Why Here?
There is so much to do in this city, and the options keep growing. More than 50 new restaurants are scheduled to open this year, and the craft-brewing scene continues to delight visitors and locals alike. Grab some wheels from the Bcycle bike-share slots and explore it all.
New and Nearby
• Construction began last fall on the $90 million, 249-room Hyatt Hotel and 30,000-square-foot Conference Center at Fitzsimons Village in Aurora, a multi-use development supporting the Anschutz Medical Campus. The property is set to open in early 2016.
• A 174-room Embassy Suites is coming to Lone Tree, south of Denver. The new hotel will have 4,500 square feet of meeting space.
Districts of Diversion
The city's colorful mini-neighborhoods -- like LoHi, LoDo, RiNo, South Broadway and Baker -- have their own flavor, trendy restaurants and top-notch breweries. Find out more at denv.co/1EB8RhB.
To Raise Awareness
The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab runs an interactive exhibit that was created by experts who aim to prevent terrorism through "education, empowerment and engagement."
Local Update
• The 519-room Westin Denver International Airport is set to open in November with 37,500 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center with an indoor pool, and several dining options. Also in the works is a Regional Transportation District hub that will begin running FasTrack trains between the airport and downtown in 2016.
• The 628-room Denver Marriott Tech Center will begin a major renovation later this year. All guest rooms will be redone, as will the entrance, lobby, restaurants and all 45,000 square feet of event space. Some rooms in one of the two towers will be enlarged and converted to executive king suites for extended-stay guests. The fitness center and the concierge lounge will be relocated to the revamped tower.
• Opening this April is the 165-room Art Hotel. The property will have its own curator, Dianne Vanderlip, formerly the curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum next door. Plans call for 4,100 square feet of meeting space.
• Ground will be broken this spring on a 200-room as-yet-unnamed Kimpton hotel in the Union Station complex. The property will feature 8,300 square feet of meeting space, including an outdoor patio and a rooftop patio, a 2,000-square-foot fitness center, and two restaurants and bars. The restored Union Station area opened last July, offering eight restaurants, two watering holes, an ice-cream shop, retail stores and more. The brand-new 112-room Crawford Hotel at the station has 3,000 square feet of meeting space and provides access to the 10,000 square feet of function space and the spa facilities at the nearby 80-room Oxford Hotel.
• A $60 million luxury independent hotel is planned for the Cherry Creek neighborhood. The 150-room property will feature a rooftop pool, a restaurant and retail space. A name and opening date have yet to be announced.
• The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is opening a new facility in the city's Golden Triangle Museum District, set to debut in 2016. On display will be some 5,000 works by 534 Colorado artists, a 15,000-item design collection and 550 paintings by Vance Kirkland.
Rise and Dine
One of the best restaurants in the city is open for breakfast and lunch only. Special orders are welcome at
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, but you'll find plenty of options on the menu, under such headings as Flavors From the Hen, The Art of Hollandaise, Our Sammies, Sweet Utopia and Flavor Saveurs.
Meeting Hotels: This vibrant capital city offers more than 8,400 rooms within walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center. Major properties include 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, 512-room Grand Hyatt Denver, 430-room Westin Denver Downtown, 403-room Embassy Suites-Downtown Convention Center, 239-room Four Seasons Hotel Denver and 202-room Ritz-Carlton, Denver.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Colorado Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 584,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 63; (303) 228-8000
Airport Transit: Denver International Airport, about 24 miles northeast of the downtown district. Transfer cost by taxi, $55.15 to downtown and $61.15 to the Denver Tech Center; by Super Shuttle, $22
Taxes: Room tax, 7.5%; sales tax, 7.35%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14.85%
Group Venues: Steeped in the rich history of Colorado, the American Museum of Western Art features a large collection of paintings from the early 19th century through the Industrial Age, all housed in a former bordello. The venue hosts groups of up to 130 people for receptions and 70 for dinners.
Ping-pong tables, darts, pool, marbles and shuffleboard accompany the bowling alleys at Punch Bowl Social. Yummy takes on diner food are served, too, including specialty burgers, craft sandwiches and bar bites. And, yes, you can order punch for the crowd. Groups from 10 to 1,000 are welcome. (303) 765-2695
Contact: Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, (303) 892-1112