9 Best Hotels for Solo Travelers in Denver
I love solo travel. I don’t have to wait for other people to wake up to explore the places that I’m visiting. There’s no need to coordinate itineraries and I can control my budget. Picking the right hotel when traveling solo can make or break your entire trip.
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There are a few additional things that solo travelers have to consider when picking their accommodation:
- Ability to meet people-Does the hotel have activities that visitors can participate in? Are there shared spaces such as pools, patios and bars?
- Proximity to the locale’s activities-Are you close to where the action is at?
- Access to public transit-For those of us who prefer not to rent a car when travel need easy access to public transit.
- Safety-How safe is the area that their accommodation is located?
9 Best Hotels for Solo Travelers in Denver
Where in the heck should you stay? I’ve got some suggestions. Feel free to play around with this map as you figure out where to stay.
The Maven
This is one of my favorite hotels in Denver. I love the location which is a couple of blocks away from Denver’s Union Station. I believe that The Maven is a locally owned and managed business. What I like about this property is that it’s part of a larger development called “Dairy Block” there is a food hall called “Milk Market” a speakeasy called “Run the Roses” several phenomenal restaurants including Bruto whose chef is a James Beard nominee and Katchina that specializes in Southwestern food. Music, markets and more are held in the built out alley that is a key part of this development.
Hostel Fish
This is a really well thought out hostel that I’ve recommended to solo female travelers including a friend of mine from Canada who was doing a race across the United States for a cool project that she was participating in. What I like about Hostel Fish is its proximity to downtown-it’s about 7 blocks from Union Station, it’s above a really cool music and food venue called “Orphelia’s Electric Soapbox that has free and inexpensive live music.
The hostel is clean, bright and the rooms are really cute. I enjoy staying at hostels because they typically host weekly events and are just a really good way to meet new people while traveling on on your own. It’s also walking distance to McGregor Square, Coors Field, Five Points (RINO) and Confluence Park. I do think you need to exercise a little more caution, self-awareness in this area because it’s a highly trafficked area with all walks of life. And there are a lot of bars in close proximity to Hostel Fish.
Ember Hostel
True story, during COVID we had to get some work done on my plumbing so I ended up staying at the Ember Hostel one night and I loved it. It was a great opportunity to check out the place and I’d always heard great things about it. I really appreciate the curtains for each of the bunks in the shared rooms. In fact, I’m not sure why hostels everywhere aren’t doing this? It’s a great way to have some privacy and not disturb the other folks who are staying in your room.
This hostel is 10 minutes from downtown Denver and is close by Trader Joe’s if you’re needing to pick up food and snacks. There’s also a hot tub and I’m pretty sure there’s kitchen access for guests as well. I love having kitchen access for those days when I don’t feel like going to a restaurant.
11th Avenue Hostel
If you’re an ice cream lover, the 11th Avenue Hostel has an ice cream shop its lobby. The 11th Avenue Hostel is located about 10 minutes from downtown. It’s a few blocks from the Denver Art Museum and The Capital. During the summer you can walk to the 13th Avenue Flea Market, enjoy music and food at Civic Center Eats and have a front row seat watching or participating in the ¡Viva Streets Denver! car free event when Broadway (the street the hostel is on) is shut down for almost 4 miles one Sunday a month during the summer.
If you’re going to festivals such as 420, Pride or Independence Eve that are all hosted in Civic Center Park it’s a perfect place to stay. You can also catch the 83L bus to Cherry Creek North and the Cherry Creek mall to enjoy shopping and restaurants in that area. The ride is about 15 minutes depending on the time of day and the traffic.
Moxy Denver Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek North is one of my favorite areas of Denver to take people looking for nice restaurants, shopping and some low-key people watching. I love going to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in July, take a Soul Cycle class, or take a ceviche making class at Toro Latin Kitchen and Lounge.
This is one of the more affordable properties in the area and I’ve toured the rooms before-they are really nice. Moxy is also close to Whole Foods if you’re needing groceries. The outdoor patio and lounge area are part of why I recommend this property. Guests can also rent a bike for $20 and explore town. The Cherry Creek bike path is one block away and you can opt to ride your bike downtown or ride along it going east-all then to Cherry Creek Reservoir. The Moxy is also a dog friendly hotel if you’re traveling with your doggo. Make sure to touch base with them to get the details on how that works.
Catbird Hotel
If you’re thinking about staying in the Five Points (RINO) district of Denver-I would encourage you to give the Catbird Hotel a second look. It is a 2 blocks away from the light rail station (you can take the train from the airport and get off at 38th and Blake) I actually plan on enjoying a staycation and staying at the Catbird Hotel.
I find this property exciting for several reasons.
- The roof top bar and lounge “The Red Barber” looks amazing and I am looking forward to getting a drink and some food there sometime soon.
- The location-It’s a great place to base yourself and walk around while enjoying breweries, food and other random events.
- There’s so many murals in this neighborhood. Check out Denver Walls, an event that’s being held in September.
- It’s close to a Chase Bank branch (lol!)
The Source Hotel
I LOVE The Source Hotel. Why? Because I held an in-person event at The Source Hotel that had attendees flying in from all over the US and Canada. My guests really enjoyed the hotel. Why I love The Source Hotel for solo travelers.
- Close proximity to the light rail-You can take the light rail from the airport and get off at the 38th and Blake station. You’ll need to walk over the bridge (you’ll see it) and then it’s about 4 blocks from the station. If you’re needing ADA assistance-you should coordinate with the hotel to see if they can provide transit assistance.
- It’s within walking distance of two food halls-The Source and Zeppelin Station which I really love and feel like doesn’t get enough shout outs in town. Fantastic food, there’s a bar, it’s great.
- It’s close to a RINO Art Park and Denver’s smallest library. You can also check out local breweries and restaurants. If you love supporting social good make sure to check out Comal Heritage Food Incubator that helps immigrant and refugee women develop entreprenurship skills.
Espadin
I find Espadin LoHi to be one of the properties that I’m most intrigued by available for visitors to Denver. What I love Espadin is its location. It’s a few blocks north of downtown in one of my favorite areas of town. You can walk around the area, check out the Highlands Farmers Market and eat great food. There’s also a great speakeasy fairly close to Espadin as well. If you’re looking for a slightly bougie hotel property that is close to Ball Arena, Union Station, Empower Field and more-Espadin is where you should stay.
There’s also a great ice cream shop near by called Little Man ice cream.
Sonder Zuni
Last year I had 8 friends come into town for a visit. My place is way too small to host them, so I found Sonder Zuni and they LOVED IT! It’s in the Lower Highlands area and my friends found it to be a great place to base their visit to Denver. It’s within walking distance to Avanti Food and Beverage a great place to eat, enjoy a drink and check out the view of Denver.
Sonder Zuni is also in close proximity to Union Station, Empower Field and Ball Arena if you’re coming into town for an event.