From international royalty to the Beatles and many U.S. Presidents, many impressive types and regular folks have stayed at The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado. I’ve grown up around the Brown Palace Hotel, a dramatic, triangular-shaped building now surrounded by glossy high-rises. It still holds court with its carved red sandstone exterior and plush interior with a soaring atrium capped with stained glass. Despite having visited the Brown for a few business meetings and wedding receptions over time, I hadn’t really experienced it as a guest. Offered the opportunity, I gladly accepted to be able to tell RealFoodTraveler.com readers what it’s really like to immerse yourself in The Brown Palace Hotel.

Save this article about The Brown Palace Hotel to help you plan your stay there. Photos and graphic by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa Lobby:

While most hotel lobbies wouldn’t deserve their own section of an article, this one does. Not only is it ooo-and-ahhh-inspiring with an 8-floor-tall atrium, but the central area is where people can grab a table or sofa to enjoy a cocktail accompanied by live music. Or partake of the very popular afternoon tea with piano-stylings by hotel musical fixture, John Kite who may take advantage of connections to other happenings in town. For instance, when we were there, Les Miserables was playing at the nearby Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Kite, knowing some guests would be heading to the matinee after tea, played a medley of tunes from the Broadway show. He also played several requests including a surprise to me from my husband of “our song,” and a round of Happy Birthday for another guest, which everyone joined in on for a communal sign-a-long and round of applause.

The view overlooking the lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa where a musical combo plays while guests enjoy high tea or afternoon cocktails. 

The dining scene at The Brown Palace:

The hotel’s restaurants have been a draw within their own right, throughout the hotel’s history. Many a date night, business dinner, family gathering, and pre-prom meal have happened in them! Currently, the culinary team is headed by the Brown’s first ever female executive chef.

Palace Arms is a unique dining experience, with the room decorated with Napoleonic artifacts, including dueling pistols and gold-covered eagles that topped the parade standards carried when Napoleon declared himself Emperor. Did I mention this is in Colorado?! The treasures were brought back by Mr. and Mrs. Boettcher, one of the hotel’s owners along the way. It’s no wonder the menu refers to it as “A Dining Museum.”

The impressive interior of the Palace Arms restaurant within The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. 

My husband and I shared the Palace Arms Caesar salad, which is prepared tableside, something I loved watching. It’s a classic that never leaves the menu which, on our visit, featured new spring/summer offerings from cocktails to starters to dessert, each taking advantage of local ingredients.

The finished product – the popular Caesar Salad prepared tableside in the Palace Arms restaurant. 

For our entrees, my husband had the seared Duck Breast with duck foie jus, foie, oca (a type of vegetable) served two ways, and lavender. That latter ingredient could have overwhelmed the dish but, instead, provided just a hint of something unique and delicious to the tender duck. I ordered the Prime New York Strip Steak which is a classic on their menu but that gets seasonal variations such as the asparagus and the black garlic beef jus it was served with that night. There was also Chilean Sea Bass, Lamp Chop, and the Chef’s Vegan Collection. The restaurant is known for its Wagyu Steaks sold by the ounce. We chose one of the Accompaniments because we couldn’t resist the sounds of it – Griffin Potatoes, shredded cheese-crusted comfort food served in a small cast-iron crock. Dessert was ganache-covered chocolate mousse with a dramatic chocolate and gold-dusted “coil” for decoration.

Cheesy Griffin Potatoes are a side dish served in a crock that went well with the duck dish behind it and steak. 

A dramatic and artistic chocolate dessert capped off a delicious dinner at The Palace Arms restaurant.

Churchill’s Bar is a classic cigar bar across a small foyer from the Palace Arms. Thankfully, and surprisingly, the smoke doesn’t waft out into the Atrium Lobby but it did make it into the dining room when the doors were open. We were told it was an unusually busy night in the Cigar Bar. Other diners didn’t seem to mind but it was the one negative touch for us to our otherwise wonderful dining experience.

Ship Tavern’s pub atmosphere is conducive to the seafood and steaks, burgers, sandwiches on its menu, and a full bar. It opened in 1934 after prohibition was repealed. It’s the hotel’s oldest restaurant and includes themed touches such as a mast, crow’s nest, and ship’s clock. On Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s also a piano bar that welcomes guests to take the “stage” for a tune. When we dined in the Palace Arms, one of the servers was on his way over to sing!

Ellyngton’s restaurant is the place I remember best, having been invited for a breakfast meeting by my first boss. I recall being mortified that my golden croissant flaked beyond its small bread plate, onto the tablecloth. Immediately, a server was there, removing the offending crumbs with an old-fashioned scraping-and-gathering tool. I was grateful. The restaurant is currently undergoing a complete renovation but I look forward to seeing how its transformed – and if they still use that tool!

Atrium Lounge and the Brown Palace Afternoon Tea there is my new favorite treat. The people-watching is great with guests dressed up for the event (including some ladies in fancy hats and gloves!) plus people just coming in off the street to have a gander at the whole scene. We were told that, although the tea service had always been popular, reservations soared after the pandemic and haven’t slowed down at all. So be sure to make reservations well in advance. The holiday teas are especially popular and space is in-demand thanks to extra-special decorating and holiday tunes to enjoy.

The famous Brown Palace Afternoon Tea menu varies with add-ons for Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, and other bubblies. But The Brown Palace Signature Tea includes a wide variety of choices of tea plus a three-layer presentation of housemade scones on the bottom layer, served with Devonshire Cream shipped in from England and lemon curd or preserves. The middle plate has finger sandwiches (you get one plate of refills!) including curried chicken, ham spread, and cucumber/cream cheese when we were there. The top layer has various pretty petit fours. Don’t worry, if you can’t finish, you can take the extras home. The Afternoon Tea menu, like the restaurants, takes advantage of seasonality.

