Close
1892
The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection
Denver, Colorado
321 17th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202
Original Property Opened in 1892
Historic Hotels of America member since 2023
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Magnificent Gingerbread Displays List Is Announced
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Haunted Hotels List Is Announced
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Where U.S. Presidents Made History List Is Announced
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Where Women Made History
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Afternoon Tea Experiences List Is Announced
Open since 1892, only 16 years after Colorado earned its statehood, The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection has been a Denver icon ever since it began. Despite its enduring grandeur, The Brown Palace came from relatively humble beginnings, as a dream of Ohioan carpenter-turned-real-estate speculator Henry C. Brown. In a stroke of brilliance, he funneled the profits he had made selling off parcels of land into a bid to transform a triangular plot he used as a cow pasture into a magnificent new hotel. Brown spared no expense in turning his dream into a reality and hired renowned architect Frank E. Edbrooke to oversee its creation, who in turn incorporated palatial touches truly worthy of the hotel’s name, including a soaring eight-story atrium ringed with filigree wrought-iron railings and crowned with a stunning stained-glass ceiling. They even dug an artesian well 720 feet beneath the hotel’s foundation (an amenity that current guests passing through still enjoy). Two million dollars and four years later, The Brown Palace Hotel opened its doors as the tallest building in Denver, quickly earning an esteemed reputation that continues to this day.
Today, The Brown Palace remains atop the ranks of the finest hotels in Denver and stays true to its early motto of “Where the World Registers.” Along with its elegant design, which still retains much of its timeless beauty, guests staying at The Brown Palace Hotel can also enjoy a meal or drink at several different restaurants and lounges, indulge in a luxurious treatment at The Spa and Salon, or unwind during the hotel’s daily live musical performances. Additionally, thanks to its convenient location in the Mile High City’s bustling downtown, Brown Palace guests are also ideally situated for exploring some of the area’s top attractions.
Discover
- Admire the excellent craftsmanship of The Brown Palace Hotel. Listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1970, this Denver institution has been recognized as one of the best hotels in Colorado ever since its opening in 1892. It was even featured on the cover of that year’s May issue of Scientific American magazine, where it was hailed as a “modern marvel.” No expense was spared in its creation, which cost a monumental $2 million. Today, guests can still appreciate the hotel’s stately Italian Renaissance style, which utilize luxurious materials like Colorado red granite, Arizona sandstone, and imported Mexico onyx to stunning effect. The Brown Palace also holds the distinction of being only the second fire-proofed building in the United States at the time of its construction, thanks to the use of hollow blocks of porous terracotta in place of wood for the walls and floors.
- Marvel at the hotel’s truly palatial design. One of the first atrium-style hotels ever constructed, The Brown Palace dazzles guests with its towering eight-story lobby, which is rimmed with intricate wrought-iron balconies. Its crowning glory, however, is a glittering stained-glass ceiling, further adding to the jewel-box-like setting. The best way to take in this soaring space is during the hotel’s elegant afternoon tea, while sipping on a cocktail and enjoying some live jazz in the evenings, or by embarking on one of its twice-weekly public tours.
- Follow in the footsteps of the many famous guests who have stayed at The Brown Palace Hotel, from celebrities such as John Wayne and The Beatles to icons and luminaries like Thomas Edison and Charles Lindbergh. Other distinguished individuals to grace the hotel’s guest list include no less than 17 former U.S. presidents (during the Eisenhower presidency, The Brown Palace earned the nickname “Western White House” due to their frequent visits) and even the “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” who stayed at The Brown Palace only a couple of weeks after surviving the fateful Titanic disaster. The hotel also played host to one especially momentous event in history. In October 1911, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary who had been exiled from his homeland nearly two decades earlier, checked into Room 321 in the late hours of the evening. His stay would be a short one, however, thanks to a telegram that was delivered to his room the very next morning. As it turns out, the revolution to overthrow the Qing Dynasty had been a success. He finally returned home after 16 years in exile where he was voted the provisional president of the new Republic of China.
Explore
- Uncover the secrets of The Brown Palace Hotel during a guided historical tour led by the hotel’s historian. Held in the afternoon on Wednesday and Saturday, these fascinating walking tours give insight into the events and people that have shaped the hotel’s history. Topics run the gamut from architecture to presidential stays, and there is even a special ghost-focused version offered during the autumn months. The Brown Palace Hotel tours last approximately one hour and 15 minutes and are complimentary for overnight hotel guests.
- Round up the gang to witness a unique Brown Palace tradition, an appearance by the National Western Stock Show’s Grand Champion Steer during the hotel’s iconic Afternoon Tea. Just like the city of Denver itself, Steer Day is a uniquely Coloradan confluence of big-city sensibilities and cowboy soul. Happening since 1946, when a man named Dan Thornton decided to parade that year’s victor through the lobby of the Mile High City’s grandest hotel, the annual January event has been a Denver institution ever since. Each year, hotel guests and ticketed attendees crowd around each of The Brown Palace’s atrium balconies for a look at the winner and runner-up, while outside the hotel, a line wraps around the block waiting for their shot at a photo. Steer day takes place at the end of January each year.
