Grand Hotel - Jerome, Arizona

Drove into the old mining town of Jerome on a late December afternoon ahead of a winter storm. We could see our hotel high up on the hill above the town, a welcome sight and a place to come in out of the cold. Stepping into the hotel lobby I immediately smelled the "oldness," the scent from a bygone era.

We walked up to the hostess, unsmiling at first, and checked in. She took a bit of time to warm up to us initially but once we had our room key the hostess brightened up and lent us a smile. To get to our room, on the third floor, we could take the stairs or use the nifty and original Otis elevator, a small and cozy contraption originally installed in 1926. My partner in crime was smitten with the elevator which you worked by manually opening the doors, inserting your key and selecting your floor. The elevator was only the second one in the world built at the time that was self-service. When it was installed, Jerome was one town that could afford this new technology as it was on its way to generating a billion dollars worth of copper.

Room 36 was a balcony room for two with an awesome view overlooking Jerome and the valley. The bathroom was had new fixtures, the queen bed was very comfortable and the radiant heater worked like a charm. The night we stayed a blanket of fog developed covering the town in mist and later we had a snow flurrie, quiet the event for desert dwellers like ourselves. If you want a room with a history, then pick room number 32. It also has a balcony but is the one where a desperate parapeligic was staying who committed suicide by throwing himself, including wheelchair, over the balcony. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, we didn't experience any sort of haunting, not even a sound - with the exception of the loud clanging of our radiator at odd times during the night.

One thing to consider about the Grand Hotel is its location, it is about a five to ten minute walk to nearest shops which means not much when the weather is good but if it's rainy it can pose a problem. If you prefer not having to walk you may do better at the Ghost City Inn which is located right on main street next to the Mile High Grill.

The cost to stay on a week night for a queen bed with a balcony view in mid-December was $108 with AAA discount. The hotel lists this room at $160 per night so do check to see about their discounts.

Grand Hotel
Jerome, Arizona 86333
http://www.jeromegrandhotel.com/