Sweets, savories, and scones comprise the Brown Palace Afternoon Tea – and tea of course.

Hungry for more? Read about a multi-generational visit to High Tea at The Brown.

Room Service: 

I’ll be honest, I’ve always wanted to order Room Service in a hotel. It seems so decadent. We got to do just that while following the weekly tradition my husband and I keep at home of watching CBS Sunday Morning. No need to miss the show to grab breakfast when breakfast can come to you, wheeled in on a cart with a flower and accompaniments. We ordered the Cured Salmon Toast with avocado cream cheese, and pickled shallots plus something I never make at home, a Poached Egg Benedict with smoked salmon instead of Canadian Bacon. Both were excellent and a treat, just like I’d imagined.

Smoked salmon eggs benedict with hashbrowns and salmon toast with fresh fruit and coffee from the Room Service menu.

The room:

We were fortunate enough to have a suite, with a lounging area, TV, and coffee center. It’s where we enjoyed room service for breakfast the morning of our stay.

The bedroom had plenty of storage space with a dresser and large closet. We enjoyed watching a late-night movie on the second TV in the room, from the comfortable bed. The elegant bathroom included a shower stall with the choice of an overhead rain showerhead or regular one. I enjoyed having both washing over me while my husband put all the power on the overhead – nice to have the choices. The room was surprisingly quiet, given its location downtown.

Historic pictures of bygone days at the Brown adorn the walls, mixing old and new in the hotel rooms.

The tour:

You can arrange to go on a tour of The Brown Palace, which I highly recommend. See parts of the hotel you can’t ordinarily see as a guest including the private Club, one of the Presidential Suites on a level that used to be rental apartments and hear stories about the underground tunnels that took guests to the former brothel across the street once upon a time, and tales of ghost sightings to this day.

The Presidential Suite at The Brown Palace is on the tour that guests can take.

Staff and service:

One would expect a hotel of the level of The Brown Palace, especially with its history, to have staff that are somewhat stiff and exceedingly proper. We found the service to be excellent and formal but very friendly. Multiple times, we joked with staff who, rather than being put off, played along without missing a beat. They struck a balance between representing the upscale tone of the place without being stuffy and intimidating. Kudos to them for that!

A word about the overall vibe:

This historic property is currently a Marriott Bonvoy Hotel and, therefore, no longer under the overseeing of private owners like it was for many years. When the first hotel company took over The Brown Palace a while back (before Marriott), there were grumblings in Colorado, with fears that the historic feeling of the hotel would disappear. While the hotel entered the world of chain restaurants, Marriott has done a good job of retaining what has made the hotel a place that inspires locals to tell out-of-town visitors “We have to show you The Brown Palace Hotel.” With that comes pluses and minuses – a certain level of expectation and standards both by guests and the parent company. Overall, the experience of The Brown Palace has far more positives than negatives thanks to honoring its history while moving into the future. It’s absolutely worth a stay and to take advantage of everything else it has to offer.

A view up toward the atrium, carvings, iron railings, and the flag that is replaced with an enormous crystal chandelier during the holidays.

Fun facts about The Brown Palace Hotel:

Construction began in 1888 and the Hotel opened in 1892. It was designed in the Italian Renaissance style, using Colorado red granite and Arizona sandstone on the exterior. Artist James Whitehouse created 26 medallions carved in stone, each depicting Colorado animals.

There’s a rooftop bee colony at The Brown. After the honey is harvested, it’s sold in the coffee shop, formulated into a line of spa products including lotion, shampoo, conditioner and body gel. Those products are available as in-room amenities and can be purchased in the spa.

Sustainability efforts happen daily throughout the hotel including in the culinary realm with organic tower gardens that supplement produce in the restaurants, a sustainable seafood menu, and seasonal and locally-grown foods.

Ornate cast iron railings and grillwork panels on the balconies of the first eight floors of public areas, along with onyx from Mexico in the lobby, are a big part of the visual impact guests see when they first walk in. Drawing the eye up, the atrium lobby is topped by stained glass.

The water used in all guest rooms and the public area is from the hotel’s own artesian well, as it has been since it opened.

There is no relation between the Brown Palace Hotel and the famous “Unsinkable” Molly Brown who survived The Titanic and is a fascinating historical figure.

During the holidays, a massive crystal chandelier is draped high above the decorated lobby, creating a big draw. After the season is over, the chandelier is removed and stored. A traditional champagne sabering followed by the pouring (from the top of a ladder) of a flowing champagne tower are traditions people add to their calendars to make sure they don’t miss.

After the annual Stock Show in January, the grand champion steer is brought into the lobby (calmed by some meds), to be viewed and appreciated as a charity lunch goes on.

During the shutdown period of the pandemic, in 2020, the Brown Palace closed its doors for the first time in its history. The doors had remained opened 24/7 prior to that since opening.

Learn more about The Brown Palace Hotel and make reservations directly from them on their website. Or, you can use this affiliate link for Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia.com to plan your travels.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Real Food Traveler Publisher and Managing Editor

Please note: We were hosted for portions of our visit to help facilitate the writing of this article, which is common practice. However, as is our policy, that does not influence our reporting of the experience to our readers. Also, this article contains affiliate links which are intended to be a convenience to the reader. The use of affiliate links does not change the searching or booking experience nor does it change any pricing. However it may provide a very small commission that goes toward the running of this website.