Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast

Find sanctuary in the heart of Boulder...

Let us enrich your stay with quiet attention or lively conversation. Rest deeply in luxurious bedding. Enjoy fine teas and organic food prepared with care.
Find yourself among friends. Find peace.

One of two Colorado B&Bs selected as
"Top of the Rocky"
by the Rocky Mountain News!

Organic Breakfast ~ Green Hotel ~ Private Baths ~ WIFI Internet

Our Boulder Inn is run by innkeepers Jessika Hardin and Gary Hardin, a Zen monk. It is our intention to bring mindfulness and compassion to our care for the guests and the inn. Above all, our hallmark is to offer a feeling of "home" in the heart of Boulder. We simply take care of whoever walks in the door.

Our gardens offer a private retreat - for personal reflection, a warm conversation or simply enjoying the many different plants, flowers, trees and shrubs. The living room with a wood-burning fireplace is an inviting spot for reading, meeting with friends, or enjoying a fine pot of tea with fresh-baked shortbread butter cookies. Guests and staff may sit in our beautiful meditation room, with a beautiful cherry floor. We serve a full, organic breakfast in our dining room or on the cheery sun porch, weather permitting. Arrangements can be made for in-room service.

Our Huron room offers a huge private hot tub for two... perfect for a relaxing romantic getaway!

Of the Boulder inns, we are the only inn to belong to and be inspected by the Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers of Colorado, the state association of B&Bs in Colorado. We are the only Boulder lodging place that serves organic breakfast, and a member of the Green Hotels Association. We are also members of the Boulder Hotel and Motel Association. We are accredited by the Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau.

The Briar Rose was once the home of the McConnell family. The current innkeepers arrived at the Briar Rose through the work of many people, but the McConnells deserve special recognition. Grace and Harold "Mac" McConnell (left) were married in the 1920s, and they brought the Tulip Poplar tree from Virginia and planted it in the front yard. The tree now has a girth of over 12 feet and is the 2nd largest Tulip Poplar in the state.

Mac (1891-1968) was a collector and eagerly showed off his stamp, rock, and barbed wire collections to guests. Mac was also a gardener and the Briar Rose gardens were especially important to him. Mac and Grace were active in the Boulder Valley Christian Church and brought flowers from the garden when they were available.

Guests start the day with a complete organic breakfast, including a bowl of fresh-fruit (we carefully select fresh fruits daily,) fresh-baked sweet breads, yogurt with raspberries, an egg dish with toast, fresh orange juice, and our fantastic homemade granola. House specialties include olive & sun-dried tomato tapenade, southwestern frittata, and homemade salsas. (Recipes have been featured in the Denver Post). Organic coffee and tea are freshly brewed. Breakfast is served either in our dining room or on the cheery sun porch, weather permitting. Arrangements can be made for in-room service.

We intend to cater (whenever we can) to any dietary needs a guest traveling to Boulder may have. We do not serve meat at the inn, and regularly prepare breakfasts that are safe for vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, wheat-free, or gluten-free diets. (We have less experience with diabetic diets, but with your guidance we will work to meet your needs.) Please let us know at the time of reservation about your dietary needs so that we may shop accordingly.

The Briar Rose Features:

• Our cookie jar, which is always filled with fresh homemade shortbread butter cookies - great with fresh tea or coffee
• Unlimited tea service - we feature over thirty different loose-leaf teas and herbals, or a great local coffee, fresh-ground
• High-speed internet access via WIFI throughout the inn
• Two guest computers with high-speed internet and print, fax, and copy capability
• Individual in-room air conditioning
• A full-service, organic breakfast in our beautiful dining room (or in your room) featuring fresh fruit, an entree (an egg dish, or pancakes, or french toast, etc., or eggs to order), home-baked sweet breads, homemade granola, yogurt with berries, toast with wonderful jams, and the finest coffee and teas
• Wonderful beds and bedding (Gary always says "At the very least, a B&B ought to have good beds and a good breakfast!")
• Organic cotton sheets from Coyuchi - crisp and elegant
• Abundant fresh flowers and delightful art and furnishings
• Kind, friendly, and laid-back innkeepers and staff - many guests consider the Rose their second home
• Natural bath products from Shikai in eco-friendly packaging
• Fresh filtered water in the rooms - Boulder get its water from its own glacier (Arapahoe Glacier)
• Free local or toll-free calls in the room

We delight in serving fine tea to our guests. We have a large assortment of fine organic loose-leaf teas from around the world. There is simply no comparison in the quality of these teas compared with the tea bags with which most Americans are accustomed. The variety and depth of aroma are fascinating, and tea has a wonderful ability to soothe.

Tea trays are available throughout the day at no charge. We offer a wide selection of loose-leaf green, black teas, white loose leaf teas, as well as herbals, including some delightful blends of our own. These are all displayed on our "wall of tea." Our selection varies but typically we offer Japanese green teas including sencha, kukicha and hojicha; a large assortment of Chinese green teas including Jasmine, Dragonwell, and Green Jade; white teas including Ancient Moonlight White and Peach Blossom; and black teas including Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam, and Lapsang Souchong as well as Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. Combined with homemade shortbread butter cookies, a Briar Rose tea tray is a delightful experience. Coffee, ice tea, and filtered water are also served.

The Briar Rose is a supportive place to do business while traveling to Boulder, Colorado. It offers the things you would expect:

• High-speed WIFI throughout the inn on a dedicated T1 circuit with low latency
• Guest computers
• A business center with the ability to print, copy and fax
• Coffee and tea available to you in the kitchen throughout the day
• Late check-ins (if the guest calls to arrange it by 8pm)
• Many of the guest rooms have desks and chairs (check the individual room pictures on the Boulder Lodging page.)

 Also, the Briar Rose provides things you might not expect. Amenities are included without charge. The place is a sanctuary, beautiful and comfortable in a way that doesn't drain you with the "sameness" of "residence inns" and the like. Our staff is responsive to you... whether you want coffee-to-go, an organic breakfast that meets your dietary needs, or driving instructions to your next stop. The other amenities at the Bed and Breakfast include:

• Our cookie jar, which is always filled with fresh homemade shortbread butter cookies - great with fresh tea or coffee
• Tea service anytime throughout the day - we feature over thirty different loose-leaf teas and herbals, or a great local fresh-ground coffee
• High-speed internet access via WIFI
• Two guest computers with high-speed internet and print,  fax, and copy capability
• Individual in-room air conditioning
• A full-service, organic breakfast in our beautiful dining room (or in your room) featuring fresh fruit, an entree (an egg dish, or pancakes, or french toast, etc., or eggs to order), home-baked sweet breads, homemade granola, yogurt with berries, toast with wonderful jams, and the finest coffee and teas
• Wonderful beds and bedding
• Organic cotton sheets from Coyuchi - crisp and elegant
• Abundant fresh flowers and delightful art and furnishings
• Kind, friendly, and laid-back innkeepers and staff - many guests consider the Rose their second home
• Natural bath products from Shikai in eco-friendly packaging
• Fresh filtered water in the rooms - Boulder get its water from its own glacier (Arapahoe Glacier)
• Free local or toll-free calls in the room