” explained King, managing member of The Outlook, about his team’s decision to revitalize the existing structure rather than initiate new construction. But they wanted to give it “personality,” he added.

Adventure concierge

To achieve this makeover, HVS Hotel Management chose to highlight Colorado-specific features in the hotel’s indoor commons area called “Boulder Square.” Using a local company, Monolithic Sculptures, the hotel installed 11-foot and 4-foot bouldering rocks with a 9-inch padded floor beneath the climbing structures.

“You could wake up (in a chain hotel) and be in Wisconsin or Florida,´ said King, due to the uniformity of their appearance. “We wanted our guests to come out of their rooms, see the bouldering wall and say, ‘I must be in Boulder.'”

Along with the climbing rocks, the new Boulder Square has a chlorine-free pool, a cascading waterfall, an arcade and an exercise room.

To reflect the passions of many Boulderites who enjoy active lifestyles, The Outlook also helps visitors explore Colorado through its “Adventure Concierge” services, which can arrange excursions for a number of activities such as rock climbing, kayaking, fly-fishing and hang gliding.

“Most hotels have racks that display local brochures,” King said. “We wanted to have more of a personal approach, so we contacted local adventure companies, have made personal contacts and, whenever possible, have negotiated discounts for guests.”

Pet services

The Outlook also caters to those traveling with pets. The hotel offers six pet-friendly rooms with complimentary “Fido Gift Packages,” containing a food bowl and doggy biscuits. Pet caretakers can let their dogs run and stretch in a fully enclosed dog walk, located near the rooms. The hotel also provides dog-walking services, at a cost of about $10, as well as in-room veterinary care.

“People who travel with pets are usually relegated to bad or ugly hotels,´ said King, who wanted to be able to offer pet owners another choice.

To gather feedback on how to improve the hotel before any renovation work began, The Outlook sent 2,400 surveys to business, university, tourism and community leaders, as well as hotel guests. From the 330 returned questionnaires, King said, he and his partners identified new amenities to include.

“We asked if they would like a small refrigerator or a microwave in the rooms and found out that most would like a refrigerator,” King said. “So now executive suites come standard with one, and in other rooms it’s available upon request.”

Additionally, all rooms now have 27-inch TVs, and the 28 executive rooms come equipped with DVD players. These niceties are just a few of the qualities that King hopes will help distinguish The Outlook from other hotels in the area.

“We’ve also spent a lot of time in staff development. Our niche is to deliver four-star service, but we don’t want it to be formal service,´ said King, who likes to tell the hotel’s 60 employees that the extra mile is the only mile that matters. “Once you take care of the basics, it’s the staff that makes the difference” for the guest’s experience.

Not a chain

The Outlook has 160 rooms, ranging from two- or three-room suites to standard rooms. While rates vary by season, a multiple-room suite ranges between $109 to $189, while standard rooms cost between $69 to $149.

King would not disclose revenue projections; however, he anticipates that the hotel will maintain yearly occupancy rates of 60 percent to 65 percent on average. Yet, he hopes that the hotel can return to better times, before the economy deflated, when occupancy rates averaged 70 percent annually.

As for future growth, King expects to have an extension on the roof of the hotel’s restaurant, “On the Rocks,” installed by next summer to allow more guests to enjoy views of the foothills while dining.

“We’re experimenting,´ said King, about investors’ approach to finding what works. “We’re not a chain, and while there are some great chains out there, their product offering has to be what the other 400 hotels in the chain are offering. Our goal is to take on the fun of Boulder and try to push that.”