Day 27 - My listing, an Old Railroad Hotel

[David126]

Lizzie likes snow pictures, Depot with Hotel in the background 90 years ago.

I moved to Como in 2008, the property I bought included the Railroad Hotel and Depot. Hotel sounds a bit grandiose, I have a neighbour with a 3 Bedroom House that is bigger. The Depot was on the verge of collapse, a small wooden building and has been restored for use as a museum. The Hotel was being used as a small seasonal Restaurant which I continued doing for a few years and I had 4 rooms which I would let out.

The Hotel was built in 1897 on part of the foundations of a much larger building that had burned down the previous year. It was what might be called a fixer upper and a lot of work has been done, new electrics, heating, restored windows etc etc.

I currently let out 3 rooms and am working on the other side of the building to add 5 more. I may reopen the bar and do a bit of food in the summer, but do not want to run a full Restaurant again.

Having closed the operation somebody I knew suggested I should list my 3 spare rooms on AirBnB. 2 ½ years ago I listed one just to see and all went well so I added the other two. What attracted me to use AirBnB was the marketing reach and the fact that I would only pay if I had bookings so no up front risk, no monthly fees etc.

I do have a Co Host, Shadow, he is a Great Pyrenees. I have have had him for 4 ½ years, he was a rescue.

My Restaurant business had been seasonal, I am located in South Park (yes the one in the Cartoon TV series) and whilst we are high up in the Rockies we are not a Ski destination. Nearest is Breckenridge which is slightly lower that where I am. 14 miles as the crow flies, 18 miles in the summer by way of a scenic pass and 33 miles in the winter.

So the first year I did OK until November when my business died, nothing I did not expect, so thought I was finished until spring, I did not snooze my listing and to my surprise started getting bookings in December. Quite happy as the income helped pay for my heating costs. Found that I was quite busy through to April, a lot of it is ski related business, the ski resorts being significantly more expensive, guests were happy to commute or would stay with me on their way to or from Denver Airport. I am only an hour away from Denver, but in many respects a world away.

It has been interesting, obviously I am not a normal listing and most of my guests ‘get it’, but some are surprised.

Como was a Railroad Town, the Town died in 1937 when the last passenger train came through, I mentioned the Depot which is the oldest building in Como dating back to 1879 and which has been restored, my neighbour owns the Roundhouse built in 1881, all 3 building make up the National Historic listing. When we restored the Depot we laid a section of track in front to set the scene. We had a hand car, one you pump up and down, and a little track car and thought that would be it. 9 months ago my neighbour announced they had bought a Steam Locomotive and it would be operational, a major change, so last summer we laid more track between the Depot and Roundhouse and in August the first train pulled into the Depot since 1938.

My plans for next year are to get the other 5 rooms open, a lot of the work has been done, eventually the track will come in front of the Hotel and will include rebuilding the platform.

9News did a nice little piece on us, we have been fortunate with quite a bit of press coverage.

http://www.9news.com/mobile/article/news/storytellers-volunteers-restore-como-depot-railway/73-47420...

David and Shadow

[Jeff158]

Fantastic @David126 If it would let me you'd get 2 thumbs up

[Fred13]

What a great story @David0. So cool to hear someone's 'story' and how they got into Airbnb and then landed here. Colorado is so rich in American West history. When I lived in Boulder I would take trips into the most remote areas and would always wonder how life was 'then' (1880's or so), what they went through, and what was their dream. Mitchener's 'Centennial' sure brought a lot of that epoch and Colorado to life. 

[Kimberly54]

@David126, OMIGOODNESS!  I am laughing, shaking my head, and...I love this!  I want to come visit! 

...Except the snow.  I prefer that on pictures.  Yep, really love seeing snow in pictures! 

WOW!  Thank you for writing!

:-)))))))))

Best!

[Edwin57]

beautifull beautiful stories from you and every Host thats puting it out there O MY GOD how we make history,and in a different way what's  good about it the whole world  get to see it, and read it also through Airbnb plus the Guest that get to stay to.I know some of you thought of it,  what i would like to see is a museum of great great  stories set on Airbnb with pictures,and for Airbnb set up a different add on how great would that be, if not on our listing why not on Airbnb is like way beyond super Host just something to think Airbnb Family ,and Host,and Guest

[Edwin57]

I have a story about my place i will put it out there some day or soon

[Helga0]

@David126, great story! I laughed too, about how it judt happens, you restore an old building, lay a few rails as it was a railway depot and a neighbor just buys a steam train. 😉 perfectly reasonable, just a piece after another falling in place. What could 14 remaining inhabitants of an old town do else to pass the time? 

Your guests must love it - I would like to take a ride, not only in the train, but on the small push cart. Do you sell rides on that? By the half hour for the kids to push themselves to and fro, to get them tired ?

thanks for sharing!

[David126]

@Helga0

We have discussed rides and actually that is something we are looking to do next year, issue so far stopping us has been Insurance.

We have had the Forestry Service operating it on Rail Road Day. Good work out.

Sorry Lizzy, no snow!

[Helga0]

I was once shown an English railroad museum on a business trip and they happened to run an old steam train for kds fom a local school. My business partner was a fast talker and talked them into taking us along too. They could not place us with the school classes in the cars, so we two ladies were allowed to squeeze into the lock. It was the highlight of the trip for me. If you can offer rides, your guests will be very impressed, @David126! But yes, there is more to driving such an old train, then driving a car, you need a professional to do it. Maybe you can find a solution with the railway company? Every (second) Sunday, they get free training, if they take some guests with them? Liability is always a big issue in the US, so I wish you luck. But someone with enough obstinacy to rebuild a rail line, should overcome the insurance problem. Invite the person in charge to ibspect in person 😉 no danger, low fees and yearly re-checks, if it’s still safe. 

[David126]

@Helga0

Hopefully @Lizzie will not mind if we digress.

There is a seperate group for operating the Locomotive who of course I work with. http://www.southparkrail.com/ We should be having a meeting soon to sort out the operation aspects for next year,.

One thing we are doing is donating a Engineer for the Day to Colorado Preservation for their charity auction, winner can come and run the Loco under supervision of course.

[Fred13]

Oh how cool. 

What has always impressed me is the sheer masterpieces of the bar ensembles in the old American West towns, such as in Leadville, Virgina City, Jackson Hole, etc.

[Helga0]

Are we digressing, @David126?

Many of the stories in December showed a bit of the hosts themselves, how they live and their dreams. Yours and @Fred13‘s island are the most fantastic dreams , so it’s easier to see, but it’s this glimpse into other dreams, that people want to share and what makes it special. If it’s a treehouse, a house filled with family treasures, a room an actor slept in, a host, who shares the unwritten history of the town, it all makes guests feel special, that they could share it. 

[David262]

A collection of volunteers have been renovating and running steam train services on Sundays near my Airbnb for quite some time. Seems to be something small town folk do very well, and it certainly engages the tourists. Being a tropical location though, I think the view from the carriages as they roll past my place would be quite different to your town, but they have turned a few kilometres of disused sugar cane transport tracks from 1800/1900s into a local 21st century attraction. (They just recently finished refurbishing yet another engine.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKVo9-SLwPY 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Great story @David126 😄 I love it! Just curious... those furniture in the living room and bar... is it original ? was it in the hotel when you bought it? 

[David126]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

I have no photos of the inside of the Buildings from the Railroad Days, the Bar was built by a friend, sadly passed away, a few years ago. I think the original was smaller and plainer. The old Hotel that burned down was I am sure High Victorian, but this is a much simpler and smaller building.