Drink Here
• Denver is known for its brew pubs - such as the Wynkoop (
wynkoop.com ), once owned by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and serving local favorites like Rail Yard Ale.
• The Oxford Hotel's Cruise Room (
bit.ly/10TgLOV), now a martini bar, opened the day after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Favored cocktails include the Corpse Revived and the Irish Man's Flip.
• Tour Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (stranahans.com), and end with a sip or two of the local spirit.
• The Infinite Monkey Theorem (theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com), an urban winery, serves vintages in bottles and, yes, cans.
Local Update
Planners take notice: A 4,200-square-foot ballroom with an adjoining 2,500-square-foot outdoor terrace has opened at the 336-room The Curtis, a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.
A $28 million renovation has finished up at the Grand Hyatt Denver. All 516 guest rooms were redone, the lobby and conference center were redesigned, and the 38th-floor Pinnacle Room, with breathtaking views, was reconfigured. Locally sourced dishes are served at Pub 17, which opened last summer, and the new Skycourt, a rooftop jogging track and tennis court, is accessed from the fitness center. The hotel has approximately 52,600 square feet of meeting space.
The 4,200-square-foot Four Square Ballroom, with its adjoining 2,500-square-foot outdoor terrace, has opened at The Curtis, a DoubleTree by Hilton, bringing the property's total meeting space to 28,000 square feet. Starting in December, all 336 guest rooms will receive new soft goods. The hotel also features a newly renovated fitness center and the Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar.
The Colorado National Bank building is being converted to a 230-room Renaissance Hotel. The property, to open in November, will retain the bank's soaring white-marble lobby and murals of American Indian life, as well as three vaults with their massive doors -- one that serves as a private dining room and the other two as boardrooms -- part of the hotel's total 3,000 square feet of meeting space.
More than $1.5 million was spent on revamping the 10,000 square feet of meeting space at the 80-room Oxford Hotel. In addition, the on-site McCormick's Fish House has been remodeled. The property also offers the Oxford Club, Spa & Fitness Center and the Cruise Room Bar. Sharing the meeting space will be the new 112-room hotel at Union Station across the street, opening in July 2014. The 1881 Beaux Arts station will offer four Colorado chef-owned restaurants, shops and more.
A $5 million renovation wrapped up in April at the 451-room Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, where a new gastropub, Root25 Taphouse & Kitchen, has opened. The property offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
Meeting Hotels
Downtown, more than 8,300 rooms surround the Colorado Convention Center, including the 1,225-room Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, 615-room Denver Marriott City Center and 516-room Grand Hyatt Denver.
Find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, at mcvenues.com.
Convention Center
Colorado Convention Center; exhibit space, 584,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 63; (303) 228-8000; bit.ly/KBBEDV
Airport Transit
Denver International Airport, about 24 miles northeast of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $54.50 to downtown and $60.50 to the Denver Tech Center; by Super Shuttle, $21
Taxes
Room tax, 7.5%; sales tax, 7.35%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.85%
Group Venue
It's summertime at the foot of the Rockies, and it would be a sin not to host an outdoor event. The 5,000-square-foot Sky Terrace at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science holds up to 250 people for a reception under the stars, with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. With several other areas for gatherings, the museum hosts events for 15 to 3,500 guests. (303) 370-6400; dmns.org
Contact
Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, (303) 892-1112; denver.org