Wood Windows Keep Architectural Integrity of Ouray Hotel

Located in Ouray, Colorado, The Western hotel is known for its historical significance as one of the oldest continually operating hotels in the state. Built in 1891, The Western has provided lodging for over a century. Our clients, S.C. Holley Construction began their three-year construction project in 2020 in hopes of restoring the magnificent Victorian-era architecture with modern luxuries. The freshly renovated hotel now boasts glamourous light-filled suites, dark wood features and custom leather furnishings, paying homage to its rich history. To preserve the original features and detailing, our team completed a historic window replacement with customized wood windows.

As the most readily available material in the 19th century, wood provided both a practical and desirable window solution. To stay historically accurate, our team recommended using Pella Reserve wood windows for their endless customization options, making them the ideal choice for restoring this beloved property. Our clients opted for windows with a dual-finish — a white exterior with an unfinished interior. This neutral color combination allows for the more decorative hotel room features to stand out against the windows, enhancing the overall aesthetics while staying true to the original design. Also, the unfinished interior allows the construction team to tailor this selection to their exact specifications, perfect for this type of project.

To increase the longevity of these wood windows, the exterior is carefully wrapped with Pella’s exclusive EnduraClad® to resist chalking and fading. This extruded aluminum cladding ensures the wooden frames stay resilient through the harsh Colorado winters. Our clients can rest assured their windows stay in pristine condition all year long, reducing callbacks to the job site. The design flexibility and endless customizations made wood windows desirable for this project. S.C. Holley Construction was thrilled with the outcome: a completely customized experience.

Guest experience is the number one priority for The Western hotel. With this in mind, the contractors enlisted the help of our team to recommend a window solution that would keep guests comfortable throughout the changing Ouray seasons. We suggested using a mix of double-hung windows ranging in rough openings and frame sizes. These different sizes allow hotel management to rely on air circulation in addition to modern heating and cooling systems.

Our expert team visited the site many times throughout the restoration process to ensure that each double-hung window selection was modified to the specific needs of each guest room. This attention to detail makes our team the premier partner. We confidently recommended and installed these windows to avoid unnecessary errors throughout the process.

The Western hotel, situated at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, overlooks stunning landscapes in its mountain climate. In this region, our local team highly suggested using high altitude glass. During the manufacturing process, our engineering teams designed this glass with the intention to let air in and out, relieving pressure and avoiding potential damage. In all, the double-hung windows with this intentional glass option made the perfect addition to this historic property. Our clients are overjoyed with the outcome — historically accurate replacement windows that enhance the overall hotel ambiance inside and outside.