The Brown Palace

The lobby area at The Brown Palace Hotel, in its holiday finery

Last night I was in Denver on business, so I satisfied my interest in historic hotels by spending the night at The Brown Palace.

The Brown Palace Hotel has continuously operated in downtown Denver since August, 1892.  It has hosted countless Presidents and celebrities, including the Beatles.  Why, there is even a Beatles suite!  It’s also home to lots of different bars and restaurants, a spa, and other amenities.

As is the case with many older hotels, The Brown Palace has the kind of touches and flourishes that you don’t often find in modern hotels.  Its design features an atrium-type lobby, open to the metal-railed floors far above.  There is an enormous chandelier in the middle of the vast open area that was decorated for the holidays during my visit.

The furnishings in the common areas and in my room, at least, were traditional in nature and fit very comfortably with the hotel’s architectural design.  On my floor, for example, the area right outside the elevator included a table with a rotary telephone.  A rotary phone!  Do most travelers these days even know how to use one?