Denver's grande dame since 1892. The eight-story stained-glass atrium is the finest interior space in Colorado.
Scored on our consistent editorial criteria. See the scoring methodology for how Room & Design, Service and Location are weighted.
The atrium. The Brown Palace opened in 1892 as the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, a triangular Italian Renaissance building designed by Frank Edbrooke to fit the wedge where 17th Street meets Tremont Place and Broadway. Behind its sandstone and granite facade sits an eight-story lobby atrium crowned by a stained-glass ceiling and ringed by original cast-iron balconies, the most extraordinary interior space in Colorado and the reason the hotel has anchored the city's sense of occasion for well over a century. Nearly every sitting U.S. president since Theodore Roosevelt has stayed here, along with the Beatles and generations of Colorado's ranching and mining establishment.
It is not a museum piece coasting on its past. The hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America and now operates within Marriott's Autograph Collection, which means Bonvoy members earn and redeem points while the property keeps its independent character. The service is where that century of practice shows: a milestone booking, a tea reservation, or a Churchill Bar nightcap is handled with the unfussy competence of a house that has done this longer than any competitor in the city. That combination of genuine heritage and a still-current operation is what earns it the number two spot in Denver, behind only the Four Seasons on outright room quality.
Book in the original 1892 building. The roughly 241 rooms are split between the historic house and a 1959 Tower Court addition connected by a walkway, and the difference matters. The historic-building rooms carry the architecture, the higher ceilings, the Victorian proportions, and, in the atrium-facing categories, a view straight up into that stained-glass canopy. The Tower Court rooms are quieter, more uniform and a touch more modern, which suits a light-sleeping business traveller but misses the point of staying somewhere this old. When you reserve, ask specifically for the historic building, and for an atrium view if the occasion calls for it.
One quirk of a landmark this age: no two historic rooms are identical, so bathroom size and layout vary. If a large or updated bathroom matters to you, say so at booking and the hotel can match you to a category that fits, rather than leaving it to chance.
The public rooms are the heart of the hotel. The Ship Tavern, a maritime-themed pub that has poured since 1934, remains a genuine local institution and the kind of dark-wood room where Colorado's business gets done over a steak. The Churchill Bar is the city's most serious cigar and whisky room, a clubby, fireplace-warmed space with one of the deepest spirits lists in the state. Ellyngton's handles breakfast and its well-known Sunday brunch, and the daily afternoon tea served under the atrium's stained glass is one of Denver's longest-running rituals and a favourite for anniversaries and family celebrations. The adjoining spa runs a full treatment menu across six rooms if you want the pampering half of the stay.
The practical takeaway is that you never need to leave the building for a memorable evening. A Ship Tavern dinner, a Churchill nightcap and a morning tea under the glass make a full itinerary on their own, which is exactly what you want from a landmark hotel in a walkable downtown.
For an anniversary, few American hotels do occasion better. The atrium, the tea, the Churchill Bar's champagne service and a room in the historic building combine into a celebration that trades on architecture and ritual rather than gimmickry, and the staff's long practice at milestone stays shows in the details. For business, the Brown Palace has been where Denver does deals since 1892 and still is: the Ship Tavern and Churchill Bar are preferred informal meeting rooms for the city's energy and finance sectors, the downtown location puts you a short walk from the 16th Street corridor and the financial district, and the ballrooms handle events from a board dinner to a 500-seat gala. It is the rare hotel that suits a romantic weekend and a corporate week equally well.
No landmark is flawless. Weigh these before you book.
Yes, if you value history and atmosphere. It has anchored Denver since 1892, the stained-glass atrium is the finest interior in Colorado, and the Ship Tavern and Churchill Bar are institutions. If you want a sleek modern room, the Four Seasons is the stronger choice.
It opened in 1892 in a triangular Frank Edbrooke building and is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the United States, a member of Historic Hotels of America and now part of Marriott's Autograph Collection.
A room in the original 1892 building, ideally atrium-facing for the cast-iron balconies and Victorian proportions. The 1959 Tower Court rooms are quieter and more uniform but lack the character.
Yes, daily in the atrium beneath the stained-glass ceiling. It is a Denver ritual and books up on weekends and around the holidays, so reserve ahead.
Yes, as The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection, so Bonvoy members earn and redeem points while the hotel keeps its historic identity.
From $250/night. Independent review; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Where the Brown Palace sits against the city's other leading hotels.
| Hotel | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa | 1892 landmark, atrium and heritage | Occasion, history, afternoon tea |
| Four Seasons Hotel Denver | Modern tower, mountain views | Contemporary rooms and outright comfort |
| The Oxford Hotel | 1891 boutique in LoDo | Art Deco character and the Cruise Room bar |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Denver | Polished downtown five-star | Full-service consistency near the theatre district |
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