The Oliver House — Hotel in Bisbee

I had the great pleasure of staying at The Oliver House last week. This clean and quirky historic 1908 lodge/hotel perfectly captures the vibe of Old Bisbee. Many shops and restaurants are just a few minutes' walk down the hill, so my car stayed mostly parked all week in the lot directly below St. John's church. The hotel is an adults only property. Any potential guests under 21 need special permission to stay. I inferred that such permission is rarely given.

The owners Amy and Kenny and caretaker/partner Caylin are warm and inviting. They ensured my stay was happy and comfortable. I chose room 6 since I was traveling with my pet Ollie. The room wasn’t large but I appreciated the additional sink, refrigerator/freezer and the polished hardwood floors and trim. The high ceiling was great, too. The historic plumbing lived up to its name so the shower water never got more than mildly warm, but no matter. The updated bathroom fixtures were fresh and clean and the full bed was so comfy to sleep in. A cold breakfast is laid out in the common area daily at 7am with a choice of breakfast cereal, yogurt, coffee, tea and juice. No toaster or commercial waffle maker, thank goodness, although packaged pastries were available one morning while I was there.

Three nights a week (Thurs-Sat) the common area transforms into 26 Souls, a beer/wine “speakeasy” perfect for conversation and/or board games, which are conveniently shelved in full view behind the bar. Caylin is an entertaining bartender with lots of stories to tell. But to me his dog Gladys is the grand Duchess of Oliver House. She is both friendly and a little bit aloof as she mingles with “her” guests. She is also gracious when the ghost tours come through her realm nightly.

After five nights I reluctantly checked out, promising myself that I would return to Bisbee and the Oliver House soon. So far that’s my only New Year’s resolution for 2025. Thank you Amy, Kenny, Randy, Caylin and Gladys for a warm welcome and a...

We really wanted to like the Oliver House but our stay suffered from so many issues. The good parts were the hospitality, the location, the history, and the shared kitchen space with tea, coffee, and continental breakfast options. Unfortunately, we did not enjoy the room at all. We knew as a historical property, it was going to be rustic but the renovations are so poorly done and the bathroom is still in such rough condition that instead of being charmingly rustic, it was more Motel 6 vibes - decaying and poorly repaired. The private bathroom, which we paid extra for, was comically small with no shelving and a door that didn’t close properly. There was little hot water so only one person got a hot shower. All these issues we can brush off as cosmetic or small inconveniences; the main issue was that the room was unbearably hot and there was no thermostat to control the temperature. It was probably 85+ degrees and impossible to sleep, even with the window open and the fan on. Also there is a transom window above the door which lets all the hallway light in, so that also made it impossible to sleep as the room was never dark. It was also fairly noisy due to the gaps between the doors and thin walls; definitely would be an issue if the hotel was at full occupancy. The room was generally pretty tidy but there were some dust bunnies around the room and an orange juice container under the bed indicating it had not been cleaned. There is also not a lot of furniture in the room, so you’ll be living off the floor. The location is great as it’s walkable to the brewery gulch and Main Street but it’s far enough from the main road as to not have a lot of traffic noise. The only issue with the location is that there is no parking close by and if you have a large car, have mobility limitations, or lots of bags, getting in and out will be tough. At the end of the day, it’s charming on paper but fails as a hotel, defined as a place to get rest, be...

What a wonderful little spot! We stayed at room 6, which is important if you’re looking to book here. We spring for the room that has a private bathroom. This is a classic old school multi occupant hotel with central bathroom facilities. Having the bathroom and shower in our room was super convenient. The community restrooms and showers were easily accessible and clean when I popped in. There was even a huge bathtub for you to use, should the need arise. Check in was super easy. It’s a low key kind of staff with modern tech to check in. Plus, the caretaker has an adorable pupper. Check out was as simple as leaving the key in the jar on the counter. There is a community breakfast area stocked with cereal, milk, cookies, two keurig machines, and fruit. Like I mentioned, the room we stayed in had its own bathroom and shower. Additionally, it had a sink and refrigerator in the main room. That was convenient. It’s old, so plugs seemed to be scarce, but that’s to be expected. The WiFi was easy to get on, and was fast enough for the evening. The bed was comfy, and the room was clean. The price was wonderful. The halls were nicely decorated, and the hotel itself is so well located. There’s a water machine and ice machine on the main floor as well.

Cons, the walls are THIN! Also, our ceiling fan shook for no reason at night, woke us up a few times. But hey, it’s an old place. We didn’t tell staff, maybe if y’all read this you can have a look at it, ha. So we can’t deduct points, it’s part of the experience. Also, Bisbee being what it is, parking could be tricky. We got lucky.

If this place has availabilities when I come, I’ll def stay here again. Hands down the best place I’ve stayed in Bisbee. Would...