The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection

We booked a stay at The Brown Palace to celebrate my 40th birthday, expecting a special experience given the hotel's reputation and the nearly $600 per night price tag. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most disappointing hotel stays we’ve had. To start, our room wasn’t ready at check-in. Not 20 minutes late — over two hours past check-in time. Because of this delay we had to move a dinner reservation we had planned for my birthday. That alone put a damper on what was supposed to be a special evening. When we finally got into the room, the condition of it was honestly shocking. The wallpaper had visible stains and the door frames were chipped and worn as if they hadn’t been maintained in years. Out of curiosity I used a UV light and the amount of fluorescent residue visible on

I was initially planning to book the Ritz-Carlton for my visit to Denver, having stayed there before. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Brown Palace Hotel, part of the Autograph Collection. This is not just a hotel—it is truly a palace. Built in the late 1800s, the Brown Palace features luxuries that were far ahead of its time. It is no wonder that Presidents, royalty, and some of the world’s top businesspeople have chosen to stay here while visiting Denver. This time, I had the privilege of joining their ranks.||My arrival began with a taxi ride from Elmi, who dropped me at the side entrance. The doormen, though busy, still made time to assist. As I stepped inside, I expected to find a typical hotel lobby, but was greeted instead by what I thought was a lively Christmas party. In

Positive: Historic hotel. They did early checkin. The lady was real nice. Concierge was also incredible. Negative: This isn’t the Brown Palace of the past. There was a toothpick left on the floor in the bedroom. The wall paper was peeling off. Bathroom door wouldn’t shut. Eliminated the fancy soap. The quality & service is 2 star at best. Needs refurbished. Very sad.

The afternoon tea was expensive, but lovely. Wait staff were awesome, from the staff at tea to the musicians in the lobby to the desk staff at check in/out to the concierge. Top notch people. Outside of the atrium, the hotel seemed to be in a state of neglect. One elevator was not working and the second was very slow and got stuck between floors. My room had a cracked sink, broken faucet handles, and drooping/unfastened paneling on the air conditioner. The room was also dusty and the mirrors weren't fully cleaned. The mattresses were fair, but the sheets felt plasticky and the pillows were uncomfortable. The beds themselves were too short for me. These issues may seem minor, but for the price of even a base room they are unacceptable. This is doubly true in such a historic building. If

I greatly enjoyed my stay here with friends. I got upgraded to a large room on the top floor, and it felt old fashioned and like stepping back in time. Really a cool experience. A welcome drink was offered upon arrival, which I had never experienced at any hotel. This is an incredibly cozy place, perfect for a couples getaway.