photo credit: Stephany Wiestling
With so many great family activities in Denver, staying in or near the LoDo District (lower downtown) means you’re in walking distance to most of them; the 16th St. Mall, Coors Field, Tattered Cover Bookstore, and more. I have a few criteria when looking for a family friendly hotel: suites &/or family rooms, and swimming pool, are the first things I look for. Here some of my favorite family-friendly hotels in Denver:
Residence Inn by Marriott City Center: A one-bedroom suite with full kitchen (like a 1BR apartment) is very affordable, considering the Mother’s Day Brunch-worthy complimentary breakfast, happy hour in the lobby serving kid-friendly food, and the grocery delivery service with no delivery fee. Parking garage is tight, but at least there is one, which is a rarity downtown. No pool, but still my personal favorite because it’s walking distance to so much. Did I mention they have a dinner delivery service? It’s like room service, but from nearby restaurants instead. VERY handy with a youngster who’s in bed by 7pm and others are still hungry.
Brown Palace Hotel: Amenities include car seats and strollers, which helps lighten the travel load. Tiny sophisticates love the afternoon tea service. Valet-only, no garage; however the bus is right across the street and can take you to the zoo and museums easily if you want to skip having a car. (You could always rent one for the one day you do a mountain drive.)
Westin Tabor Center: Westins are really good at accommodating families , and this one is no exception. Family rooms and swimming pool are a couple of the perks. Parking, wi-fi are available, but not included. Right on the 16th St. Mall, which is very convenient to walk to shops, restaurants, and a short drive to attractions. Or take the free public transit system.
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel: located along the 16th Street Mall. Hotel family-friendly amenities include laundry/dry cleaning, gift shop, valet parking (fee), 24-hour room service, concierge, video check-out, year-round outdoor pool, and more.
Warwick Downtown Denver: near the State Capitol, 16th Street Pedestrian Mall and the Convention Center. The oversized guest rooms and suites have a private terrace with views of the Denver skyline and the Rocky Mountains. The rooftop pool, open year round, has spectacular views of the Rockies and the Denver skyline. Randolph’s restaurant, featuring New West cuisine, is located on the lobby level. Wi-fi for a fee. Only offers valet parking (cost ~ 22).
Residence Inn by Marriott Denver Downtown: North of downtown a bit and near the Children’s Museum, Downtown Aquarium, and Six Flags (Elitch Gardens), this hotel has all the bells and whistles of the first Residence Inn on the list, but this one has a POOL. So, you trade off driving everywhere with having a pool at your hotel.
Marriott Denver City Center: located right downtown. Family rooms and suites, an indoor pool, and Allies American Grille on site. Only 2 blocks from the 16th St. Mall, so you are close to a great variety of eateries. Very nice hotel, see reviews.
Hotel Monaco Denver – A Kimpton Hotel: Recently voted Travel+Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels for 2009 and Best Boutique Hotel by Westword Magazine. Sophisticated, whimsical, 4-star hotel in a great location. Some rooms have goldfish in the room, how fun is that for kids?
Crowne Plaza Downtown Denver: Less than 2 blocks from the 16th St. Mall, family rooms, pool, and a couple of on-site restaurants. Parking is available for about$18/day.
Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown: More of a business hotel, but an ideal location right on the 16th St. Mall. Swimming pool, Starbucks and Rialto Cafe on site, as well as family rooms help kids and parents feel at home.
If you’ve stayed at any of these, let us know in the comments, or review it through the hotel link provided. Your thoughts help other parents plan their trip.
Denver
Having a large family, it is hard to find kids friendly hotels, especially ones that are not pricey. Thank you for the post.
I’m busy planning my Colorado road trip. This post is extremely useful!
Colorado is so fun! You will love it! I am currently planning my trip to London… maybe we can swap tips? 🙂
-Steph
Sounds like a great plan! Would love to hear all your top young kids tips for Colorado. We also have friends meeting us for long weekend in denver/Boulder so if you have some ideas for kids under four I’d love to hear
I would definitely do the Children’s Museum of Denver, and the Denver Zoo. Both are awesome for little ones! My little guy is a dinosaur buff, so we made a stop at Dinosaur Ridge just outside of Denver (near Red Rocks). Actually, we made an afternoon of driving the Lariat Loop and walked around Red Rocks (it’s stroller, friendly, too), had lunch in Morrison, and did Dinosaur Ridge (which is in between). We didn’t do the part of Dino Ridge where they walk next to the busy road to see the fossils, just stayed near the gift shop where they have a dig pit, and plenty of fossils right there for little ones.
Our London trip is in July, and we would love to do a day trip (overnight, actually) to Paris, but are wondering about which tour to do. Any thoughts? Also, my now 8-year-old son wants to see Big Ben and the Tower of London, so I would welcome any advice on that as well. 🙂