Old West charm
Montana's Pollard Hotel recaptures days of Buffalo Bill, Sundance Kid
From its early days as a rough-and-tumble frontier town lodge, the Pollard Hotel has transformed. Oh, it's still got that red brick front -- it was Red Lodge, Montana's first brick building when it opened in 1893 -- and it still offers warm Western hospitality. But patrons these days aren't likely to witness any gunslinging across the street.
Guests in 1897 may have seen just that, though, when the Sundance Kid robbed the Red Lodge Bank. The bank is now an office building, but the Pollard remains a link to the Victorian Old West in spectacular Rocky Mountain surroundings.
The building was known as the Spofford Hotel until 1902, when hotelier Thomas Pollard took over. The hotel played host to both the famous and infamous -- from William Jennings Bryan to Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. For 40-plus years, the hotel remained in the Pollard family.
The hotel played host to both the famous and infamous -- from William Jennings Bryan to Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. For 40-plus years, the hotel remained in the Pollard family. The building fell into disrepair in later years, and after a particularly disastrous attempt to renovate the property, it was bought by the Hotel Company of Red Lodge and given a proper renovation.
The landmark hotel's rooms are now larger than they were when the Sundance Kid crept into the bank across the street -- and they all have comfortable bathrooms. But the renovations have maintained the look and feel of The Pollard's Victorian/Western past, laden with oak and cherry features.
And if the history isn't enough of a draw, the scenery surely is. One of the most spectacular sights: From Red Lodge, the Beartooth Scenic Byway sweeps over the Beartooth Mountains toward Yellowstone National Park. The late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt called the 65-mile stretch of highway "the most beautiful drive in America."
From Red Lodge, the Beartooth Scenic Byway sweeps over the Beartooth Mountains toward Yellowstone National Park. The late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt called the 65-mile stretch of highway "the most beautiful drive in America." The Beartooth Scenic Byway passes over the highest driving points in both Montana (10,350 feet) and Wyoming (10,942 feet), and it's possible to play in the snow or even ski at certain points along the highway in July.
The Pollard is entirely non-smoking, and has its original phone number: Red Lodge 1. The hotel's dining room has won a Wine Spectator Award three years running.
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