Sheridan Inn, BW Signature Collection — Hotel in Sheridan

Quite a mixed bag. ||The good: ||charming as hell. The 22 themed rooms (named for historical guests who all stayed here, like Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull, and Bill Hickok) are a brilliant idea. The location is good, not great for downtown walking, especially in October when I visited. But just a five minute drive. ||The lobby smelled great from some fragrant candle they were burning, and there are two fireplaces and many cozy leather couches and chairs to hang out in. Historical photos and objects are everywhere. The common spaces are great. ||There are free custom chocolates waiting for you, very unexpected at this price, and my room, among the cheapest, was very spacious. My room had a nice desk area and a big leather arm chair and ottoman facing the bed. ||The bathroom was a particular plus, with a big clawfoot tub, and a wealth of high quality toiletries that far exceeds most hotels at this level. Towels are very soft, and not at all crunchy. ||The restaurant and bar (a gift to Buffalo Bill from Queen Victoria herself) are charming and the food passable. Bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable. The hotel desk staff that I encountered are actually American (rare enough these days) and very friendly. ||The bed was very comfortable, and the bedding is contemporary and fresh seeming. No gross polyester bedspread to have to toss in the corner by fingertips. ||The bad:||The lighting is a problem. There aren’t many lights, and they’re all about 20w yellow bulbs, and the windows are small, meaning the rooms are dark. Tough if you have to get any work done. ||I like that my Wild Bill room had a couple pictures of him, but they were sparse, and left the long shotgun walls mostly bare and cold. The other decor is western themed, but of the cheap, made in India/built from scrap lumber sort. Pure pastiche, and thin at that. ||There’s no gym, no mini frig (a problem for us road trippers carrying food), and no TV at all. Kind of liked that, but still not ideal for most people. ||The ugly:||my God, the noise. The trains that shake the whole building all night long bothered me less than the fact I could hear every footstep and every door slam seemingly in the entire hotel, upstairs and down. I was saved by staying out of season so the activity was relatively modest. But my whole bed shook from a group of people walking down the hall, UPSTAIRS.||The windows are single paned and I could hear every car from blocks around. And the hotel is on the corner of a main artery. I was woken up several times through the night by all of these things. I’m afraid this alone might keep me from ever returning. But if I do I’ll ask to be on the SW corner, furthest from the train and the road. And the restaurant. ||I went to bed around 9pm, and my room suddenly filled with the powerful smell of what I can only describe as a very garlicky pizza, as if an oven was venting directly into my room. I literally made my nose burn and my eyes water. It lasted an hour (about when the restaurant closed, which was just below my room) and then went away. ||Charming, but I’m leaving more sleep deprived than any hotel stay ever. A shame, because it’s close to being a real bargain. But you can’t call not...

We wanted to go somewhere for a combined holiday (New Year's weekend & our wedding anniversary which was on the 31st). But we didn't want to really leave town. We took a chance and gave the Sheridan Inn Hotel a try. We pass by it all the time, but knew nothing of it except what we had seen outside.

We stopped in on Wednesday to set a reservation. Jennie was on the desk. She was very kind, genuine, gracious and helpful. We asked if they had available rooms. She said yes. We asked to see one. She showed us Room 303 - the "Death Valley Scotty" room. It was a King size with a claw foot tub and hand held shower. After doing a quick walk through, we chose to take it.

Jennie set our reservations, charged us half the total cost and said we were scheduled for check-in after 3pm on Saturday. We chatted with her awhile longer and went on our way.

Room 303 was small, but quaint. No TV, fridge or microwave. The bathroom was laid out well, the claw foot tub was large and deep. Plenty of hot water. The heat worked well and we kept it at 70. The hotel is well insulated. It sits across from the train tracks, but we never really heard the trains.

The doors to the rooms are key locks, the old fashioned ones. There is also a Keurig on each wing of the 3rd floor, which was nice and there was a good selection of K cups. There were also games such as checkers and chess you could play in the hallway. Very cozy.

They have a continental breakfast which includes mini quiches and juices, toast, etc. Breakfast goes from 6am to 9am. They also have an on-site restaurant, the Open Range, which is open from roughly 11am-9pm.

This hotel is an anomaly. There are no TV's anywhere on the premises. There is also no luggage racks if you are bringing several bags. The hotel has 3 floors, but they do have an elevator. But during the winter, a luggage rack would help considerably. Especially in navigating the snow and ice.

During our 3 day stay (Sat-Mon) we had the pleasure of meeting other staff members as well. Stacy, Lewis (Louis), Lizzy and of course Jennie. They were all attentive, helpful, very pleasant, kind and gracious. The owner/manager has done an exceptional job at choosing his staff wisely. They all should be commended on a fine job done during this past holiday season.

For special occasions, we would choose to stay...

It was our first time to Sheridan. We stayed at the Sheridan Inn because it is historical and pretty close to everything downtown. And we are happy we did.||The Inn is very attractive from the street with plenty of parking around the back, so it does not interfere with the appearance from the front. The large lawn area and the porch were very inviting, but it was pretty cold when we were there, so we did not spend much time in those areas.||The lady who greeted us was extremely friendly and helpful, as was everyone we encountered. The lobby is warm and inviting and the fireplace had a fire in it the second night we were there. We had to sit near it and soak in the warmth because it was quite chilly outside.||We stayed in the Lillian F. Smith room. It was very nicely refurbished. The bedroom area was rather small, but adequate; the bathroom was plenty roomy with a claw-foot tub and nice porcelain sink and water closet. We loved the covers and blankets on the bed - they were of a Western theme, and they kept us very warm. The mattress was just the right firmness for us, so we slept quite well.||Breakfast consisted of fruit, yogurt, bread items, and a little ham and cheese. Coffee was made from K cups, but they did make a fresh-brewed pot upon request. The dining room and all of the common areas were very nice. ||We were pleasantly surprised to learn that there was an art collection in the basement. It contained some nice surprises - be sure to ask about it so you don't miss it. ||The Inn is close to several places to eat, plus they have their own on-site restaurant, The Open Range, which is quite good (I will write a separate review on it).||You have to watch your head in rooms on the upper floors because the sections of ceiling between windows hang low. If you are a tall or large person, you might want to opt for one of the larger rooms. But even with the smaller room, I was able to take a nap while my wife went out into the spacious hallway, where they have comfortable over-stuffed chairs, and read. There are a lot of places where you can just hand out here.||I highly...