The Abriendo Inn is located in Pueblo, Colorado, and was originally built in 1906 by Martin Walter, who founded Walter’s Beer. The building was formally known as Walter’s Mansion until it was converted into an inn. Jeff and Cindy Bailey are the current owners of the property and have strived to keep the style of the building true to its 1900s Victorian style. The house is three stories and has a wrap-around porch that includes sitting areas for visitors. There are a total of seven suites available for reservations, each including a coffee bar and some with jetted tubs. Breakfast is served every day in a ‘grab and go’ style; additionally, food items are available 24/7. The business is open year-round, with the busiest season falling between late spring and early fall.
The city of Pueblo, Colorado, is home to the Abriendo Inn. The business offers a total of seven suites available for guest reservations. One of the suites is located on the main level to provide easy access, with the rest being located on the other two levels of the building. All of the accommodations are located in one building that is Victorian styled and was built in 1906. The beds are decorated to fit this time period and style, such as brass beds with large posts. Out of all the units, the Blake Suite is the most popular, according to Jeff, the owner of the Abriendo Inn. This suite includes a jetted tub, a commodity only found in one other suite. The interior is intact according to the original architecture. Jeff comments that the inn features “unique craftsmanship, curved staircases, and copper ceilings.” Common areas in the building include a dining room on the main level, sitting rooms, and an entertainment room.
Breakfast is provided at Abriendo Inn each day. Jeff explains that the breakfast given to guests is not of the traditional bed and breakfast style and is instead more like a “modified continental breakfast.” Food provided to the patrons includes precooked breakfast burritos that are offered 24/7, along with other snacks. All of the food items are meant to be "grab and go" or food they can heat up in the microwave. If patrons have dietary needs or restrictions, the business is willing to accommodate if they are notified in advance. Additionally, there is a coffee bar that visitors are welcome to use. Each suite also includes coffee makers, as well as a beverage cooler. Other amenities include WiFi, flowers in the rooms, and gated parking. Served on the premises is Walters Beer; Jeff remarks that this is to commemorate the fact the building formally served as the residence of the founder of Walters Beer.
The outside of the building has a relatively large covered porch that wraps around it. Sitting is provided, which guests tend to utilize to drink coffee and congregate. The less than an acre property is surrounded by an iron fence, with a drive-through gate that visitors have to have a code for in order to enter the premises. Jeff says these features give patrons a sense of security when staying there. Features on the grounds include quite a few trees, according to Jeff. Additionally, there is an herb garden full of dense vines and bushes. Jeff says this gives a peaceful and tranquil feeling towards the back of the land.
The Abriendo Inn serves as a place of lodging as well as a venue for events such as weddings and bridal showers. Cindy Bailey, one of the owners of Abriendo Inn, is a wedding planner and can either plan events hosted at the inn, or the visitors can plan them and only use the premises as a venue. Events hosted by the property include a Mother’s Day tea event and will occasionally host graduation parties, tea parties, reunions, and memorial services. Jeff says that the property can host crowds of up to 200 hundred guests but can not exceed that.
Jeff explains that “no smoking is the number one policy” of the Abriendo Inn, which includes both inside and outside the buildings. Another policy includes that all bookings must happen online. This is meant to allow communication between patrons and inn-keepers and for the visitors to be aware of certain things pertaining to their stay. Dogs are not permitted on the property; one reason is to limit the noise on the property since the owners won’t know how their dog will react to others. The owners comment that it is important to note that guests to the property must be 16 years or older. Jeff says that his property “has more a mature atmosphere, with patrons typically falling in the 40 years and older age range.” The only exception to this rule is if a family reserves all the suites, but they are still expected to keep a watchful eye over the children.
Overall, the owners hope that those who stay at the property “will feel like they have stepped back in time into the turn of the century and 1900s.” Jeff says they want them to feel like they are in this time frame and that the historical nature of the building allows for this atmosphere. The original style of the building is still intact, and the owner has furnished it to try and keep the same feel. Jeff says that since they reopened the property and continued to add to the historical feel of the building, they have had repeat guests, with some coming from when the original inn was open.
The owners try to interact with their visitors according to the individuals' wants. Guests have commented on the hospitality of the owners and how they tend to be available when needed. One guest remarked, “Cindy and Jeff are wonderful owners who take pride in their home and want you to share their excitement and the joy they feel for the home. The home itself is very attractive and would be appealing to anyone interested in large homes built by the wealthy in the early 1900s. It is well taken care of and maintains the ambiance intended by the original owner and architect.” Jeff says that visitors tend to research the property before arriving, and that leads to a unique thing about the Abriendo Inn being the history of the Walter family and its connection to Walter’s Brewery and Beer.
The inn is open year-round, with the busiest season from late spring to early fall. Jeff comments on how the business tends to slow down during the winter months due to the colder weather. This weather also restricts the use of the venue available on the property. Throughout the year, guests may come for the attractions located in the surrounding area. The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk is located half a mile away from the inn, and Jeff says this is one of the popular things to do in the area. The river walk also has multiple restaurants located on it. The owners recommend specific restaurants to their patrons, including an Italian restaurant named La Forchetta da Massi and D C’s on B Street, which serves seafood and wine. He also suggests the Shamrock Brewery. Another attraction near the property is the Colorado State Fair Grounds. The state fair happens annually in the last week in August and the first week in September.
The Abriendo Inn was in business from the 1980s until 2012. Between 2012 to 2020, a company bought the building and turned it into an office space, but in September of 2020, Jeff and Cindy Bailey purchased the property and converted it back into an inn. Cindy has been in the wedding planning industry for the past 20 years and wanted her own venue to host these events, which led them to purchase the inn. Jeff was a high school history teacher but retired in May of 2021 and decided this was an opportunity to continue to do something. The Bailey’s continue to be the owners and also live on the property, operating most things by themselves. Another member of the Bailey family that resides at the Abriendo Inn is Jeff and Cindy’s dog, Bentley. Jeff says, “guests know Bentley before they ever know us,” due to him greeting them when they get out of their cars. Bentley is not allowed outside during events.
The building was built in 1906 and is currently registered under the National Registry for Historic Homes. The building was built by Martin Walter, who was a German immigrant in the 1880s. He and his family were all beer brewers; however, he decided to move to California when he arrived in America. Along the way, he decided to stop in Pueblo, Colorado, and open his own brewery in 1889. Jeff says that during that time, the brewery became very successful, “rivaling Cowers and Anheuser-Busch.” During his lifetime, Martin had two wives and children with both, raising them in the home known as the Abriendo Inn today. Other members of the Walter family lived in the Walter Mansion for a couple of years, but eventually, Carolyn Trent bought the property and converted it into a bed and breakfast. After Carolyn, the business saw a couple more owners until the Baileys purchased it. Since purchasing the business, the Baileys say that they have enjoyed “getting to meet people from all over the United States” the most.
300 W. Abriendo Avenue
Pueblo, Colorado 81004
United States
Victorian
Jeff and Cindy Bailey
