#331 - Hotel Teatro in Denver

Hotel Teatro in LoDo

In July, Don and I spent 2 nights at Hotel Teatro, in the heart of Denver.

The renovated landmark building is located in the Lower Downtown District. (LoDo to some)

Perfect Name for Our Reunion

The hotel's name makes perfect sense. Teatro means Theatre and the hotel is convenient to Denver's Theatre District.

I'd also say the hotel's name was perfect for luring 3 old college buddies for a little reunion. Marla, Martha and I met nearly 5 decades ago, when attending Webster Theatre Conservatory in St. Louis.

Built in 1911

Seems ridiculous to talk about the  building, when the real focus of our stay was on a special reunion. But I do love to take in my surroundings!

I was so pleased that Marla and Martha (and all our hubbies) were game to gather inside this 113 year old building! The red brick with white terra-cotta exterior, hasn't changed much since 1911. 
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Tramway Building
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The hotel wasn't always a hotel and it wasn't a theatre either. The 8-story building originally housed the headquarters of Denver's Tramway system. As in streetcars!

A 2-story "car barn" on the left was used for storing and servicing streetcars. I believe the 3-story building (between) held an auditorium, gym and barbershop.

Today

By the fifties, streetcars had been phased out. In 1956, the tower and car barn were sold to University of Colorado, for classrooms and offices.

In 1991, U-C moved out and the 2-story building was sold to Denver Center for Performing Arts. The tower was vacant for most of the 1990s, until it was eventually gutted and reopened as Hotel Teatro, in 1999.

Arriving at 4

Don and I arrived at 4 and parked in a garage across the street, to avoid hefty valet fees. Crossing over to the building I noticed the ornate crown near the top floor. 

I could also make out two decorative shields, with the letter "T" in each. I'm guessing that was for Tramway. Hey! It works for Teatro, too!
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Lobby

The carefully restored lobby was fairly quiet, at 4:00 on a Friday.

I believe the lobby today, looks much like it did, when the building housed the Tramway headquarters.

To the left of the elevators, we could peek into the hotel's Nickel Restaurant.

The beautiful mailbox was a reminder of the past. Also a good reminder to carry stamped postcards, so I can make use! 

​The stairs in the Lobby's center, looked like an infinite mirror. ​

If I began to climb, it seemed like I might and never get to the top.

To the right was a modern lobby desk, with a very friendly staff. Check in was speedy.

The mirrors across from the desk looked like gears, reflecting the gear mural behind the desk. Was there a gear theme? I love a theme.

I later noticed this display on the lowest level of the building.

I meant to find out if these were pieces of equipment, from the Tramway days? I failed to ask.

​Room #812

After checking in, Don and I zipped up the elevator to our room. We were all due to meet up at 5! 

The entrance to our room had a nice bench and mirror and wardrobe.

The King bed was comfy with good pillows and bedside tables and lamps. 

The room was narrow, but no complaints. Our corner room, with tall windows made the room brighter.

Don was pleased with the couch, even if it was a tiny one. He knew I'd be deserting him at some point, so he was happy to have any kind of lounging space.

Bathroom and View

I always have to mention the bathroom even if there's nothing out of the ordinary. I was pleased to have a tub.

I always hope for a fun view, but we were too rushed to request one. Our windows mostly looked out over rooftops, but I could see a steeple and distant mountains. I've seen much worse!

Fire Exit

Our room was conveniently located at a quiet end of the hall, near a fire door. There was a bit of a terrace that I could step out on and take in the view.

I loved seeing the modern buildings nearby. I wonder how far one could see from this spot, 100 years ago? 

And I really appreciated being able to step away from the tower building just enough, to see the brick and terra-cotta, close up.

I believe that was our window, on the corner.

5:00 Social Hour

​Don and I freshened up just a bit and headed down the elevator at 5.

Teatro's Study Lounge was fairly hopping on a Friday evening. (Unlike this photo that I took earlier.) What a great space for a meet up.

At the far end of the lounge, we found a perfect corner for our group of 6. It was right across from the counter that served complimentary coffee in the morning. Complimentary wine and beer, from 5-6! 

No Photos

No one was snapping photos when we 3 giddy gals squealed and gasped and greeted and hugged! 

Here we are after we tamed down a bit. The 3 of us haven't been in one room together since 1979.

The Hubbies

Must thank these 3 guys, who graciously went along with our College Girl Reunion idea. They look somewhat serious sitting at their own little table, but they actually laughed and jabbered just fine... maybe at a lower volume.

While the guys talked about languages and travel... there was a lot of reminiscing and catching up around the other table... in loud and sometimes theatrical voices! 

I didn't continue with theatre, but these 2 talented friends did. I can think of no better entertainment than listening to their stories. They have always made me laugh! The energy (and volume) was high! I'm afraid we scared away the folks at a nearby table.

Dinner at the Nickel

At 5:45 we walked to the other side of the hotel, to The Nickel.

