Denver's hotels, B&Bs and holiday lodges cater to all tastes and budgets, whether it's a boutique bolthole, a historic pad or a well-located hostel, there are top places to check in and out
Warwick Hotel
Designed as an apartment complex in the 1960s, this was one of the US's original Playboy Clubs in the 1970s. Today, the Warwick, in Denver's hip Uptown neighbourhood, is still bucking the trend as one of the few hotels in the city to allow smoking of any kind on its ample off-room balconies – be it cigarettes or possibly (as of January 2014) legalised recreational marijuana. The hotel, which had a multi-million-dollar renovation a few years ago, has private east- or west-facing patios in all rooms (except on the 14th floor), Egyptian cotton sheets and pillow-top mattresses. The Warwick is one of the few downtown hotels with a heated rooftop pool, open all year round.
• 1776 Grant St, +1 303 861 2000, warwickdenver.com, doubles from $146
Hotel Teatro
Elegant decor, impeccable service and two of the Mile High City's best restaurants make this Theater District boutique hotel Denver's most creative sleep. Taking full advantage of its location, across the street from the world's second-largest performing arts complex, elegant rooms and stately public areas reflect the city's theatrical history: they are anchored by black-and-white show photos and old costumes, and feature Indonesian sandstone foyers, and art deco and cherrywood furnishings. Of the two in-house restaurants, Prima serves casual contemporary Italian cooking; while the formal Kevin Taylor (dinner only) is Denver's only four-star, four-diamond kitchen and offers a reasonably priced ($60) six-course tasting menu.
• 1100 14th St, +1 303 228 1100, hotelteatro.com, doubles from $150
11th Ave Hostel
In a safe Capitol Hill location, this hostel has clean but basic rooms (baths are shared), Wi-Fi and a friendly owner. There is no aircon, however, and the neighbourhood bars and traffic can keep things noisy late into the night (bring earplugs). The location is a plus if you like nightlife: this is near Denver's epicentre and within walking distance of many of its best attractions.
• 1112 Broadway Ave, +1 303 894 0529, 11thavenuehotelandhostel.com, doubles from $50
Castle Marne Bed & Breakfast
In the City Park West neighbourhood, two miles east of downtown, this National Historic Landmark castle-turned-B&B is one of the grandest old sleeps in town. Designed by architect William Lang, who also designed the nearby abode of Molly Brown (who survived the Titanic tragedy) the elegant Victorian mansion dates back to 1889. There are nine uniquely styled rooms – try the Presidential suite, which has a solarium and Jacuzzi for two. Furnishings throughout are authentic family heirlooms and antiques. Afternoon tea is served in the parlour on check-in.
• 1572 Race St, + 1 303 331 0621, castlemarne.com, doubles from $120
Capitol Hill Mansion Bed & Breakfast
This chic, eight-room B&B in the quiet, tree-shaded Capitol Hill neighbourhood (with a selection of bars and restaurants) is gay- couple- and family-friendly and has been one of the city's top indie getaways since 1994. The turreted Romanesque mansion bedazzles with original 1890s woodwork, and themed rooms fusing turn of the 20th-century antique furnishings with modern gas feature fireplaces and luxury toiletries. The Snowlover Balcony suite has views of the city skyline and mountains. Hot breakfast is included.
• 1207 Pennsylvania St, +1 800 839 9329, capitolhillmansion.com, doubles from $135
Lumber Baron Inn & Gardens
Even locals book a weekend at Denver's most romantic B&B for its murder-mystery dinner parties. This late-19th-century Victorian mansion has just four themed suites, each with a Jacuzzi (the emphasis is on couples). Try the eastern-themed Valentine Suite, with its traditional Indonesian wedding bed, or the Anniversary Suite, in Greco-Roman meets Victorian English style, with marble columns and a carved wood bed-frame made in about 1865.
• 2555 W 37th Ave, +1 303 477 8205, lumberbaron.com, doubles from $149
Inverness Hotel & Conference Center
For a luxury retreat just outside the city proper, check out this sprawling four-star resort with plenty of grass and space to relax. Rates vary wildly at this luxury property in the Denver Tech Center (DTC), a 15-minute drive south of the business district on I-25, but outisde busy periods you can get a super deal. Locals come on Sundays for Champagne brunch at the Garden Terrace restaurant, an afternoon at the day spa or a round on the golf course. There's also a large outdoor pool (plus an inside pool and fitness centre).
• 200 Inverness Drive W, Englewood, +1 303 799 5800. invernesshotel.com, doubles from $109
Oxford Hotel
In the heart of LoDo, the Victorian-meets-art deco Oxford is Denver's oldest, and allegedly most haunted, hotel (try room 320). Opened in the late 19th century (next to a brothel), the Oxford has experienced the Mile High City's most eventful decades. During Prohibition, it provided the governor with a safe boozing spot thanks to secret sliding panels and an escape tunnel. Room have English and French antiques from the property's 1891 beginnings or art deco furnishings from a 1930s redo by architect Charles Jaka. The hotel houses one of Denver's top seafood restaurants, McCormick's, and famous bar, the Cruise Room (a replica of a lounge on the Queen Mary cruise ship, shaped like a wine bottle), plus a fantastic spa.
• 1600 17th St, +1 303 628 5400, theoxfordhotel.com, doubles from $180
Brown Palace Hotel
The grand dame of downtown Denver hotels, the Brown Palace has hosted celebs from Winston Churchill to the Beatles. An old world charmer, this circa late 19th-century hotel offers classic ambience and seamless service. Even the standard rooms have thick scalloped curtains and striped duvet covers and sheets made from high-thread-count imported cotton. The award-winning Palace Arms restaurant has signature dishes such as seared bison tenderloin, a wine list almost 1,000 bottles strong, and colonial patriotic decor. Check out the silver centrepiece commissioned by the British royal family.
• 321 17th St, +1 303 297 3111, brownpalace.com, doubles from $225
Hotel Monaco Denver
One block east of downtown's famed 16th St Mall, this art-deco-with-a-splash-of French boutique hotel is one of the city's best. The modern lobby and spacious rooms are in primary colours and plenty of stripes – walls of lemon and cream, chairs upholstered in crimson and white. Dogs are welcome, but you can borrow a goldfish for your stay if you're missing your pet – the service is one of Hotel Monaco's eclectic perks. Another is the evening Altitude Adjustment Hour, when complimentary wine is offered between 5pm and 6pm.
• 1717 Champa St, +1 303 296 1717, monaco-denver.com, doubles from $159
Becca Blond (planetblond.wordpress.com) is an award-winning travel journalist from Denver. She has written more than 30 Lonely Planet guides and is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times.
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