There are a couple of United States cities, that when I leave, I say to myself, “there was so much more I need to do, experience, and enjoy” and look for the next opportunity and flight back. Denver, Colorado is one of those cities.
We first experienced Denver as an adult just last year and shared our experiences here on Instinct (Travel Thursday: Denver, Colorado – It’s Called the Mile High City and the Queen City But It May Also Be Our Newest Favorite Destination). The city, landscape, food, and people were just more pleasant and energizing than we had experienced in a US city in a while.
The Curtis
We popped into a quaint stay at Denver’s Curtis Hotel – a DoubleTree by Hilton. From moment one, the concierge, wifi password, doormats were encouraging us and other guests to “Stay Happy.” Managed by Denver’s Sage Hospitality, the Curtis offers 336 modern guest rooms featuring custom art, sleek furniture with each floor offering a “hyper themed” suite to match the theme of the floor. We got our key and went up the elevator to our floor. Wait, we were on the 13th floor. Hotels are not supposed to have 13 floors. We soon found out that the 13th floor was the Dun, Dun, Dunnnnn, horror floor. With its elevated Ghostbusters Suite, the floor instantly put a smile on our faces, yes, we’re weird, but it was exciting!
Our room wasn’t super scary and maybe that was a good thing. After checking in, we needed something in our bellies. A quick walk to a place to make our mouth and belly happy.
Rialto Cafe
I stumbled into Rialto Cafe not knowing what to expect and had a great time. Businessmen, sports fans, and a great bar server were all present. Asking her for a recommendation, the bar server said the Spicy Korean Tacos which I added an order of brussel sprouts to and was very happy. The brown ale was a nice piece to fill out the trio.
There were a lot of great things on the menu, but the two apps were plenty for myself. Just around the corner was the Denver Pavillion movie theater so a movie and a big popcorn were on the menu later on.
The Triangle Bar located at the corner of Broadway and Stout (2036 N Broadway) was the only gay bar we visited this trip. On a Monday and when PINK was performing, the venue was a little slower, but it’s outdoor areas with fire features and its updated interior, we’ll be back. Check out their page and events for we felt they were pretty active not only in the Denver LGBT community, but the Denver community as a whole.
We walked from The Curtis, to the Rialto Cafe, to the theater, and then to The Triangle Bar, but after a long day of travel, an Uber was needed to get home.
Stay Happy & Stay Proud at the Curtis during Denver PrideFest 2019!
Our stay at The Curtis was more brief than we wanted. Next time maybe we will stay on the super hero, music, cartoon, game, Denver, Sci-Fi, or one of the other floors. Our opportunity may be coming up soon for The Curtis is celebrating Denver PrideFest 2019 with a new #StayHappyStayProud Package this June.
Denver PrideFest is largest LGBTQ festival in the Rocky Mountain region, taking place this year on June 15th and 16th in Civic Center Park. With its prime downtown location less than a mile walk from the park, the Curtis may be just the spot to call home during Denver PrideFest.
Starting at $249 per night, the Curtis Pride 2019: #StayHappyStayProud Package includes:
- Overnight accommodations
- An Instant Party Pride Pack including a rainbow flag, body paint, condoms, shooters of Keel Vodka for in-room cocktails & more
- A $25 credit for cocktails at The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar
- Complimentary parking
The Curtis will be hosting a special Pride Kickoff Lemonade Stand on Friday, June 14th in the lobby from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Adults are invited to imbibe in a complimentary KEEL Vodka cocktail, kids can enjoy a cool glass of lemonade and snacks. The Curtis will be unveiling their first ever #StayHappyStayProud rainbow themed art wall for Instagram pictures during the Lemonade Stand.
The Pride Kickoff Lemonade Stand is free and open to the public. The Curtis will be collecting donations for Camp Southern Ground, which welcomes children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, religions and developmental level, including campers with Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning and attention issues, social and emotional challenges, along with military and veteran families.
There are so many great places to eat, stay, drink, and have fun in Denver. The Curtis, like the Crawford from our previous Denver piece, were great finds that we felt very secure in passing on to you.
For more information or to book your Denver PrideFest stay, please visit https://www.thecurtis.com/offers/denver-pride-at-the-curtis-hotel/
For more information on Denver PrideFest, please visit https://denverpride.org/pridefest/.
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As always, here are a handful of captioned pics from this most recent trip.
