On Aug. 12, one of Colorado’s grand dames, The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver, celebrated 130 years of hospitality with an evening reception in the Grand Lobby and Mezzanine, complete with cake, champagne, and live music. Attendees also received a taste of the past from several cameo performances honoring The Brown Palace’s historical figures and a museum pop-up displaying various artifacts.
The hotel was built by Henry Cordes Brown, a carpenter-turned-real-estate entrepreneur from Ohio who moved in 1860 and purchased several acres of land, including a triangular plot at the corners of Broadway, Tremont, and 17th Street. He made a name for himself by donating 10 acres in the middle of his property for the state capitol building. Today, The Brown Palace has 241 rooms and suites, six restaurants and bars, and more than 25,000 square feet of meeting space.