The Hotel Denver recently began two-phase renovations to bring the hotel back to its roots. 

The first phase adds new furniture and decor to the rooms, and the second phase will see a lot more changes starting in the fall, including plans for a new hotel name, to be determined.

“The delightful old-world hospitality of this downtown Glenwood Springs boutique hotel has endeared locals and visitors alike since 1915 and we are not going to change that,” Tony Sherman, owner of Terrapin Investments, said in a news release. Sherman owns Hotel Denver and Terrapin Investments which manages the hotel.

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The whole renovation is looking to balance bringing back the original appeal with a few modern updates. 

“We wanted to preserve its much-loved charm and appeal by carefully stitching together an aesthetic in which the old and new occupy the same space,” Christina Skopliak, lead designer and owner at Wild Muse Interiors, the company conducting renovations, said in the release. 

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The boutique hotel has seen a lot of renovations over 100-plus years. Historically, there has been talk of renaming it during prior renovations, but they never seem to make the change.

With this renovation, they are finally planning to do it, Sherman said. 

Sherman said he wanted to make the change because he never understood why a hotel in Glenwood Springs was called Hotel Denver. Some of the prior suggested names over the years have been the Grande Hotel or the Star Hotel, which historically used to stand where the Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub portion of the now-connected building is now. 

Other big plans include opening up the hotel lobby to the Brew Pub and adding a small lobby bar and a cozy fireplace. 

“As one of the original hotels in Glenwood Springs, this historic gem is an oasis for travelers looking for a boutique experience in the heart of town and they will be delighted by these changes,” Roger Smith, Dual General Manager of The Hotel Denver and The Hotel Glenwood Springs, said in the release. 

They will be bringing back antique pieces and the original vintage charm, with more modern furnishings, updated technology and some new amenities.

“Glenwood Springs continues to attract a new and broader demographic and our lodging options need to reflect their preferences,” Sherman said, in the release.

The hotel is adding 15 new rooms and suites that will fill in the space of the previous “underutilized meeting and retail space,” and the lobby and rooms are slated to be complete by the end of 2024. Mona Lisa Unique Boutique moved to the front of the hotel property and River Blend Coffee House will stay at their location. 

At the end of renovations the hotel will switch to full-service so guests can order in-room food and beverages. 

“This hotel has so many stories to share, which have been cobbled together over the last century, so the design intent was clear to us from the beginning; to create a space in which storied history and modern luxury artfully combine,” Skopliak said.

Post Independent reporter Cassandra Ballard can be reached at cballard@postindependent.com or 970-384-9131.