Built in the 1940s by the former police chief, the Bristol is the rare lodging in downtown Steamboat Springs, and offers a much different experience than the condo-heavy complexes at the ski area. With an authentic historic ambiance, Hotel Bristol ratchets up the Old West quotient with black-and-white photos and Native American blankets in the rooms, and offers smallish standard rooms with two twins or one queen along with family rooms (two rooms connected by a shared bath) and more contemporary suites (converted from the former caretaker's unit) with a bit more elbow room.