Orleans Hotel Bed and Breakfast

Constructed in 1929, this historic inn offers 22 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, along with a basement den, a large dining hall, a kitchen, and a grand staircase. The house is adorned with antique furniture, finishes, and decorations that are authentic to the era of its construction. The Orleans Hotel has hosted various people and groups like the Harlan County Dam builders, salesman, hunters, parties, and guests visiting the annual Applefest in Orleans. In 2022, the hotel was owned by David and Marilyn Snodgrass but listed for sale while continuing to operate.

The Orleans Hotel Bed and Breakfast was constructed in 1929. The original plans included 40 rooms and an additional level, but these plans were scaled back which proved timely given the start of the Great Depression. Some of the guests of the hotel include workers who helped build the Harlan County Dam, a construction project that required hundreds of men. According to one of the establishment's owners, "Between 1950-55, (the hotel) was full every night while the Harlan County Dam was being built. Some of the workers on the dam used this as their home during that time"

The interior of the Orleans Hotel Bed and Breakfast still includes the original hardwood and many antique fixtures as well as the original grand staircase. A new addition the owners have included is an antique wooden telephone booth. Salesmen frequented the Orleans Hotel during the 1930s, and the phone booth was an essential means of communication with their home offices. The Snodgrass family acquired the hotel and spent many years restoring the house to offer modern amenities while maintaining its historical features.

 Marilyn Snodgrass. “Orleans Hotel.” Orleans Hotel Bed and Breakfast, 2016. https://orleansbandb.com/history/.

 “The Rise and Fall: The Golden Age of Motels -- The Henry Ford Blog - Blog - The Henry Ford.” Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/the-rise-and-fall-the-golden-age-of-motels.

Davidson, Lisa Pfueller. “‘A Service Machine’: Hotel Guests and the Development of an Early-Twentieth-Century Building Type.” Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture 10 (2005): 113–29.

“Timeline Tuesday: Free Auto Camps | History Nebraska,” October 29, 2022. https://history.nebraska.gov/timeline-tuesday-free-auto-camps/.

Bebensee, Ashley. “Historic Hotel for Sale in Orleans, Nebraska.” Omaha World-Herald, October 2, 2022.