Denver’s oldest and grandest hotel, The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, recently completed a renovation of the its historic Top of The Brown Suites, including the 8th and 9th floors and the three famed Presidential Suites — The Eisenhower, The Reagan and The Roosevelt — as well as Palace Arms, various meeting spaces and the Club Lounge. With these multimillion-dollar upgrades, masterfully crafted by Forchielli Glynn, The Brown maintains its grandeur and grace as the city’s most elegant, iconic hotel, while still captivating guests with historic heritage fused with modern-day amenities.
“Given the history of The Brown Palace, we knew the importance of preserving the building’s unique character,” said Nick Moschetti, general manager of The Brown Palace Complex. “I am confident we were able to achieve this, upholding the historical elements while ensuring modern-day relevance. We are honored and excited to unveil this renovation, and to continue providing the same excellence we’ve shown our guests for the last 129 years.”
Top of the Brown Suites
Striking the perfect balance between conservation and transformation, the Top of Brown Suites originally debuted in 1937 at the height of the Art Deco era. Today, the style is still fully embraced but modernized for 21st century guests. No two suites are alike, and all 38 keys are located on the upper floors and tucked away from the hum of the Atrium below. Inspired by the Grand Parisian Salons of the 30s, the guestrooms – with starting rates ranging from $259 to $499 per night, pending room type – are adorned with new plush tufted headboards touting tall columns of drapery and textured Chanel-suit-inspired upholstery. As a marriage of The Brown’s classic style and modern sophistication, all Top of The Brown rooms boast rounded corners, glass block walls, poured terrazzo flooring, stepped details on the wood bases and in the hallways, with streamline-style graphics on the entry doors. In addition, each closet features surprise a geometric back wall covering, reminiscent of a honeycomb, paying homage to the hotel’s rooftop bee colony.
Presidential Suites
Among the renovated Presidential suites, the 8th floor Eisenhower Suite now highlights the special connection the late President had with the property, which served as his western campaign headquarters. The new tribute wall showcases letters, photos and mementos from Eisenhower, appropriately decorated in Federal style. The furnishings and additions to the Reagan Suite, on the 9th floor, accentuate the President’s love of the California countryside, mirroring the décor style of his Santa Barbara ranch. While the 9th floor Roosevelt Suite touts a strong Edwardian-style with artifacts and furnishings reinforcing the President’s appreciation of big-game, wildlife and the Great West.
Palace Arms
The Brown Palace also recently announced the reopening of the refreshed Palace Arms. With new executive chef Kim Moyle at the helm, Palace Arms comes to life with a reimagined, “Locally Sourced, Farm Fresh Inspired,” menu, and a reinvigorated interior. Featuring all new furniture, lighting, chandeliers and more, Palace Arms patrons immediately immerse themselves into a modern-day masterpiece. Though refreshed, Palace Arms maintained its renowned Napoleonic décor and historic artistry, now with the chair upholsteries borrowing from the rich reds and blues of the Napoleonic era flags—and though the restaurant will maintain the current white-table cloths, the dress code no longer requires a jacket and tie.
Event Space
Of the 25,000 square feet of meeting space at The Brown Palace, 10 meeting rooms were upgraded with new window treatments, unique carpeting as well as an updated lantern-style pendant lighting. The Onyx Room, in particular, touts incredible woodwork, onyx walls, crystal chandeliers and a hand painted ceiling, of which stand out now more than ever with the updated flooring and neutral wall color. A covered walkway with tables, chairs and beautiful views of the hotel’s neighbors, leads to The Brown’s additional meeting venues – the second-floor meeting level over Tremont Street – boasting a grand ballroom as well as 16 meeting rooms, for a total of 19,453 square feet of space.
This month The Brown Palace Club Lounge opened to the public. Marriott members will enjoy a luxury space with stained and leaded glass windows, oak paneling and dynamic wood-beamed ceilings. The eclectic mix of furnishings has a club-vibe with leather and tufted upholstery, and lounge groupings are centered around large, mounted TVs. Members will be treated to various food and beverage options throughout the day and can enjoy their refreshments while surrounded by unique pieces of art and history, an ode to the classical accoutrements of the property.
Photos courtesy of The Brown Palace