We hardly had to skip a beat, or miss a moment of conversation.

​Floor to ceiling windows on one side of the restaurant.

Comfy bar stools on the other. (photos taken earlier)  

Allie

Our server Allie, clicked with our group right away. She couldn't believe it, when Dave said where he was from in Minnesota. So was she! We were off to a fun start. 

We ordered drinks and began to wonder about a vibration coming from our oval table. The close up of Don's drink, doesn't show the jiggling liquid.

We inquired and Allie apologized and offered to move us. She said it was some kind of old equipment located in the basement. We were mostly amused by the oddity. It ceased after a while.

Cheers! We made sure to toast to our gathering. We didn't make a toast to the pandemic, but we could have. It was during those isolate months when Marla and Martha and I began Zooming together... which led to talk of getting together in person! 

Whoops!

I have no photo of me fumbling my wine glass and causing a spill. It had nothing to do with table vibrations. Marla was gracious she assured me I didn't ruin her clothes.

Allie was a gracious server and without saying a word, brought me a new glass of wine. I'm not sure I deserved that. 

Allie also offered to take a photo of our happy bunch. She seemed to know exactly how to navigate our group. She chimed in now and then and shared a bit about herself when we asked. She always appeared just when we needed her. A+ for our enthusiastic server! 

Posing in the Study

After dinner (and a little dessert sharing) Allie followed us right back into the Study, so we could pose for a photo in front of the fireplace.

We couldn't thank her enough for putting up with us. Allie told us more than once, how much she enjoyed serving us. For some reason her words seemed a lot more sincere than the typical "It was a pleasure serving you..."  

Nighttime at the Teatro

It was around 9, when the hubbies were sent off to fend for themselves. The girls headed up to Martha's room and I was excited to peek out from her tiny 8th floor balcony. We spotted an almost-full moon. 

I loved seeing some of the ornate decor up close, after observing it from the terrace earlier. I wonder what this skinny balcony was designed for, when it was the Tramway Building in 1911.

​Morning at Teatro

The next morning, I was eager for coffee in the Study Lounge. We 3, had gabbed like slumber party girls until late the night before. 

Once again, our gang met up and enjoyed the spacious Study, with coffee instead of wine.

Like the night before, we eventually migrated from The Study to The Nickel.

Beside a wall of stacked wood, we talked with about the same energy as the evening before. 

Good-Bye Webster Friends

​It was hard saying good-bye to our group after such a short visit, but I think we all felt equally grateful.  

It's been 45 years since we 3 girls were last together at our Webster College Graduation. It could have been an odd or awkward get-together, especially with husbands who don't share college memories. But it all went incredibly well!

​Near Teatro

Don and I are usually on the go after one night, but we added another night to our stay. We spent the afternoon wandering the LoDo district.

It was nice to leave our car in the garage and explore on foot! It was a beautiful Saturday!

Saturday Evening

By 5:30 Don and I were back at The Study. We laughed at the young man who carded us when we ordered wine. He looked at both our birthdates and told us we were born on Tuesdays. He was right. We're still scratching our heads.

While some guests in the lobby played chess and Scrabble, we flipped through books (some odd ones!) from the shelf. We were waiting for our nephew to arrive. Yep! We had one more reunion.

Andy Visit

Andy arrived around 7! What a fun treat to see our nephew for a quick visit.

We were enjoying the exact same corner, getting caught up for a while, when who should surprise us at the table? It was Allie, calling us by name and offering us a complimentary Charcuterie Board! What?!? 

Another Dinner at The Nickel!

We had a nice visit with Andy before his girlfriend Jess arrived, after a busy workday. It was a matter of minutes before we felt like we'd known Jess forever. We'd planned on heading off for dinner, but suddenly the Denver skies let loose. We avoided the storms and headed once again for dinner at The Nickel!

While rain gushed outside those enormous windows, we enjoyed a relaxed meal, once again served by Allie. I enjoyed my amazing grilled eggplant, with whipped goat cheese mousse, while thunder rumbled and conversation flowed. We lingered until 10:30 and Allie once again raved about serving us... the warm connection she felt. From any other server I would have thought that was just extreme. But she was an absolute delight and the feeling was totally mutual. Best server ever! 

Study Photo

We said good night to Allie and moved towards the lobby door. I asked Andy and Jess if I could get a photo of the 2 of them.

Jess surprised me and walked up to a young woman near the fireplace. "Would you mind taking a family photo of us?" I couldn't have been happier to jump in there with Jess and Andy, for a Family Pic! What a great end to the evening.
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What's Notable?

Hotel Teatro turned out to be so much more about the people, than the building. Often that's not the case. 

We met up with some very special people at this hotel and we also were  welcomed by a very gracious staff. That's a good combination! Also, the set up of the hotel's lounge and restaurant helped everything fall into place. Couldn't have been more pleased to spend 2 nights at Hotel Teatro! Cheers to the people who made our stay so memorable!