Boutique Hotel Opens in Former Insane Asylum

Want to stay somewhere totally creepy? Head to Buffalo, N.Y., and stay at the new Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center. While it seems harmless now, the structure, at 140 years old, was previously the Richardson Olmsted Complex, an insane asylum.

The hotel and conference center brands itself as boutique, with 88 guestrooms and one dining option. The complex was at first called the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, and is a National Historic Landmark, built in the 1870s.

The first phase of the project takes up about a third of the 480,000-square-foot property, occupying what was an administration building and two adjacent patient wards. Don’t think it’ll be dim and dreary, though. The structure was built to include lots of natural lighting, as the institution’s doctor believed it would benefit the patients. The original windows were restored (at a cost of $7 million for 600 windows) and part of the roofing was replaced to look like the original as well.

Many details were kept just as they are, including fireplaces, moldings, the winged staircase and 12-foot hallways. Modern furnishings have been added, but the history still remains, and it’s not difficult to imagine the building’s storied past.

Don’t want to stay overnight in what was once a patient’s room? The restaurant, 100 Acres: The Kitchens, is open to the public.

If you do stay the night, you’ll enjoy expansive windows and ceilings, separate sitting areas, upscale bathrooms and free access to the fitness center (as well as the surrounding 40-plus acres of green space). The hotel offers other features coming soon, such as in-room dining and in-room tablets.