Denver Hotel Recommendation

November 26, 2016 4:09 PM

I'm meeting up with my nephews for 2 nights in Denver. We need a hotel, with some specific requirements.

I'm 50, they're in their 20's. We're all non-Coloradoans. I'm in the role of the "cool uncle." They might have a friend or 2 along. We want to have a cheap hotel, with no reservation required, where we can park our vehicles, then walk to our planned entertainment destinations. Seedy hotels are fine, but I want us to be safe walking around.

Intended destinations include marijuana dispensaries, bars with good beer, decent food options, hopefully food trucks, and an adult bookstore or two.

I'm paying for it, and I'm not rich. They want to have fun, exploring things they can't do at home. I want us all to be safe.

It's OK to tell me my wish list is impossible to satisfy. The only requirement I'd be willing to reconsider is the hotel price. The entertainment options are kind of fixed.

Oh, almost forgot, this is for tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday nights.

Thanks!

posted by yesster to Travel & Transportation around Denver, CO (12 answers total)

The Brown Palace is the best.
posted by allelopath at 5:01 PM on November 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've stayed at the this la quinta inn. No idea about adult books stores, but it's walking distance to everything else on your list.
posted by phil at 5:06 PM on November 26, 2016

Oh, also, not a hotel, but ... a lot of stuff happens on East Colfax Avenue.
posted by allelopath at 5:30 PM on November 26, 2016

I love the Brown Palace but cheap, it ain't.
posted by lovableiago at 5:30 PM on November 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'd recommend either that La Quinta or the Ramada on East Comfax. Both are cheap, with decent parking, and you can walk to things. Anything in downtown is going to be more expensive and parking can be a hassle.
posted by heurtebise at 5:33 PM on November 26, 2016

You'll have to take an uber or something to get there but some guys at a totally non-affiliated dispensary recommended the Blue Bonnet as the best Mexican food in town.

When we got there, we basically got asked if we got high and then came to have Mexican food. We had done just that and it was met with enthusiasm. It turns out the people that own the restaurant also own the dispensary across the street.The hotel we stayed at was...not cheap but most of it was paid for by my employer. They also had a deal to rent us a vaporizer for $25 per night. It was a truly magical place.
posted by VTX at 6:48 PM on November 26, 2016

You'll have to check if it fits your budget, but The Curtis hotel has a different theme on each floor (e.g. comic books, board games, etc.) and a free cookie/candy bar that runs around 8pm each night, I enjoyed my stay there, and the location was great.
posted by furtive at 7:20 PM on November 26, 2016

The Newhouse Hotel seems to check a lot of the boxes. It's right downtown off Colfax. It's a bit seedy but cheap. And has a real historic feel to it.
posted by tunewell at 7:54 AM on November 27, 2016

Wow, there is some terrible advice here from the Brown Palace (one of the most expensive hotels in town) to the Blue Bonnet (mediocre Mexican food). You aren't going to find a reasonably priced hotel in downtown. I'd suggest checking out Air BnB.
posted by fieldtrip at 10:15 AM on November 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Years ago, I stayed at the 11th Avenue Hotel and Hostel in Denver. It was delightfully seedy (saw an ankle monitor on one of the guests), yet also felt clean and safe enough. Might be worth a try.
posted by charlemangy at 7:46 PM on November 27, 2016

The Bluebonnet is crap and the Brown Palace is lovely but expensive. The Ramada on East Colfax is probably the best bet for your requirements. There is also a weed-friendly "Holiday Chalet B&B" or something like that on Colfax.
posted by cyndigo at 5:19 PM on November 28, 2016

On preview, what fieldtrip said.
posted by cyndigo at 5:20 PM on November 28, 2016