Meet in Cody: At the Holiday Inn

One of the more comfortable places to hold conventions and larger gatherings in Cody is at the Holiday Inn. With two ballrooms and numerous hotel rooms as a host hotel, this go-to spot works well for larger groups meeting in Cody.

History of the Holiday Inn/Buffalo Bill Village

The newer buildings at the Holiday Inn don’t hint at the rich history of this location, but the cabins of Buffalo Bill Village have been there for decades, serving visitors to this area.

Back in 1921, when town leaders came together as Cody Club (which existed before the Chamber) to help develop the town, they looked for ways to attract more tourists. With the increase of automobile traffic, Cody allowed automobile camping at the school grounds and at City Park. By 1925, though, it became clear that better accommodations would help. Cody Club decided to purchase land to establish a campground. Discussions about locations ensued, but in the end, they purchased 40 acres where Buffalo Bill Village exists today.

17 of those acres became the campground, improved with the installation of water and sewer. Cody Club moved a hangar building they owned to the property that still resides there. By 1927, the first ten cabins were built at the Buffalo Bill Campground, owned and operated by Cody Club until 1928, when members of Cody Club formed a separate corporation for the endeavor. By 1941,104 cabins existed on the property.

Buffalo Bill Cabin Camp

Lounge Area of the Buffalo Bill Cabin Camp

The name changed over the years from Buffalo Bill Campground to Buffalo Bill Cabin Camp to Buffalo Bill Court. In 1962, when Quintin Blair purchased the camp, he renamed it Buffalo Bill Village. Ruth and Quinn Blair would serve a Chuckwagon dinner buffet each evening. Today, the chuckwagon dinner bell still rings every night a bus pulls in, welcoming the guests.

In the early 1970s or late 1960s, the Blairs built the first Holiday Inn building, and added the Comfort Inn in the late 1980s. Today, 83 cabins still exist, carrying on the history of the original automobile camp.

Services Offered and Gathering Spaces 

The Holiday Inn offers 186 rooms, the Comfort Inn offers 73 rooms, and 83 cabins make up Buffalo Bill Village Resort. In all, they serve about 700 guests every night in the summer. While the Holiday Inn/Comfort Inn is franchised, the Buffalo Bill Village is not. Yet, you get the same quality beds and linens.

Additionally, they have two fully customizable main ballrooms, each about 3,000 square feet, that can create eight breakout areas. In total, including the breezeway, Bandana Room, and Sarsaparilla Saloon, there’s a total of 12,000 square feet of banquet space. With catering available and any technology you might need, it makes a comfortable convention or meeting place.

Catering is based on the client’s needs. Come to them with ideas, and they’ll help you shape your event or let the on-site chef take your ideas and create something wonderful. Their Meeting and Banquet Director, Cheyenne, will guide you through the entire process and handle everything from setup to teardown. All you need to do is show up. She will ensure the AV equipment is set up for your needs and can do a run through with you if needed.

Judie Blair always said about client ideas, “If it isn’t illegal, immoral or too fattening we will try it once.” They still abide by that today.

Contact Info

To learn more about hosting your event at the Holiday Inn, from family or military reunions to conventions, start with a call to Shandi Quintana at 307-587-3654 ext. 632. Or drop her an email at [email protected].

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