The Monarch was rebuilt in 1899 after a fire razed Victorâs business district. Illustration by Dustin Glatz
Photo by Heidi Beedle
At its height at the turn of the 20th century, Victor, Colorado had a population of approximately 18,000. Today, itâs about 430. Itâs a ghost town â literally and figuratively â but Adam Zimmerli, owner of the Black Monarch Hotel, is hoping to change that.
The Black Monarch opened in May 2019 and is the latest iteration of 301 Victor Ave., a brick building built in 1899 after a fire devastated Victorâs business district. The building has previously housed an art gallery and a saloon. Zimmerli purchased the property in 2018 and has turned it into a boutique hotel experience. An admitted 1930s horror buff, Zimmerli has assigned each room a theme and motif with names like âBlack Annisâ and a gothic Victorian decor heavy on taxidermy. Itâs perfect for people who both love the
Adam Zimmerli Heidi Beedle
While certainly an interesting marketing angle, ghosts are the least of Adam Zimmerliâs concerns at the Black Monarch Hotel. Zimmerli, whose previous experience includes work in the cannabis industry, is looking to expand not only his personal brand, but the entire town of Victor as well â which would be tricky for any small town, especially one weathering the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
âI honestly am super happy with how we fared through the pandemic,â says Zimmerli, who didnât even have a full year of ânormalâ business before COVID struck.
As part of his economic revitalization plan, heâs given two three-year leases for $1 to two women who will operate the gift shop and coffee shop heâs planning to open in June on the first floor of the Black Monarch.