Shorehouse Hotel is an upscale, four-suite mountain retreat nestled in the whitewater mecca Buena Vista, Colorado, situated on vibrant Main Street where new businesses and new buildings continue to bolster BV. Founded by Brad and Megan Kingman, owners of the iconic CKS River Supply, the couple will now operate Shorehouse Hotel alongside CKS on historic town grounds.
Shorehouse Hotel is poised to become the newest home base to explore all that BV and the Ark have to offer, from private and commercial boating to local restaurants and bars, mountain biking and hiking, the river park with surf waves, and of course local Monarch Mountain come winter.
This new location of CKS River Supply, established in 1978 and acquired by the Kingmans in 2016, is an exclusively brick-and-mortar retail store and local staple for whitewater gear, kayaks and outdoor rentals.
Mindfully curated with striking local art and goods throughout each suite, the Shorehouse Hotel blends extended-stay comforts and premier hospitality with Buena Vista charm. Shorehouse is also a community gathering place and gateway to the surrounding landscape, only half a mile from the Arkansas River.
“Brad and I started working in Buena Vista seasonally as raft guides in the early 2000s, and from the moment we came here it felt like home,” says co-owner Megan Kingman. “We take such pride in our community, the vastness and diversity of its landscapes, and the people that give it life. One of our favorite things to do is share this place with friends and family. Through Shorehouse we get the opportunity to do this on a larger scale, and we hope our boutique retreat serves as an invitation to experience everything we adore about Buena Vista.”
Shorehouse Hotel’s intimate layout offers four unique suites with the option for contactless check-in that provide the perfect mountain getaway for both short and extended-stay explorers who prefer an “off the beaten path” and immersive travel experience. The all-mountain view accommodations are outfitted with a full kitchen and state-of-the-art laundry capabilities as well as thoughtfully chosen amenities, including locally owned bath goods from female-founded Sex Plants Rock & Roll Co., ethically sourced toothbrushes and toothpaste from Huppy, non-toxic cleaning products from The Tidy People, compost-friendly Essence of Life Organics, a Marshall bluetooth speaker, and compostable coffee pods compatible with the room’s Nespresso coffee machines from Terramoka.
The Shorehouse Hotel is a family affair: at the helm of the hotel’s design is local architect Steve Carr, Megan Kingman’s father and previously the president for both the Denver and Las Vegas Chapters of the American Institute of Architects as well as the Denver Architectural Foundation. The ethos of Carr’s design approach was balancing the hotel’s build and scale with its surrounding location, prioritizing Shorehouse’s neighborly spirit within Buena Vista’s downtown district. Situated on historic ground, Shorehouse and the newly minted location of CKS River Supply share soil with the original location of the town brothel from the 1880s. Given a new chapter with a side of historic town gossip, the hotel is constructed around the initial space as a “hole in the middle,” creating an “eddy,” in river terms.
The namesake of each suite at Shorehouse Hotel and their one-of-a-kind art motifs nod to Buena Vista’s history – all four are individually curated by local artists. The Throne Room features two master suites and outdoor patios with sweeping sitelines. The earth-toned interiors are inspired by both the intimate majesty and vastness of the Grand Canyon, with featured artwork by Colorado native Darcie Smith, Megan Kingman’s sister, in tandem with the suite design. Sunny and spacious, the Layover Day suite encourages comfort, relaxation and realignment with an open-concept one-bedroom layout, a daybed and mountain views. Evoking the same mindset as a layover day spent on the river, the suite is adorned with artwork from Buena Vista resident Brynn Ronning, inspired by the fondness for a leisurely day and admiration at being in the wilderness. The Daisy Chain suite with a one-bedroom layout and balcony against a mountainous landscape, is the embodiment of rafting culture in Buena Vista – vibrant and carefree. Inspired by 1970s design and an eclectic palette, Daisy Chain combines the Southwest with mid-century design and a vivid color scheme, featuring art from local Lindsay Sutton-Stephens. The Magpie suite, named after the madam of the 1880s Buena Vista brothel who was known for her pet magpie, features two bedrooms, corner windows with sightlines and a simplistic black and white design inspired by the American Magpie, with natural and modern elements. Artist and owner of Rock Run Gallery in Buena Vista Jennie Noreen Omasta showcases her non-traditional, hand-painted silkscreen work in the Magpie suite.
Revered by many as one of the top whitewater rafting destinations and as the home to the highest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks in the continental U.S., BV is a re-emerging destination for adventure seekers and CKS and Shorehouse hope to cater to them in a new way.