Kimpton Hotel Born sits next to the train tracks of Denver’s Union Station, the city’s transportation hub. In tandem with the hustle and bustle of city life, Hotel Born projects a Rocky Mountain feel with alpine-modern spaces that exude warmth and rusticity, which is exactly what groups and visitors want when they come to Denver. Here are a few tips from the team at Hotel Born that range from décor to catering and everything in between to help attendees get the true feel of the outdoors even if they never leave the city.
1. Bring the outdoors in through décor.
Warm lighting, earth tones and textured materials make a space feel like a home. Think string lights, plants, grass walls, hand-woven rugs and warm-colored furniture pieces.
2. Highlight spaces with natural light.
Because the connection between the indoors and outdoors is so integral to the Colorado experience, try to hold meetings in rooms with large floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. Let in the crisp Rocky Mountain air and utilize natural light from windows to highlight seating and dining areas when you can.
3. Offer spaces to actually get outside.
Utilize terraces and patios for cocktail receptions or for break areas during meetings. Action stations around the hotel or meeting space offer a progressive way to maximize space and let people move around. For example, Hotel Born features a porte cochère and terrace overlooking Denver Union Station.
4.Use natural design materials.
For example, Hotel Born’s natural and hand- crafted materials create a balance of wood, concrete and metal, which together capture Denver’s sophisticated locale while referencing the pine-filled mountains visible from the hotel’s west-facing windows. See what materials your venue utilizes.
5. Stick to nature when it comes to food.
Outdoor-style food is another way to bring the outdoors in, such as torch-on-demand s’mores, a ceviche bar or dry-aged beef. Hotel Born utilizes a grill to give an outdoor BBQ taste to wood-fired oysters, dry-aged hot dogs, bison burgers and even garnishes for drinks! Want to pay homage to a particular creature? Create a honey board to celebrate bees with everything on the board featuring honey, including the salad dressing, entrée and dessert.
Jaclyn Patrick, Director of Catering + Conference Services at Hotel Born, has worked for Kimpton Hotels + Restaurants for 11 years, bringing a passion for events, planning, décor and F&B.
