10 Years Ago: Historic Billings Hotel Gets Beautiful TV Remodel

We're winding the tape back to 2012 when an episode of the Travel Channel show Hotel Impossible aired an episode that may have been incredibly familiar to those living in the city of Billings. That's because the episode featured a remodel of one of Billings's most iconic hotels, and I think they did an absolutely bang-up job with the remodel; so much so that the owner ended up doing other remodels after on other rooms. Do you remember the Hotel Impossible episode featuring the Dude Rancher Lodge?

The Hotel's Front Desk and Carpets All Changed

The Dude Rancher Lodge was featured on the first season of Hotel Impossible. According to the owner, Virginia Karlsen, the purpose of the appearance on the program was because the hotel was struggling to keep up with its classic, rustic look when everything was becoming more and more modern.

Host Anthony Melchiorri also made sure to bring other attractions to the Dude Rancher to bring that rustic Montana vibe to the tenants who stayed there, as well as the public. They introduced a "Good Ole Fashion Chuckwagon" which brought to life the cowboy traditions of eating while traveling in the old west. It seemed to be just what the Dude Rancher needed.

Other Things Dude Rancher is Known For

The Dude Rancher Lodge features many amenities, but probably the largest draw to the hotel is the fact that it's reportedly haunted. According to the staff, the hauntings began after one of the original owners, Annabel Goan, died in the 1980s. Paranormal activity, such as knocking noises and the sound of children running down the halls, is reported regularly and you can expect to wait a long time if you want to stay in one of the haunted rooms, especially room 226.

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If you missed this episode of Hotel Impossible, you can check out the episode on streaming services where available. 10 years later, the Dude Rancher Lodge is still incredibly popular and still one of the Magic City's most iconic locations.