The room was simultaneously urban and rustic. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
The room was simultaneously urban and rustic. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Melissa Nightingale stays at Hotel Indigo in Denver.
Location: The hotel is found in Denver's cool Lower Downtown area, affectionately known as LoDo. It's just a hop, skip and a jump from the historic Union Station and is handy to the free "mall ride", a bus that travels up anddown that part of the town which you can catch every few minutes throughout the day.
Getting there: It's about a 12 hour flight from Auckland then another short haul domestic flight to make it to Denver. I boarded the light train from the airport which should have taken me to Union Station - only a few minutes walk from my hotel. Unfortunately that section of the rail line was closed. While there was a replacement bus I opted for a quicker Uber ride.
The selection of spirits in Hotel Indigo's bar at Hearth & Dram was impressive. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Check-in experience: It was quiet by the time I arrived to check in, about 11.30pm. Check in was quick and hassle-free - though there was a mix up with my credit card which I realised a week later still hadn't been sorted, and had to organise a refund for.
Room: The room had a very urban vibe with concrete ceilings. There was a gloriously comfortable bed - they pay about $16,000 NZD for each bed - and a beautiful sepia-toned photograph of the Rocky Mountains spanning the length of the wall behind the bed. There was a writing desk, TV, a huge window with a view of the LoDo skyline, plus the usual amenities and free bottles of water.
Price: Roughly $400 NZD per night.
Bathroom: The wet-floor shower with a curtain was nothing to write home about, but the bathroom in general was tidy and fairly spacious, with the usual selection of toiletries.
Food and drink: I had been looking forward to visiting the hotel restaurant and bar, Hearth & Dram. Unfortunately, due to delayed flights and missed connections, I didn't quite get to the hotel before the restaurant closed. Thankfully I managed to snag breakfast in there though, where I enjoyed a superb breakfast burrito amidst the modern-but-rustic charm of my surroundings. There's an impressive collection of alcohol at the bar, with a full wall taken up floor to high ceiling with bottles. There's a tall, sliding ladder so bartenders can reach those extra-top shelf liquors.
The breakfast burrito at Hotel Indigo's restaurant, Hearth & Dram, was a good way to start the day. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Free Wi-Fi? Yes, included in the cost.
Noise: I didn't have any trouble with noise, but I did catch multiple whiffs of cannabis in the halls - reminding me that we were of course in a state where weed is legal.
Contact: Phone: 303-623-4422 or visit the website.
The bottom line: A very comfortable stay and a great location for exploring Lower Downtown Denver.
