Where to stay

Downtown Denver's 16th Street Mall is a mile-long strip of retail and dining establishments. Stay at any hotel in the downtown neighborhood and use the free shuttle to travel to restaurants, stores, museums and theaters, many within a block or two of the main street. Auraria has high-rise hotels serving visitors to the Convention Center, the university and Mile High Stadium, with a broad selection of casual to upscale restaurants as well. Accommodations just south of the city center in the Capitol Hill neighborhood are close to some of the city's best restaurants, ranging from farm-to-table bistros to elegant French and Italian fine dining establishments. To the north, Highland's hotels are surrounded by hip cafés with tapas, sushi, Caribbean and even Middle Eastern selections. South of Denver, Greenwood Village has hotels and great restaurants, from steakhouses to Mexican fare, serving the tens of thousands of people arriving daily for work at the Denver Tech Center.

For innovative art, with street murals, visual artists, furniture makers, pop-up galleries and jazz bars, find a place in the neighborhood of River North Art District, called RiNo by locals. Close to the Downtown Denver area is the Golden Triangle Creative District. Book accommodations here and explore 45 city blocks of cultural attractions including museums, galleries, ballet, street murals, Final Friday music and art events and year-round festivals and celebrations. Outside the city center, stay at a hotel about a 30-minute drive west of Denver in Golden to see its museums, arts center and historic buildings from the Gold Rush era.

Drive less than 30 minutes east of Denver and stay in Aurora, where outdoor activities include horseback riding, golf, hiking and paddleboarding. West of Denver, Golden's hotels at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills offer great access to rock-climbing, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing and kayaking. Lakewood is also a great place to stay to be closer to the city but less than a 2-hour drive from ski resorts such as Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. For quiet appreciation of nature, stay in the neighborhood of the very large Cheesman Park and tour the seasonal plant displays at the Denver Botanic Gardens.