A New Favorite – The Populus Denver

If you recall in our 2024 Wrap Up, Peggy selected The Ramble in Denver as her hotel of the year (with good reason).  So, I definitely raised an eyebrow or two when she booked us into Populus Denver on our recent trip to Colorado for a much-needed Denver Speakeasy update.

Location

The nightly rate at Populus beat out all our Denver favorite hotels, but it was a little out of our preferred areas. We love the LoHi, RiNo, and Union Station areas.  Populus is just opposite the Capital building, but close to the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Convention Center, and the Denver Performing Arts Complex.  But, what the heck, we had reservations at Casa Bonita, so we were not tied to the downtown area, on a quick one-nighter in Mile High City, let’s try something new. 

Initial Impression

Populus’ mission is a sustainably focused hotel, with the amenities and service of a large hospitality group, but the unique personalization of an independent hotel.  And I cannot stress enough how impressed we were by their level of service, details, and considerations.

The outside of the hotel is unique, and I wasn’t feeling the art deco vibe when we first pulled up.  Later, looking at their website, they detail that the outside was designed after the aesthetic of the local Aspen trees – and now I get it, and it’s pretty cool and very Colorado.

Enter the lobby, restaurant to the left, Little Owl coffee bar to the right, and then the small check-in desk where we meet Nicole.  And she greets us with a big, beautiful smile.   We managed to get an upgrade and then we got the good information: happy hour in the bar, morning coffee in the executive rooftop lounge, water pitchers in the rooms, water fill stations by all the elevators, they will bring you ice if you need it.

And we head for the elevator, where inside the sounds are piping in a recording of a local Aspen Forest noises, it’s very peaceful.

Our Room

Our room, whew, our room was amazing!  The inside is all cement walls, in this smooth grey.  Fantastic wood details, and white linens.  It has a contemporary yet natural feel.  The oval windows line the walls with an incredible view of the State Capital and Civic Park.  We are definitely WOWed and simultaneously bummed that we have reservations and can’t just camp out for the night in this beautiful room.

The Lobby Bar

We had just enough time to grab a drink at the bar before happy hour ended on our way down, we stopped by to tell Nicole how amazing our room is and thank her.  Then we took our free drink token to the bar for a quick vodka soda, before noticing their drink selection.

And we meet Andrea, who was funny and engaging, and she introduces us to Thomas, who tells us how we missed out on his favorite drink:  Milk Punch, Vol 2.  A lemongrass, gin clarified milk punch.  Andrea is just finishing off one of the pre-mixed bottles for another order and poured each of us a taster.  It was fantastic and we were truly bummed we didn’t have time for one (or eight) more.

I loved the nature décor, and above the bar was a strange art installation that looked like animal hides hanging in a row, but it was beautiful and just worked within the space.  Zach was just coming on to shift, and we hated to say goodbye, but plans and reservations called, and we were off.

By the time we returned that evening, everything was shut down for the night, so we were off to a comfy bed and fantastic fluffy pillows.  The next morning was difficult.  It should have been a crime to have to get out of that bed.  It was a happy, relaxed morning just snuggled down under the covers as we both tried to get some work done.

Rooftop Lounge

Finally, the need for coffee and the remembrance of the rooftop “executive lounge access” called us to our feet.  As I mentioned, the hotel is just across from the state capital, the museum, and the Civic Center Park, so the view of the city is nice in the perfect sunny morning.  There was self-service coffee, tea, and water station, as well as a few pastries. 

We had not explored the rooftop restaurant, Stellar Jay, the evening before. This restaurant carries the nature vibes and gorgeous interior as the downstairs more casual dining restaurant, Pasque, but with an upscale elegant, intimate feel.  Two chefs prepping the daily menu ingredients, and even they were incredibly welcoming and nice.  There is an amazing back room for private groups that is done in a gorgeous apricot and cream color with that same beautiful view.  There was a slight smokey wood burning smell in the background which led me to believe that dinner in this elegant restaurant was going to be amazing.  Next time, we will be staying for dinner.

It was an absolutely perfect morning, enjoying coffee on the rooftop patio!

Breakfast Time

Back to the room for showers, with a wonderful walk-in shower with controls to use the wall spigot, overhead rainfall head, or the handheld shower head, incredible smelling toiletries, and finally we needed real food.

Down to Pasque for breakfast, and again, with incredible service. This time, we met Brandon.  He was amazing, funny, and connected with our need for the perfect bite and a cocktail for breakfast.  He was not available for adoption, but I did ask.  We actually spent a good part of the meal trying to figure out what drugs the staff were required to take that they were all so happy and kind.  He assured us that they really did like their job. This speaks huge volumes for us in recommending a place (The Virgin Hotel Dallas had the same vibe).

And Zach (from happy hour) was back tending bar, and we finally scored the Milk Punch, Vol 2.  And it was incredible.  The breakfast menu was fantastic with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients – everything sounded so good, we opted for a couple of the toasts!

Oh, and then we ask about the hanging animal hides.  And Zach tells us that they are actually sheets of wild mushroom processed into leather-like material that is used in their decorating.  Yes, VEGAN LEATHER in their quest to further their sustainability level. This leather is used throughout the hotel and it is gorgeous (no, it doesn’t look like the hides that are hanging above the bar)!!

Our breakfast was running a little long, so without question they extended our checkout time for us.  Yes, sadly, we had to leave, and I was left with the same feeling I had in Langkawi, we screwed up, one night was not enough.

Sadly, Time to Checkout

For those that value sustainability, I wanted to share this from The Populus website: 

“At Populus, we believe protecting the planet is a collective responsibility and journey.  The heartbeat of Populus is a deep reverence for nature.  It started at the beginning with the biophilic architecture and use of locally-sourced, recycled, or sustainably-certified building materials during the construction process.  It extends throughout the guest experience, with One Night One Tree initiative, a commitment to source food from regenerative, organic farmers, and an on-site biodigester that composts 100% of food waste.  At Populus, we have a deep reverence for nature.  As stewards of the built environment, we believe we have a responsibility to offset our impact.  That’s why, for every night you stay at our hotel, we’ll plant a tree.”

This has entered the top of my list for favorite stays.  We cannot thank the staff enough for the incredible service and we cannot wait to make it to Populus Seattle in October.

Check out more: Our Favorite Places to Stay