Gentrification of dilapidated corners of cities is a beautiful thing. The bones of old buildings are given new life, and the original builders and architects of these edifices are smiling down from somewhere.
In Denver the Dairy Block is a sterling example of how well this works.
We spent a glorious long weekend at The Maven Hotel, which anchors a rejuvenated downtown block not far from Coors Field.
The open plan on the ground floor presents an enticing flaneur through a variety of cleverly designed shops and food counters.
The counters serve a wide variety of cuisines. You wander, place an order and get a text when the food is ready.
We spent a few hours in the lobby of The Maven Hotel, enjoying games of cards and Quirkle. With over 400 original works of art, the hotel is a feast for the eyes. Residents of the hotel enjoy free happy hours; a supply of wooden coins can be exchanged for drinks at the Gulfstream. In the morning we enjoyed breakfast burritos therefrom. We were also offered free drip coffees at Huckleberry Roasters.
The Poka Lola is the lobby lounge bar, which fills nightly with residents and locals. Guests at the hotel are provided access to a 4,500 square foot fitness center.
The tasteful design of The Maven Hotel is more about brain floss than eye candy, the design touches are more thoughtful than cheeky.
For instance, we did a double take on our first ride in the elevator. The horizontal stripes were up cycled black leather belts, minus the buckles.
Opened just over two years ago by leading hospitality management company Sage Hospitality, the hotel features loft-style design. Our room was well appointed, with plush yet firm beds covered by high count soft cotton sheets. The barn door design to the bathroom saved plenty of space, providing a roomy double sinked bathroom. Our room looked over the alley that was undoubtedly once decrepit but now featured Italian bistro lights and entrances to boutiques and design companies.
Another great service feature at The Maven Hotel is free car service for the area. We availed ourselves, and stepped out of the Tahoe in front of The Ogden Theatre like rock stars for the Mt. Joy concert.
We found service at The Maven Hotel prompt and cordial. Being from SoCal we aren’t current on heating systems, but an engineer was quickly dispatched to fill in our gaps.
The hotel is right in the heart of a vibrant downtown scene, within a few blocks is Union Station (with transit connections to everywhere) and equally close is the 16th Street Mall. I wanted to spend hours in the marvelous Tattered Cover bookstore, known globally.
Restaurants and bars at Dairy Block also include Kachina Cantina, Seven Grand whiskey bar, Engine Room Pizza, Blanchard Family Wines and Denver Milk Market by Chef Frank Bonanno. We wandered among unique clothing, trinkets, jewelry, eyeglasses and more at The Perfect Petal, Blue Ruby, Warby Parker and Berkeley Supply.
The Milk Mart is decidedly more welcoming than the futuristic Milk Bar depicted in “A Clockwork Orange.”
We had a great long weekend at The Maven Hotel, and were so impressed by the thoughtful design, the attention to detail and the gracious service that it will become our go to venue when visiting Denver.
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