The Vibe: A distinct, art-filled hotel.
The Area: Denver’s LoDo (Lower Downtown), a neighborhood that continues to boom following the highly successful renovation of Union Station. The hotel sits one block from Coors Field.
The DNA: The Maven is part of the ambitious mixed-use Dairy Block project that occupies a former industrial site. The Maven continues the tradition of the neighborhood being built around industry and railways, but instead of the story of the transportation of goods, it’s about a contemporary transportation of ideas as reflected in startups, communities, and makers. In fact, the hotel’s 400-plus pieces of artwork add a local and artisanal layer. A piece by sculptor Andrew Ramiro Tirado, for example, welcomes guests in the form of a 10-foot-long hand made of reclaimed wood that hangs from the lobby ceiling, paying homage to George Nakashima, one of the fathers of America’s craft movement. The hand guides the guest’s eye to “Dark Matter Gathering,” a 300-plus piece installation from Travis Hetman that creates a framed galaxy from his black and white photographs. It’s not just visual stimulation that’s offered either: On the lower level, sound works by Jim Green greet guests as they enter the restrooms, while Chris Bagley’s “Disco River” is a dreamy, interactive, and kaleidoscopic experience. The importance of craftsmanship is showcased in other ways too, including through stenciled graphics in the elevator banks inspired by tattoo sleeves and in the hotel’s main restaurant, Kachina Southwestern Grill, where a mural by Emanuel Martinez features a contemporary Native American woman wearing sunglasses that reflect the desert and are bracketed by neon-hued ears of corn.
Suite-Me-Up: Guestrooms reintroduce many of the same finishes and a similar palette from the public spaces. Yet it’s the artwork that adds dimension and whimsy. Suites feature floor-to-ceiling murals by local talent Jason Thielke, Molly Bounds, and Karen Fisher, whose “Mod Maude” mixed media piece takes inspiration from vintage fashion photography and Klimt paintings. “We were interested in reflecting the materials of the site’s history,” says Johnson Nathan Strohe partner Nicole Nathan of the new-build modular brick building that the firm designed, pointing out room numbers hand-fashioned from nails set into beetle-killed pine.
Seen: Hospitality Design, Hospitality Snapshots
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 172 rooms & suites (28-72m2) (300-770 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2017 • architecture: JNS Architecture + Design • interior design: Crème Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design, JNS Architecture + Design • parking possible on-site (charged) • pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible
