Hotel Teatro Review: Best Downtown Denver Luxury Boutique Hotel
The beautifully themed Hotel Teatro is one of the best downtown Denver luxury boutique hotels, and it’s the perfect place to use as a base while exploring the city.
Located in LoDo (lower downtown), the hotel puts visitors within walking distance of multiple trendy restaurants, and within easy driving distance of I-70.
And while the hotel is in the heart of the city, the interiors still feel like a tranquil retreat, creating the perfect balance between urban destination and relaxing getaway.
My family stayed here while we were traveling through Utah and Colorado, and it remains one of our favorite hotels out West.
Below, you’ll find a detailed review of the hotel with photos of the interior, a look into the hotel’s fascinating history, and more!
Our room at the Hotel Teatro
In order to facilitate this review, I was provided one night's complimentary stay. I purchased a second night at a media rate.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through the links below, I will receive a commission at no charge to you.
The History of the Hotel Teatro
The main hotel entrance and valet stand on 14th Street
The construction for the building that would eventually become the Hotel Teatro began in 1910 at an important time in Denver’s history.
Although Denver was nearing its 70th birthday at the time, the town was just starting to move away from its wild west roots and towards the thriving metropolis that it is today.
And what does any growing city need?
Some public transportation, which is exactly what the Denver Tramway Company was going to offer.
The DTC's president was also the son of Colorado's second territorial governor, which is how the former location of the governor's mansion came to house the 8 story office building for the Denver Tramway Company.
The office building and attached tram barn formed the heart of the company, and the Beaux-Arts architecture of the complex was a fixture in 1920s Denver.
The use of trams was overtaken by the growing move towards private ownership of cars after World War II, and the Denver Tramway Company office building and tram barn was purchased by the University of Colorado.
Instead of tram executives in the rooms, faculty member now graded papers in the converted office spaces, and classrooms were placed inside the former tram space.
By the early 1990s, the buildings had changed hands once again as the Denver Center for the Performing Arts overtook the tram barn space.
The office tower remained empty until the hotel was opened in 1999. The hotel's name comes from its close ties to the performing arts center ("teatro" meaning "theatre" in Italian).
Today, you can see the mixture of old and new throughout the hotel.
The exterior of the hotel has been restored to its beautiful early 20th century self, although a 9th floor has been added.
The addition is nearly unnoticeable, although close observers will note that the original mail drop ends at the 8th floor elevator (the entire mail drop is, sadly, out of commission).
The lobby of this LoDo Denver hotel retains the original Tennessee and Vermont marbles, as well as the detailed plaster ceilings.
The bathrooms in the hotel mimic the lobby's luxe marble on the floors and walls.
If you've got a few minutes to kill, wander around the 1st floor, where you can see photos of the building's original construction and learn a few things about the process.
The Hotel Teatro’s Location
Our time in Denver was a combination of city exploration and family reunion, as we were visiting family who lived in the City Park area.
For the personal side of our time there, I couldn't have asked for a better placement.
No matter what your plans in Denver are, Hotel Teatro is well placed.
Located in LoDo (lower downtown), the hotel boasts an enviable location: its one of the few luxury hotels with full amenities by Coors Field and near to Union Station.
You can walk to Coors Field to see a Colorado Rockies game, as the stadium is about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. Considering how high—and scarce—parking can be for games, that option might be a game-changer for your visit.
Union Station is a 15 minute walk from the hotel. This former train station is now home to stores and restaurants, including my favorite brunch spot in the city, Snooze.
It's less than 2 blocks from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Boettcher Concert Hall if you'd like to indulge in the arts along with your historical hotel stay.
While we were out and about in downtown, we were able to walk to local restaurants and shops, which was perfect for a family on the move.
I appreciate any location where I can park my car once and then explore on foot and by public transportation, and the Hotel Teatro offers up just that.
The Hotel Teatro: A Complete Review
Is the Hotel Teatro good for families?
What do the hotel rooms look like?
Can I eat onsite?
Let’s answer all those questions and more to see if the Hotel Teatro is the right Denver hotel for you.
Impeccable Service
Everyone we met on the hotel staff was incredible. My family and I stay at a considerable number of hotels, and few have even gotten close to the staff at the Hotel Teatro.
(Check out my hotel reviews from all over the world to see how the Hotel Teatro compares!)
I was flustered when I first arrived at the hotel, thanks to a combo of too much driving on the last day of our Las Vegas to Denver road trip and kids who had started wailing as soon as we hit the valet stand.
I showed up to the check-in desk without my wallet, ID, confirmation number, or any sense in my head—#momlife—but the woman running the desk was understanding.
Once I found my brain and got checked in, she was so helpful with the dozens of questions I had about the hotel's history, layout, restaurant, and rooms.
The bellhop who was on duty throughout our stay was also fantastic. He helped me get all of our bags to our room and even helped me arrange our luggage so I could take those perfect photos of the room before everyone in the family messed it up.
