Many people say that if you want a truly authentic Denver experience, you should head into the mountains. The city is somewhat centrally located in the state of Colorado, and offers direct access (often less than a day’s drive) to astounding excursions and huge adventures.
We don’t disagree, but we still think there’s a lot of adventure to be had within the city limits of Denver. It’s all about the balance between push and pull, city and mountain. There’s no reason you can’t book half your trip in Denver before finishing in Telluride, Aspen, Vail, or Breckenridge.
For that reason, we want to take a slightly different direction with our hotel recommendations for the final installment of our Denver city guide. We’ll start with a few of our favorite options within the city before expanding outward to the bounty of the Rocky Mountains beyond. Below, we’ve got 17 prime options that are sure to fit your unique travel plans.
Downtown Denver Hotels
1. The Crawford Hotel
Sitting right above Denver Union Station, which is home to one of Denver’s top food halls, is the Crawford Hotel. As you enter through the bustling train station, you’ll get a great look at the historic details of union station before reaching the hotel lobby that’s just as colorful and lively as the bustling crowds below.
It’s one of the newest hotels among the repertoire of options in the downtown Denver area, but each room was designed to preserve the historical elements of the building. From rustic beams in the lofts to the refined technological touches, the Crawford Hotel is a picture perfect example of old-world-meets-new and an exciting option for those staying downtown.
2. The Maven
Down to the Dairy Block, one of Denver’s newest micro-districts and home to the popular Milk Market, you’ll find The Maven. Upon arrival, you’ll notice that the hotel follows in the district’s footsteps of innovation and creativity: The Maven’s lobby eliminates traditional boundaries to embrace the community of shops and restaurants surrounding the property.
All accommodations are built as large, loft-style rooms and serve as the perfect home base to relax before heading out to explore. You’ll have great access to the popular LoDo, LoHi, and RiNo neighborhoods with all their character and culture waiting to be experienced.
3. Halcyon Hotel
Halcyon Hotel, in Cherry Creek, isn’t what you’d call typical. In fact, they’ve done away with the traditional hotel front desk to instead welcome you at their Kitchen Counter with your room and a complimentary espresso or glass of wine.
They would call themselves a non-hotel, or a hotel that loves to buck traditional hotel stereotypes (which can often be stale or boring). That adventurous spirit carries throughout the hotel, from the luxurious rooms all the way to the rooftop pool deck. As they say, it’s “unhooked from the ordinary in all the best ways.”
Hotels Near Denver
4. Gravity Haus
Based in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, The Gravity Haus stands as a bastion for the modern adventurer and built on a mission to create a globally conscious community. This community consists of people who care as much about the planet as well as their personal growth (and staying at a completely kickass hotel).
They have two different locations, one in Vail and the other in Breckenridge, both of which are easily reachable in under two hours from Denver. Breckenridge was their first property, the front door right by Main Street.
All told, it has 60 rooms designed for relaxation above all else, which is much needed after practicing air awareness and extreme maneuvers (like gainers and flips) on their supertramp, a massive trampoline on the roof. Otherwise, you can hit the dry sauna or soak in tubs on the mountainside Japanese-inspired onsen.
Their second location, in the heart of Vail village, is a little smaller with only 20 rooms. However, it packs just as much punch with the Vail Athletic Club, where you can take part in the over 50 fitness classes or indulge in a relaxing spa treatment. Whether you’re in Vail or Breckenridge, you can’t go wrong with The Gravity Haus.
5. The Nightingale Motel
The Nightingale Motel, in Pagosa Springs, is a bit of a trek from Denver but well worth a trip if you’re looking for an exclusive boutique property. In 2019, the hotel wrapped up a one-year remodeling process that was inspired by the atmosphere of a 1905s-era roadside motel.
