The Golden Hotel was built during the boom of building second-generation hotels during the first quarter of the 20th century. It offered the most modern conveniences and catered to businessmen traveling by railroad. The new modern hotel became the symbol of a city with a bright future and was the showcase of the prospering city of O'Neill.
The campaign for a new hotel was started by T.V. Golden 1910. In early 1912, the Commercial Club was formed to unify the business men in working on civic improvements. The hotel was their first major project.

In February 1912, TV Golden offered to build a $20,000 hotel if the Commercial Club could raise $5,000. In three weeks, $6,170 had been raised and on April 22, 1912, ground was broken for the hotel.

The Crosby Company of Kansas City, the architect and builder, planned a three story building with basement, 49 sleeping rooms, a parlor, lobby, bath, toilet, and "other rooms necessary for a modern first class hotel." Built of brick, concrete and steel, the Golden Hotel was completely fireproof. The only wood used was in the door and window frames. (A modern fire alarm system was installed as part of the 1988 remodeling projects.) The estimated cost was $25,000, before furnishings.

At completion of construction the hotel had 46 rooms with hot and cold water, electricity, and private phone. Fourteen of the rooms had private baths. The final cost including the furnishings was $50,000. After the formal opening on May 17, 1913, the newspapers reported that the Golden Hotel was the finest in the State of Nebraska for a city the size of O'Neill.
We have had many famous visitors in the past. Al Capone reserved a room for his exclusive use and had miles of escape tunnels made at his request.

Located on the northeast corner of the major downtown intersection of US Highways 20, 25, and 281, the Golden Hotel is a brick-faced three story rear light court hotel which exhibits characteristics of the Georgian Revival and Colonial Revival architectural styles. A property type associated with urban areas and the first quarter of the 20th century, rear light courts are one of several possible types designed to provide adequate light and ventilation in the multiple-story urban building. These hotel types are also associated with fireproof construction; namely, brick, concrete, and steel, a minimum height of three stories and the presence of a mezzanine and the light court. Its design features double-loaded corridors of 23 rooms on both the second and third floors. Located above the first floor, the light court with four skylights was concealed by the building's two main facades, and the U-shaped corridors which surround the rear light court on three sides.

The lobby retains the original staircase with marble steps and a cast iron bannister, art deco light fixtures and patterned ceramic tile floors. The signage, The Golden, is in a simple concrete panel imbedded in the cornice over the third floor and remains intact. The original second and third floor windows also remain intact, and retain window surrounds of concrete decorated with centered keystones. The brick and concrete combination, with the symmetric and classical details, are characteristics of the Georgian Revival architectural style.

Alterations to the Golden Hotel have been limited to providing private bathrooms for all the rooms by combining pairs of the original rooms, closing transoms, and installing fire-rated doors to fully comply with the current upgraded fire codes, and cosmetic changes, such as lowering ceilings in the corridors and rooms.

In 1966, the Golden Hotel was purchased by Mary Ellenwood, who extensively remodeled the facility. She also purchased the historic building on the north side of the hotel. This two-story building had various uses: Land Office, Post Office, Telephone Exchange, and School. It predates the Golden Hotel by two years. It is connected to the hotel by an enclosed skywalk at the second floor level. By 1990, it had been completely remodeled into four apartments on each floor.

The Golden Hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 1989 as NEHBS #HT13-003.