256 South. Downtown Lodging . Established 1923.

Did you know that all the portraits in our lobby are prominent residents of Fort Collins? These beautifully curated paintings highlight individuals from all different backgrounds and industries who have made a difference to this community.

This Month’s Portrait Tribute goes to the Founders of New Belgium Brewery, Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan and the innovative and creative Curt Richardson, the founder of Otter Box and owner of Old Elk Distillery.

Jeff Lebesch & Kim Jordan

Lebesch is an electrical engineer by trade and a home brewer at heart. In 1988, Jeff went on a mountain biking tour of Belgium and fell in love with the country’s beer. After meeting, Jeff and Kim traveled back to Belgium and decided to open a Belgium style brewery in Fort Collins, the first brewery in the US to make Belgian-style beer. In 2013, New Belgium Brewery became employee owned and this welcoming FOCO staple has continued to be a top choice for visitors and locals alike. With favorites always on tap, New Belgium offers seasonal specials and is a great place to check out the local food truck scene! Summer can’t come soon enough, and we can’t wait to celebrate patio season with our friends at New Belgium!

    New Belgium Brewery
    New Belgium

    Curt Richardson

    Curt is The Founder and Chairman of Otter Box which was created in 1998. The company has branched out from just the iPhone cases to an active lifestyle of amenities, perfect for everyone. Curt has expanded his portfolio and recently opened The Reserve by Old Elk Distillery on Linden. We absolutely love having the Reserve at Ace Gillett’s for #WhiskeyWednesday!

      Old Elk
      Old Elk Distillery

      Stay tuned as we dive into the history and mystery behind each of the portraits on our lobby wall. Who will you recognize?