Later on, I managed to lose my husband and kids--and, naturally, forgot my phone in the car, as well (did I mention that I seemed to have forgotten my brain the day we checked in?!!)--and the bellhop was more than happy to send them up to the room when they wandered into the lobby from parking the car.
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Teatro’s luxury boutique feel isn’t just in their public spaces. The rooms themselves are fantastic, too!
Let’s explore what you should expect in and out of your room.
Hotel Rooms
In the room, you'll find one of the comfiest beds ever, complimentary wifi (the password is on a card in the lobby, and you'll also get a card with the code on it at check-in), and stunning views of LoDo.
Our room was quite large with a king bed. We had a pull out couch for our preschooler and plenty of leftover space for our baby’s cot.
In other hotel rooms, that number of sleeping areas would make the entire room feel crammed, but we had lots of room to walk around even with the couch and cot set up.
The room also came with a seating area and coffee table, which was perfect for afternoon snacks and quick breakfast bites.
I also appreciated the wooden desk in the room, which allowed me to get some work done on the blog while I was there.
Luxurious Bathrooms
The bathroom was massive. Other than perhaps the bathroom at the Cloudveil in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the bathroom at Hotel Teatro is the nicest I’ve ever seen at a hotel.
I seriously could've moved in there and been perfectly happy.
The marble tiles and granite countertops work with the artsy, elevated luxury feel of the entire hotel, while still managing to be inviting and cozy.
We were all a little obsessed with the rainforest shower head, and my daughter even chose to play in the shower for an extra long time instead of a few minutes of television before bed.
I didn’t want to take off the plush robe that came with the room, and I would’ve been happy to lounge away my time, reading in the bed and watching the light shift on the buildings outside our room.
However, my family wouldn’t have put up with that, and we never would’ve gotten to experience the best kid-friendly things to do in Denver!
Complimentary Shuttle Service
One of the amenities that I thought was particularly helpful is the hotel's shuttle service.
There's a Lincoln Navigator at the guests' disposal, which will take you for a complimentary ride anywhere within a 2.5 mile radius of the hotel.
The hotel’s complimentary shuttle
This puts most of the downtown area within easy access. Not many of the hotels in LoDo Denver can boast such an awesome amenity!
If you bring a car, you have two choices:
use the parking garage across the street from the hotel, which is $20 per day and doesn't allow in and out privileges, or
take advantage of the valet service, which is $42 per day, but allows for unlimited in and out privileges.
Regardless of which option you choose, you can pull up in the clearly marked unloading space in front of the hotel’s main door. The bell hops will then help you with your luggage before you (or the valets) find a home for your car.
Note that very, very few of the lower downtown Denver hotels have parking garages attached to the hotels, and there aren't any that I'm aware of that come with free parking.
So, prepare to find a spot for your vehicle. If that stresses you out, leave the work to the experts and hand over your keys to the valet.
Add extra money to your travel budget to allow for the valet or garage fees.
On-Site Dining
While there are dozens of options within easy walking distance of this historic hotel in Denver, you don't have to leave the Hotel Teatro to find a good meal.
The Nickel
The Nickel, the hotel's main restaurant, is located just off the lobby, and offers dishes based around fresh, local foods.
We had a stunning charcuterie tray from the Nickel, which included a selection of cheeses and some of the best salted almonds I've ever had.
You can also choose from a selection of cocktails and drinks at the Barrel Bar inside the restaurant.
The Study at Hotel Teatro
The Study, an adorable and quirky spot just around the corner from check-in, offers breakfast and lunch.
The food comes from the Nickel's kitchen, but allows for a completely different atmosphere for dining.
You can sit in one of the small tables or lounge in one of the many chairs and couches scattered in the space.
I love that the hotel incorporates its history throughout the design, and you can see the academic influence on this beautiful space from the hotel’s time as part of the University of Colorado.
In the afternoons, it becomes a great place to hang out and meet other hotel guests, or hang out by one of the huge windows and read.
Thanks to its professor’s-office-meets-bookstore feel, the Study was one of my favorite places in the entire hotel.
Final Thoughts on Hotel Teatro
There are SO many options for hotels in the LoDo District of Denver, but I suggest that you skip the chains nearby and head straight for the historic Hotel Teatro.
It's got the perfect combination of trendy and classic decor in the public areas, and offers a great blend of comfort and design details in the rooms.
The location is excellent, the staff is accommodating, and the rooms are huge.
While there aren’t specific family accommodations, the entire hotel is casual enough for kids. I loved how well the hotel balanced that casual feel with upscale detailing to create a unique boutique hotel feel.
Plus, if you want to fully immerse yourself in the arts and culture scene in Denver, there’s no better place to stay that’s such a gorgeous blend of history, the arts, and architecture.
One final tip: ask for a corner room when you book! We had the corner room on the 8th floor, and it was massive.
Have you stayed in any of the hotels in the LoDo district of Denver? What do you look for in a luxury boutique hotel when you're traveling?
