DENVER —Well situated on the corner of 20th and Chestnut Streets, the Hilton Garden Inn (HGI) Denver Union Station opened its doors last week. The new hotel is developed and owned by Focus Property Group and operated by Davidson Hotels & Resorts a multi-disciplinary investment and development company based in Denver.
“We are thrilled to open the doors to HGI Denver Union Station,” said Josh Fine, executive vice president of Focus Property Group. “The historic nature of the site adds so much to this neighborhood, and we’re excited to bring it new life and vibrancy for the surrounding community, as well as offer a warm and welcoming Denver hub for our out-of-town visitors.”
Just three blocks from Coors Field and Union Station, the hotel is surrounded by some of Denver’s best dining, shopping and entertainment.
Designed by JOHNSON NATHAN STROHE, this 12-story, 233-key hotel includes more than 10,000-square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. The industrial chic interiors incorporate nods to the Mile High City, from leather and earth-toned color schemes to mountain-scape patterns, and live-edged wooden tables to exposed concrete structural columns. Complementing the hotel’s design is an art collection curated by local firm NINE dot ARTS. Amenities include a 54-foot lap pool, fitness center, business center and coworking space.
Focus reportedly paid $5.85 million for the property and demolished a former storage facility on the property in 2016, but kept the 130-year-old building located at 20th and Chestnut Streets. Alliance Construction Solutions was the general contractor.
Uniquely, the hotel also envelops Denver’s first firehouse, creating a playful juxtaposition between the area’s past and present. Fully renovated into a premier restaurant, the historic Hose House #1 anchors the project, balancing the curtain glazing and white stucco of the hotel with original Denver brick accented with arched windows and wooden fire doors.
Preserving the integrity of the historic building required a meticulous process of creating an interior steel skeleton that supports the original brick walls (which have no rebar or other internal supports) as well as a new glass and steel ceiling. When needed, replacement bricks were sourced from various parts of Denver to maintain the authenticity of the building, which also required new tuck-pointing. Restoring previously bricked-up windows and removing the floor of the second-story due to structural issues allows natural light to flood the space.
JOHNSON NATHAN STOHE worked closely with Boss Architecture, overseeing the interior design of the restaurant.
Focus Property Group also has a 27-story Marriott hotel in the works at the corner of 14th and Stout streets, across from the Colorado Convention Center.
Photos courtesy of HGI
