TO STAY AT DENVER’ S ICONIC BROWN PALACE IS TO BE TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER ERA.
Last year, The Brown Palace, known for its daily formal tea service, celebrated its tridecacentennial—that’s 130 years. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Florentine arches set the tone for the historic interior design. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
OVER THE LAST 131 YEARS, The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa (brownpalace.com) has had its fair share of scandal, mystery and elegance, its story intertwined with the history of the American West. Formal afternoon tea settings are a staple, with petits fours and Devonshire cream shipped directly from England. With ample Champagne pours, ladies in wide-brim hats and music reverberating off polished golden onyx walls—it’s absolutely divine. The griffins that stand sentinel throughout the property add an otherworldly element. Over the decades, many a debutante has officially entered society, descending the hotel’s grand staircase beneath the stained-glass skylight that’s suspended between the eighth and ninth floors.
Evoking the hotel’s signature griffins, the Millennium Clock was unveiled on New Year’s Eve in 1999. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Named for Henry Cordes Brown, who spent $2 million to build and furnish the property at the end of the 19th century, the triangle-shaped hotel has long hosted American presidents, celebrities, power brokers and the social elite. Rumor has it that the Masonic Order of Denver held Freemason rituals inside the Italian Renaissance-style atrium lobby with its Florentine arches. More rumors suggest that into the 1930s, Denver underworld figures who owned the Gothic Revival brothel across the street ferried discreet traffic through underground tunnels connecting the two buildings. Paranormal activity? Yes, they have plenty of that too.
Here you’ll find elevated cuisine from the hotel’s executive chef, Kim Moyle. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
The hotel, part of the Autograph Collection by Marriott, underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2021 headed up by interior design firm Forchielli Glynn. Striking a balance between transformation and preservation, renovations included the Top of the Brown suites, 33 rooms spanning the top two floors of the hotel. Today, all guest rooms are adorned with plush tufted headboards, tall columns of drapery and Chanel-suit-inspired upholstery. The 8th-floor Eisenhower Suite now features a tribute wall showcasing letters, photos and mementos from Dwight D. Eisenhower, who used the hotel as his Western campaign headquarters.
Palace Arms is the property’s crown jewel. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
The hotel’s refresh included Palace Arms, a museum-style dining venue adorned with Napoleonic military antiques. Designers updated lighting, chandeliers and furniture, reupholstering the chairs in rich reds and blues that are reminiscent of Napoleonic-era flags. Kim Moyle—the hotel’s first female executive chef since 1892—helms the hotel’s six on-site dining options, artfully crafting locally sourced, farm-fresh cuisine.
The hotel’s 38 keys are located on the upper floors, high above the hum of the atrium below. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL & SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Whether you’re into ghost and gangster stories or you just want to sip fancy tea and bubbles, The Brown Palace is a must-visit for Coloradans and visitors alike.
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