Crowne Plaza Denver

The first impression the Crowne Plaza Denver makes is with its reception desk, which is split into three segments so as to evoke an airline check-in counter. The rest of the large, cavernous lobby has a number of seating areas, which consist of deep leather couches and armchairs, some presided over by a flat-screen TV on the wall. Off the lobby, there is a small convenience store selling newspapers and snacks, and providing free lemon-infused water for guests. The hotel's two popular restaurants are also adjacent; the main restaurant, Off 16th, where breakfast is served, has a no-frills style with a few simple glass pendant lamps over booths, wooden chairs, and tables, and a large window along one wall. The Place Lounge is similarly basic, outfitted with high tables and comfortable high-back chairs, a long bar with delicate pendant lamps, and flat-screen TVs. Happy hour, on weekdays, brings an assortment of guests and locals, and the restaurant serves a simple menu of pub fare for lunch and dinner. The rooftop pool, open seasonally from May to September, has several lounge chairs where many people can be found reading books and sun tanning on warm afternoons.

Set smack in the middle of downtown Denver, the Crowne Plaza is just one short block off the popular outdoor 16th Street Mall, home to a wide variety of chain stores, boutiques, restaurants, bars, and the large Pavilion movie theater complex. The Colorado Convention Center is the same distance away in the opposite direction. The Denver Art Museum is less than a 10-minute walk away, Coors Field is a seven-minute drive or 24-minute walk, the Denver Zoo a 12-minute drive away, and Denver International Airport is about a 40-minute drive from the hotel.

There are 364 rooms at the Crowne Plaza, all decorated in the typical style of an upscale chain hotel, with understated earth tones and subtly patterned curtains, wallpaper, and upholstery. The beds are large and notably comfortable, with high quality linens and dark wooden headboards. The furniture is elegant but traditional: a leather armchair, lamps on the dark wood nightstands, and a large wooden desk. The suites are considerably larger that regular rooms, with a separate living room with a couch, recliner, and large window. Bathrooms are all the same: relatively small with cream tile, a single sink, a shower/tub combination, and Templespa toiletries. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, at least one flat-screen TV with a large selection of cable channels, a mini-fridge, a coffee machine, and ironing facilities. The walls are thin between some rooms and neighbors can be heard opening and closing doors and running water. Higher rooms have better views and, from some rooms, the Rocky Mountains are visible beyond the surrounding downtown skyscrapers.

The Crowne Plaza Denver has free Wi-Fi throughout, a large fitness center, and an outdoor rooftop pool, open from May to September. Breakfast is not included in the standard room price, but a full breakfast menu, including frittatas and pancakes, is served in the Off 16th restaurant, which also serves lunch and dinner. The Place Lounge has a full bar and serves burgers, sandwiches, soups, and salads for lunch and dinner. Room service is also available. The hotel has several rooms dedicated to meetings and events, and there's a private club lounge for IHG Rewards Club members. The reception desk is open 24 hours and hotel staff is happy to arrange airport transfers, laundry service and taxi reservations. Parking is not included, but is available in an underground garage below the hotel, subject to a nightly fee.