I recently stayed at the Brown Palace with my husband and 2-year-old daughter. My husband was there for a short conference so we tagged along.

This hotel definitely has a charm to it. It has a very interesting history, which the bellman filled us in on while showing us to our room. In fact, there are tours of the hotel two times a week.

The room wasn’t large, but was well appointed. The décor and furnishings seemed to accurately reflect the historic aspects of the hotel as well.

We did not use any of the hotel restaurants so we can’t comment on that. The afternoon tea in lobby looked great and I would definitely give it a shot on another visit without a 2-year-old.

Only problem we had was with the lack of hot water. In fact, we never had hot water – only lukewarm.

The location is definitely a plus. It is right off the 16th street mall and is within walking distance of the art museum, etc. The downtown location makes it convenient to take the bus to various places as well. We grabbed the 32 bus to get to the zoo and the 20 bus to go to the science museum. Both picked up and dropped off right across from the hotel. The little one was free and adults are only $1.75 so it was a great deal.

There are a lot of places to eat within walking distance or by using the free shuttle along the 16th street mall. There’s a lot of chains, but there are some good local options as well. We tried Mici (Italian / pizza), Wynkoop Brewery and Apaloosa Grill, among others. All were very good. Also had cupcakes from Yum Yum bakery. OK, but I’ve had better “gourmet” cupcakes.

Tip: The hotel charges for Wi Fi access; however, if you cross the bridge to the Comfort Inn, you can get it for free in their lobby!

The toilet leaked and the toilet tank would refilled in the middle of the nigh. The conceirge gave me incorrect directions and ignored me on another request. I was even charged me for a meal I never ate even though they said I would not be charged. The worst is when I wrote to the managing director to complain and received a form letter that never addressed my issues but thanked me for bringing my problems to his attention and assured me that my next stay will be better. Oh well, I guess some things do float to the top!

We spent a Saturday night at this beautiful hotel. Right in the heart of Denver and the outdoor mall, we had a wonderful time. I enjoyed a message in the spa and it was one of the best I have had. On our way out of town on Sunday, we had Brunch in the restaraunt at the hotel. I have to say that it was truly the best brunch I have ever had. I definatly will be back to the Brown Palace.

The Brown Palace was absolutely fabulous! Everyone was very friendly, helpful and accomodating. Just before we arrived their computer system went down, and they handled it beautifully. Not many places could run that smoothly without the computers. Everyone was so wonderful, they made you feel like you had come home. I also strongly recommend the Spa, my massage was wonderful. I will definately stay at the Brown Palace the next time I am in the Denver area.