Today, the property has 17 guest rooms, all of which have contemporary styling from head to toe, despite the 1950s design aesthetic. And while the hotel is steps from bars and restaurants, the Neon Mallard bar is the place to be. Locals and travelers alike can enjoy cocktails and relax by the outdoor fire pit, surrounded by the beauty of Pagosa.
6. Taylor River Lodge
There’s something special about the mountain cabin aesthetic, like the one that’s alive and well at Taylor River Lodge. For years, it stood as a general store for fishing and bait tackle but now stands as a private retreat made up of eight independent cabins. The best part is the blue sky, green pine trees, granite cliffs, and unrestricted views of the stars you get.
It’s only open May through October, and getting to the property in Colorado’s Taylor Canyon is an adventure hotel in and of itself. It’s perfect for those who love fishing, as it has a fully stocked trout pond steps from the cabin. If you’re not a fisher, you can hike, climb rocks, shoot archery, and throw hatchets (fun!).
7. Sopris House
Only a quick 30-minute trip from Taylor River Lodge, you’ll find Sopris House. It’s filled to bursting with Colorado charm, from the original tin ceiling roof (circa 1882) to the antler chandeliers and buffalo head above the dining room table. Not to mention, there’s an on-site saloon with rustic jukebox and pool table.
There are only four rooms total, but each offers something unique. For example, there’s a roll top tub in one room, while another has a library and reading nook. All rooms have steam showers and heated floors, and your adorable pets are always welcome with open arms.
8. Scarp Ridge Lodge
Scarp River Lodge is a harmonious fusion of the classic Euro ski chalet vibe with old-school Rocky Mountain culture. The lodge initially opened its doors as a saloon, and the property has kept that Wild West aesthetic while redesigning the interior to please the luxury lovers who come visit.
It’s the perfect starting point for people who want to head out on a grand Colorado adventure, whether you take a float trip or hiking the vast, endless trails of Crested Butte. Of course, you can always stay on-property and lounge in the rooftop hot tub after enjoying the indoor saltwater pool. Perhaps the best part is the exclusivity: there are only six rooms and, as such, you’ll get personalized service at every turn.
9. Public House
For the better part of the 19th and 20th centuries, Public House served as Crested Butte’s main watering hole for thirsty locals. Now, it allows guests from all corners of the world to get the experience of living in a mountain town.
It’s unique in that it only has three rooms, all of which are spacious lofts situated above the Public House Pub and Tap Room. In that way, you feel as if you’re renting an apartment, not a hotel room. What’s more, the restoration of the original property included a pub and music venue as well. Each loft is named for a famous music venue, like the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
10. Dunton Hot Springs
Dunton Hot Springs has been in the San Juan Mountains since the 1800s. Back in the day, it served as a mining outpost and was later abandoned, making it an eerie yet romantic ghost town.
The old ghost town has been fully restored, preserving the hand-hewn log cabins while furnishing them with a touch of style, luxury, and modern amenities like WiFi. What’s most appealing about this property are the actual hot springs. Back in the day, miners dynamited the original spring and directed its flow toward the bathhouse to soothe their weary bones. You (hopefully) won’t be working long days like the miners of old, but those hot springs will rejuvenate you all the same.
11. Dunton River Camp
Dunton River Camp existed as a cattle ranch in the late 1800s, resting on 500 acres of field, meadow, and forest. While much of the land is still used for free range cattle grazing, there are parts that have been reserved for your enjoyment and set up as a summer-only tent camp.
In total there are eight safari-style tents, with all the amenities you would expect from a room at a top tier luxury hotel. You’ll even have your own bathroom with a six-foot soaker tub (there’s even a sauna on-site). Additionally, each tent comes with two private mountain bikes you can use to explore the trails and bask in the surrounding nature. You can get dirty exploring, clean up in a comfortable setting, and enjoy the evening with a stiff cocktail and an organic meal created by the property’s chef.
12. Dunton Town House
We can’t get enough Dunton Destinations—there’s an almost magical prospector, cowboy, and explorer culture that thrives in every corner of their offerings. Dunton Town House has everything we love about Dunton Hot Springs and Dunton River Camp, and builds upon it with a more bed and breakfast feeling.
