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After two years, renovations at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel are finally finished.
The $28 million project sought to restore the “Colonial Revival” style and feel the hotel became known for in years past, as well as update the hotel’s accessibility and safety standards. The project also sought to retain as much original material as possible, to keep the hotel’s original character intact.
Broadly, “Colonial Revival” refers to American colonial architecture, which emphasized symmetry and the classicism of British Georgian, imported with the original colonists. This revival occurred in the late 19th century and early 20th. In the Hotel, this style can be seen in its Ionic porticoes as well as its gabled roof and dormer windows.
From a Xanterra press release:
“This renovation of the Lake Hotel maintains that timeless elegance while improving its structural integrity and improving upon the functionality expected of today’s discerning travelers,” said Jim McCaleb, general manager of Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ Yellowstone National Park Lodges. “First-time visitors as well as those who have been coming here for decades will be impressed.”
The renovation of Lake Hotel took place primarily over the past two winters during the time when the hotel closed for the season.
Notable improvements include:
- Major structural enhancements.
- Achieving Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance.
- Renovation of the lobby, Sun Room and dining room, bringing back the hardwood floors, colors, period lighting and compatible furnishings of the period.
- Renovation of the registration desk, bell desk and bar
- Addition of a concierge desk.
- Renovations of 153 rooms which included new finishes, lighting and carpeting that reflect the period.
- Restoration or replacement of windows and doors.
- Addition of four suites.
- Renovation of the presidential suite.
- Construction of a business center.
- Renovation of corridors.
- Renovation and expansion of the delicatessen.
- Relocations of hotel offices.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, under the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It has also been listed under the National Register of Historic Places since 1991.
The Lake Yellowstone Hotel has been around since 1891, when it was a simple three-story bevel sided building with 80 rooms. Beginning in 1903—and for 25 years afterward—architect Robert C. Reamer supervised renovations and expansions, which converted the hotel into the picturesque resort it is today.