- Start the holidays off with a bang (and a buzz) during the Annual Champagne Cascade. Held each November since 1987, this sparkling spectacle serves as the opening act of the hotel’s festive season, featuring a Christmas-tree-like pyramid of around 6,000 Baccarat crystal wine glasses that takes several hours to stack. The yuletide tradition begins by slicing off the tops of the bottles with replicas of Napoleonic sabers before pouring the bubbly in the glass on the very top of the tower. However, not every delicate glass gets filled. In fact, only two bottles of champagne have the distinction of being poured down the pyramid, as it would require around 70 cases of bubbly to fill up each of the layers.
Experience
- Uncover the secrets of The Brown Palace Hotel during a guided historical tour led by the hotel’s historian. Held in the afternoon on Wednesday and Saturday, these fascinating walking tours give insight into the events and people that have shaped the hotel’s history. Topics run the gamut from architecture to presidential stays, and there is even a special ghost-focused version offered during the autumn months. The Brown Palace Hotel tours last approximately one hour and 15 minutes and are complimentary for overnight hotel guests.
- Round up the gang to witness a unique Brown Palace tradition, an appearance by the National Western Stock Show’s Grand Champion Steer during the hotel’s iconic Afternoon Tea. Just like the city of Denver itself, Steer Day is a uniquely Coloradan confluence of big-city sensibilities and cowboy soul. Happening since 1946, when a man named Dan Thornton decided to parade that year’s victor through the lobby of the Mile High City’s grandest hotel, the annual January event has been a Denver institution ever since. Each year, hotel guests and ticketed attendees crowd around each of The Brown Palace’s atrium balconies for a look at the winner and runner-up, while outside the hotel, a line wraps around the block waiting for their shot at a photo. Steer day takes place at the end of January each year.
- Start the holidays off with a bang (and a buzz) during the Annual Champagne Cascade. Held each November since 1987, this sparkling spectacle serves as the opening act of the hotel’s festive season, featuring a Christmas-tree-like pyramid of around 6,000 Baccarat crystal wine glasses that takes several hours to stack. The yuletide tradition begins by slicing off the tops of the bottles with replicas of Napoleonic sabers before pouring the bubbly in the glass on the very top of the tower. However, not every delicate glass gets filled. In fact, only two bottles of champagne have the distinction of being poured down the pyramid, as it would require around 70 cases of bubbly to fill up each of the layers.
Taste
- Try a taste of honey produced by the bee colonies that call The Brown Palace Hotel home. No stranger to welcoming royalty, The Brown Palace actually plays host to five queens every day: those who rule the five honeybee colonies on the hotel’s rooftop, which are at the heart of its initiative to promote environmental health. Not only can guests purchase the fruits of their labor in The Brown Palace’s coffee shop, but they can also sample the harvest when enjoying some of the dishes and drinks offered at the hotel, like the Bee’s Knees or Flask Old Fashioned cocktails at Palace Arms. Or go for a sweet-meets-savory take on caviar, which pairs the indulgence with honey and fried chicken.
- Dine like a V.I.P. at one of The Brown Palace’s onsite eateries. At Ship Tavern, guests can take a culinary voyage across the pond with a round of the Fish n’ Chips. Served with hearty steak fries and house-made tartar sauce, this quintessential British pairing was enjoyed by The Beatles during their stay at The Brown Palace when they played their lone Colorado show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Or for a meal that is as elevated as its guest list, be sure to dine at Palace Arms. Adorned with priceless antiques and ephemera like a pair of dueling pistols once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte and exquisite wallpaper that can only also be found in the White House and the Louvre, Palace Arms has hosted distinguished guests like Pink Floyd, Elizabeth Taylor, and U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman.
- Drink in the grandeur of The Brown Palace’s palatial atrium during its time-honored Afternoon Tea. A treasured hotel tradition ever since its early days, Afternoon Tea at The Brown Palace Hotel is a decidedly elegant affair, complete with delicate finger sandwiches, classic tea pastries, velvety Devonshire cream shipped straight from England, and the dulcet tones of a grand piano.
- Sample the city’s signature Den-Mex, Denver’s take on Mexican food. Known for its green chile, which is often made from Colorado-grown Pueblo chiles and studded with chunks of succulent pork, the sauce is slathered on everything from burritos and enchiladas to burgers and fries or simply served as a soup. Those hoping for a true taste of Coloradan cuisine will also want to give one of the city’s many bison dishes a try. A state specialty, bison is a hearty and healthy protein, and is popularly served in chili or as a burger (smothered with green chile, of course). Both green chile and bison are on the menu at nearby Appaloosa Grill, which is located just a short, six-minute walk from the hotel.
FEATURED ACCOMMODATIONS
Featured Offers
Best Available Rate
Book the Best Available Rate at this property on HistoricHotels.org and receive a complimentary one-year family membership (a $30 value) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