In total, there are five rooms you can book in this quaint building that’s stood since 1860. It was once known as Montana Placer Inn, but today luxury lovers and discerning travelers know it as an exclusive, well-designed, and cozy lodging that offers access to all the best parts of Telluride just minutes outside the front door.
13. Hotel Jerome
Many would tell you that Hotel Jerome, an Auberge property, is the social hub of Aspen, CO. That’s a legacy they’ve carried since opening in 1889 at the height of the town’s silver boom, and the hotel has a reputation for being the place where great stories are born and told. Case in point, the hotel has welcomed droves of cowboys, 10th Mountain Division soldiers, and famed author Hunter S. Thompson.
In many ways, you won’t get the full experience of Aspen if you don’t stop by Hotel Jerome. And while there’s a long history here, the accommodations and amenities have been updated to fit the luxurious crowds that want the cowboy story without the cowboy bedroll. Plus, we love Auberge Resorts so much we just had to include them here.
14. Sleeping Indian Ranch
Travel about 47 miles from Telluride and you’ll hit the 15,000 acre Sleeping Indian Ranch. It’s a private home situated in the unspoiled Cimarron Range, and a stellar example of the bounty Auberge resorts have to offer discerning travelers.
Generations of families and friends have used this gorgeous property as a way to escape the clutches of technology, work, and stress to enjoy total privacy. The property itself is over 40,000 square feet, has eight bedrooms, and can sleep up to 16 guests: it’s the largest post-and-beam log structure ever built. Plus, you might see some elk, moose, black bears, and bald eagles gracing the land.
15. Madeline Hotel & Residences
Another solid option from Auberge (no joke, they don’t represent any bad properties), Madeline Hotel & Residences is located in Telluride and built for avid adventurers and ardent fans of the great outdoors. It’s a self-proclaimed spiritual home for travelers with the San Juan Mountains nearby and bright, red rocks jutting up from canyon floors. It’s truly a place you can get lost in the majesty of Colorado.
Telluride is home to a seriously authentic mountain spirit, and Madeline Hotel & Residences is the perfect gateway through which you can explore everything it has to offer. Head out on a private horseback ride, picnic among meadows and lakes, or hit the slopes big time when the snows come in heavy.
16. Element 52
Coming in hot on the heels of Madeline Hotel & Residences is Element 52, a unique collection of luxury Auberge Residences and Cascade Residences, also in Telluride. This is a collective of two to five bedroom lodgings that are perfect for couples or family getaways. Take it up a notch along the banks of the San Miguel River, just steps from the charm of historic downtown Telluride.
In the winter, it’s your personal ski sanctuary. When the warmer months come around, Element 52 is your private wildlife preserve. And each residence features an open living space with expansive outdoor terraces ranging in size from 1,500 to 5,480 square feet where you can drink it all in.
17. The Sebastian Vail
The Sebastian is one of Vail’s newer boutique hotels, and it offers a luxurious, yet approachable, take on high-mountain comfort. We’ve featured it as one of our favorite mountain hotels, as well as one of the best pet friendly hotel options around, which is one reason we’re putting it on this list of the best hotels in and around Denver.
We also love it for the old-world aesthetics, like the handsome woodwork throughout the hotel, that collide with new-world luxury, like the chic pool and hot tub lounge. Not only that, it’s got great ski access in the winter and opens you up to gorgeous greenery in the summer months.
By now, you’re prepared to take on all the Denver has to offer from the best restaurants and food halls to exciting experiences and the best Denver hotels from which to explore the city and state. Next, we’ll be gearing up for an all new city.
If you’re interested in booking any of these Denver hotels and surrounding mountain region hotels, reach out to us directly. We’d love to help get your Denver dream trip up and running.
Image Credit: Dunton Hot Springs