If you are trying to decide where to stay in Denver and want a hotel that puts you within walking distance of restaurants, Union Station, shops, and a lot of downtown, The Maven Hotel Denver is a very convenient option.
I chose The Maven because I loved the modern look of the hotel, but the location was really what sold me. It sits right in Dairy Block, so there is a lot happening immediately around the hotel without needing to get in the car.
After staying here myself, I think The Maven Hotel works especially well for anyone who wants a modern hotel, a walkable location, and plenty of food and drink options nearby. If you are still comparing hotels, you can also check current Denver hotel rates on Booking.com.
We booked a Journeyman King, and I was really happy with the room. It was spacious, very clean, quiet, and had a modern loft-style feel. It also had a swing in the room, which ended up being such a fun little sitting spot.
The bathroom had plenty of counter space, which is always important to me. Hotel bathrooms with nowhere to put anything immediately annoy me, so I appreciated having actual room to spread everything out.
The room also came with pour-over coffee, high-speed WiFi, and water stations near the elevators on each floor.
My only real complaint was the bed. It was a little firmer than I prefer, but that was honestly the biggest negative I could come up with.
If you are trying to decide whether this area works for your first Denver trip, my A Weekend in Denver Colorado: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary shows how easily you can build a lot of the city around this location.
The Maven charges a $28 daily destination amenity fee, so this is something you will want to factor into the total price of your stay.
It does come with quite a few extras, including:
We actually used the complimentary courtesy car, and I loved this perk.
We had dinner reservations two nights that were nearby, so instead of getting our own car out, we had the hotel drop us off and then walked back after dinner. It made getting around really easy, especially when we did not need the car for the entire evening.
The courtesy car is available Wednesday through Sunday from 8 AM to 9 PM.
Parking is something I would think about before you arrive because there are a few different options, and the price depends on how often you plan to use your car.
You can self-park in the Dairy Block garage, which is attached to the hotel.
It was around $50 per day if you leave the car parked, but if you are going in and out, the cost can add up.
There is also a less expensive lot across from Denver Milk Market that was closer to $25 per day.
The downside is similar: you cannot really move the car in and out without paying more.
We ended up using valet parking, and I am really glad we did.
The official valet rate was $59 per car, per day, so it is the more expensive option, but it was extremely convenient.
You just text a number when you want your car, and it usually takes about 10–15 minutes for them to bring it around. By the time we came downstairs, the car was normally waiting for us.
For us, the convenience was worth paying a little more, especially since we were not using the car constantly.
If you are planning to explore beyond downtown and want your own car, you can also compare Denver rental car prices through Discover Cars.
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This was probably one of my favorite parts of staying at The Maven Denver.
The lobby, Dairy Block, and the whole surrounding area are stylish, contemporary, and just fun. It does not feel like a generic hotel at all.
The Maven also has a huge focus on local art, with more than 700 pieces throughout the property, all created by Colorado artists.
There are paintings, sculptures, photographs, and interactive installations throughout the hotel, so it almost feels like part hotel, part gallery.
Dairy Block is directly behind the hotel and was one of the biggest advantages of staying here.
It is especially cute at night, with string lights, restaurants, bars, photo spots, and little areas to explore. We ended up spending a lot more time around the hotel than I expected because there was so much right outside the door.
We also loved how many food and drink options were basically connected to the hotel.
During our stay, we ate at BRUTØ, had drinks at Run for the Roses, also checked out Kachina Cantina and Poka Lola Social Club, and went to the Denver Milk Market.
If BRUTØ is on your Denver food list, my BRUTØ Denver Review: Is the Michelin-Starred Restaurant Worth It? goes through what the experience was actually like.
And if you are more interested in cocktails or mocktails after dinner, I also reviewed Run for the Roses Denver Review: Is This Speakeasy Worth Visiting?
That made The Maven feel less like a hotel surrounded by downtown Denver and more like a base inside an area we actually wanted to spend time in.
Very walkable. We originally thought we would use the car a lot more, but we ended up walking to so many places because everything felt close. Union Station, restaurants, shops, and a lot of downtown Denver were easy to reach on foot.
That was a major reason I liked staying here. We could leave the hotel and immediately start exploring instead of dealing with parking every time we wanted to go somewhere nearby.
If walkability is important to you, my Top Things to Do in Denver Colorado can help you see how many major Denver stops can fit into the same downtown itinerary.
The only area that felt a little farther away was RiNo, which was another Denver neighborhood we really loved.
Technically, you could walk there, but it would be a longer walk. Since we had a car, it really was not an issue at all.
If RiNo is going to be the main focus of your trip, you may prefer staying closer to that neighborhood. If you want easier access to Union Station, Dairy Block, and downtown Denver, The Maven's location worked really well for us.
Yes. The Maven Hotel is dog-friendly.
The hotel provides dog treats at the front desk, and they can also add a dog bed and bowl to your room.
There is a $50 one-time fee per dog, with a limit of two dogs per room.
The biggest pros for me were:
The cons were pretty minor:
And honestly, that is me being pretty nitpicky.
For me, yes. The location alone made the stay really convenient, but I also loved the personality of the hotel, the room, Dairy Block, and all of the little extras that came with staying there.
I would absolutely stay at The Maven Hotel Denver again.
It gave us a really good base for exploring Denver, but it also felt like part of the experience instead of just somewhere we went back to sleep at night.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Summer’s not even over and I already have the itch. Fall hiking season is calling and I am answering.
Save this if you feel the itch too.🍁
Columbus hotel roundup because “just find something downtown” isn’t a strategy✈️
I stayed across the price spectrum on this one so I could actually compare notes. Hotel LeVeque is the splurge Art Deco lobby, marble bathrooms, and a restaurant (The Keep) worth visiting even if you don’t book a room. If you want to walk everywhere, Le Méridien puts you right in the Short North with murals and shops outside your door. And if budget’s the priority, Aloft gets you clean and modern near Ohio State without the markup.
Want a full escape from the city instead? Hocking Hills lodges and Gervasi Vineyard are both an easy drive out and worth the detour.
Not every hotel on this list is for every trip... that’s kind of the point. Full breakdown by neighborhood and budget, link in bio 🍂
Thousands of motorcycles, decades of history, and one very hot infield. 🏍️
I went into Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days expecting a bike show. What I got was closer to a small town that pops up once a year camps stretched across the hills, swap meet tables piled with parts I couldn’t name, and bikes older than some of the people admiring them parked next to restorations that looked showroom-fresh.
Fair warning: this is not a quick stop. Give yourself the whole day, wear real shoes, and don’t skip the racing watching pre-war machines and modern superbikes share the same track is worth the sunburn.
Ohio keeps surprising me. Full recap on the blog link in bio. 🔗
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