downtown. Astrid shared with us that the history of the building truly captured her heart and when she invests in a building, she invests in keeping the story alive. Already, when one walks through the hotel, there is a vibrancy and a moment when one can travel back in time to witness the extravagance of the hotel’ s western culture. According to the Astride A Starship LLC business description,“ The opportunity to steward the Plains Hotel appeared suddenly Dec 2015. Astrid prayed for guidance and won the building at auction in 3 days. Despite steep obstacles, including multiple failing systems, a quarter million utility bills and overhead; half million annually in the red, Astrid retained the existing staff. Not surprisingly, an enthusiastic turnaround of efficient management, brick and mortar is well underway!”
Thus far, Astrid has made large strides in improving the hotel for all guests and visitors. In
rooms she has updated the refrigerators, beds, bedding, doors, windows, and other exposed elements. As a business, she promises the best service and has invested in new machines and mechanisms behind the scenes to operate the hotel more effectively and efficiently. From purchasing new air-cooling systems, roof repairs, and elevator updates, the hotel has gained countless improvements since the ownership change. One must also recognize that The Plains Hotel has been working with local vendors like Ward Insulation, Capitol Roofing, and many others. To Astrid’ s surprise, when she first purchased the Plains Hotel, she had to invest an extensive amount of time and money into additional structural beams because the floor risked damage that could cave in and ultimately collapse. Safety is first, and Astrid knew the importance.
Astrid has already invested so much into the cherished landmark and claimed that she took a pledge she takes seriously,“ The Plains Hotel will continue to meet Cheyenne’ s elegant, yet spirited tradition of western hospitality.”
As a community member who is passionate about the downtown, I am most appreciative of the investments Astrid has made to bring the hotel back to life. There was a moment during her tour of the hotel’ s rooftop where I realized, there was a time when buildings were made and treasured as if it were a fine piece of art. Inside the walls was once a very different colorful culture. This vibrancy and pride is now coming back to our downtown, piece by piece, illustrating that while The Historic Plains Hotel has a rich history, its story is long from over!
BUSINESS JOURNAL | 23