Destination guide for lodging in Denver, plus a review of the Hyatt House Downtown.
Denver is a major city, so lodging is plentiful and there are accommodations to match every budget, need, and style. With so many options, here is some insight to help you narrow down the list!
Which is the best area to stay? Based on research and experience, downtown Denver is the ideal location, especially if you will not have a vehicle. Most hotels are within walking distance or a short Uber ride to must-see sites like the Capitol Building, Union Station, and the Denver Art Museum. The downtown area also features numerous restaurants, shops, and, for those who love the nightlife, bars and clubs.
The downtown central business district (CBD) contains several chain hotels, think Hilton and Hyatt, as well as a few boutique hotels. The Lower Downtown Historic District (LoDo), Denver’s oldest neighborhood, features elegant hotels, such as the Crawford Hotel in Union Station, and historic hotels, like the Oxford Hotel. The River North Art District (RiNo) is situated next to downtown and is a vibrant artsy area of town. Here you’ll find everything from hostels to high-end lodging.
I cannot stress the importance of location when it comes to lodging in Denver. During my time in Denver, I noticed that the bus system was not that reliable, so one needs to rely on walking, taxis, ride-share services, or driving. Given my hotel’s central location, I was able to save money by walking to a handful of sites. Even then, I still paid around $220 for Uber rides (base fare plus tips) to get to places that were not walking distance (about 2 to 5 miles away) from the hotel. So definitely pick a hotel close to places you’ll like to visit to minimize travel time and costs!!
Travelers with a car should consider two key points when selecting lodging: price and parking location. The hotel I was staying at only offered valet parking, and it cost $64/night. This is common for many hotels in the downtown area, so if you’re trying to save money, look for lodging that provides a self-parking option, which is usually more affordable. In terms of parking location, I noticed that there are hotels where parking is not on-site, but instead at a nearby lot or garage.
Safety discussion. I traveled solo to Denver and had no issues while lodging in the downtown area. There were a handful of vagrants around downtown, but they never bothered me, and I had no safety concerns. Overall, I found the downtown area to be relatively quiet, clean, and easy to navigate.
Review of the Hyatt House
The Hyatt House Downtown was a gem of a hotel: great location, excellent customer service, delicious breakfast, and fantastic view. I traveled to Denver during Labor Day Weekend (holiday weekend), which is a premium weekend, so lodging prices were on the higher end. Luckily, I was able to secure a great rate with the Hyatt House Downtown and only paid $765.52 for a 4-night stay. I paid a bit extra for a room on a high floor with a mountain view, but it was well worth it!!
The Hyatt House Downtown offers spacious rooms with a king bed or suites that feature a kitchen and a sofa bed. The Hyatt House is located in the same building as the Hyatt Place, a property that offers standard rooms with either a king bed or two queen beds. My room at the Hyatt House Downtown was well-appointed and included a couch, microwave, fridge, coffee maker, and ironing board. There was also sufficient storage space.
In terms of amenities, the Hyatt House features a pool, fitness center, continental breakfast, market, and bar, offering a variety of drinks and food. I found the market to be a great convenience, and despite a slight markup, I thought the prices were reasonable (I paid $8 for a large bag of trail mix that lasted the whole trip and a bottle of iced green tea). The market was stocked with chips, soups, candy, sodas, frozen pizzas, desserts, ice cream, over-the-counter medication, and much more.
The continental breakfast provided the standard fare of eggs, meats, breads, cereals, bakery items, coffee, and juices. There was also a station that had cottage cheese, oatmeal, fresh fruit, and toppings such as granola and dried fruit. My favorite item was the breakfast potatoes, which I balanced with a helping of fresh fruit! The breakfast area can get a bit crowded on Saturdays and Sundays, but the staff did a great job of keeping the food well-stocked, and there was plenty of seating available.
Hyatt House Downtown offers complimentary luggage storage to its guests.
Resources
For more information on the Hyatt House Downtown, visit this site.
Travelers can also find useful lodging information on the Visit Denver site.
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