You walk through the massive arched doorways of Denver Union Station and the first thing you notice isn't a check-in desk. It’s the smell of fresh yeast from the bakery, the clinking of gin glasses at the Terminal Bar, and that specific hum of a transit hub that’s been alive since 1881. Somewhere above this chaos sits The Crawford Hotel at Union Station, a place that basically redefined what it means to stay in a "train station hotel."
Most people just walk through the Great Hall, look at the chandeliers, and leave. They miss the fact that the hotel is literally woven into the bones of the building. It’s not just near the station. It is the station.
Staying here is weird in the best way possible. You aren't tucked away in some soundproofed sterile box. You're part of the city’s nervous system. Honestly, if you’re looking for a quiet, isolated Marriott experience where you never see a local, this isn't it. But if you want to feel the literal pulse of Colorado under your feet, you’ve found the spot.
The Three Personalities of The Crawford Hotel at Union Station
One of the coolest things about this place that most travel blogs gloss over is that the rooms aren't uniform. Because they had to retrofit a 19th-century landmark, the architects (the folks at Tryba Architects and JG Johnson) couldn't just copy-paste a floor plan.
They ended up with three distinct styles.
The Pullman Rooms are located on the second floor. They’re modeled after those high-end train sleeping cars from the golden age of rail travel. They’re kind of tight, sure, but they’re sleek. Art deco vibes everywhere. Then you have the Classic Rooms, which feel more like a traditional luxury hotel but with these massive, soaring windows that look out over Wynkoop Street or the train platforms.
Then there are the Loft Rooms. These are in the attic. They have exposed timber beams that are over a hundred years old and slanted ceilings. It feels like you’re staying in a very expensive, very historic clubhouse. If you’re tall, maybe watch your head in a few spots, but the character is unbeatable.
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It’s Actually About the Transit (No, Really)
Let’s talk about the "Train to the Plane." Denver International Airport (DIA) is notoriously far from downtown. It’s basically in Kansas. Most travelers spend $60 to $100 on an Uber just to get stuck in traffic on I-70.
If you stay at The Crawford Hotel at Union Station, you literally walk out the back door, tap your card, and hop on the A-Line. 37 minutes later, you’re at the terminal. It’s the most seamless travel experience in the Mountain West. You can have a final espresso at Pigtrain Coffee, check out of your room, and be through TSA in under an hour.
But it’s not just the airport. The hotel acts as the gateway to the "Ski Train" (the Winter Park Express). During the winter, you can wake up, grab your skis from the hotel's storage, and walk twenty steps to a train that drops you at the base of a mountain. No rental cars. No white-knuckle driving over Berthoud Pass in a blizzard.
The "Living Room" Problem
The Great Hall is technically the hotel lobby, but it’s also Denver’s "Living Room." This is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, the energy is electric. You’ve got remote workers on their MacBooks, travelers waiting for the Amtrak California Zephyr, and couples on dates at the Cooper Lounge. On the other hand, it can get loud.
Here is what most people get wrong: they think they’ll be constantly bothered by the public. The hotel actually does a great job of partitioning the experience. There’s a guest-only elevator that requires your key card to even operate. Once you’re on the upper floors, the silence is actually kind of shocking. The transition from the roar of the Great Hall to the hushed, carpeted hallways of the guest levels is one of the most underrated parts of the design.
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Why the Food Situation is Sorta Overwhelming
Most hotels have one mediocre restaurant and a sad "grab-and-go" kiosk. The Crawford has Union Station.
You’ve got:
- Stoic & Genuine: High-end seafood (the oysters are flown in daily).
- Ultreia: Incredible Spanish tapas. Get the gin and tonic; they take it way too seriously in the best way.
- Snooze, an A.M. Eatery: It’s a Denver cult classic. The line is usually two hours long, but hotel guests used to get priority—check with the front desk because those perks shift based on the season.
- Mercantile Dining & Provision: This is James Beard Award-winning territory. Chef Alex Seidel is a legend for a reason.
The downside? It’s hard to choose. You’ll end up wanting to eat four dinners. Also, because these are independent restaurants, you can’t always "charge it to the room." It’s a minor annoyance, but worth knowing so you don’t leave your wallet upstairs.
The Architecture You’ll Probably Miss
Look up.
No, seriously. When you’re standing in the middle of the Great Hall, look at the plasterwork. There are over 2,000 carved columbines (the Colorado state flower) in the ceiling. When the building was renovated around 2014, they had to meticulously restore those.
The hotel is named after Dana Crawford. If you don’t know who she is, she’s basically the woman who saved Denver from itself in the 60s and 70s. While other cities were tearing down their historic buildings to build brutalist concrete parking garages, she was fighting to keep Lower Downtown (LoDo) intact. Without her, this building would probably be a pile of rubble or a trendy-but-soulless office park.
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Nuance: Is it Worth the Price?
Look, The Crawford isn't cheap. You’re paying for the location and the history.
If you just need a bed to sleep in before a business meeting in the Tech Center, go stay at a Hilton by the highway. But if you have a 12-hour layover, or if you’re doing a weekend "staycation," it’s hard to beat.
One thing to watch out for: The "destination fee." Like a lot of high-end hotels now, they tack on a daily fee. Usually, it covers things like the Tesla courtesy car (which will drive you within a two-mile radius), filtered water, and some discounts at the shops downstairs. It’s annoying, but at least the Tesla service is actually useful for getting to Coors Field or the Denver Art Museum without calling an Uber.
What People Get Wrong About LoDo
People hear "downtown hotel" and they worry about safety or noise. LoDo has changed a lot. Is there a localized unhoused population? Yes, it’s a major city and a transit hub. But the Union Station area has a massive private security presence and a constant flow of commuters. It’s arguably one of the most well-lit and active parts of the city at 11:00 PM.
The noise from the trains is also surprisingly minimal. The hotel used heavy-duty glazing on the windows. You might hear a faint rumble of the light rail, but it’s more of a soothing white noise than a "My Cousin Vinny" train-crashing-through-the-window situation.
Actionable Insights for Your Stay
If you’re actually planning to book a room at The Crawford Hotel at Union Station, don't just wing it.
- Request a North-Facing Room: If you want to watch the trains come and go from your window, specifically ask for a view of the platforms. It’s mesmerizing.
- Visit the Cooper Lounge: It’s located on the mezzanine overlooking the Great Hall. It feels like a 1940s film set. You usually need a reservation, even as a guest, so book it when you book your room.
- Use the Tesla: Don't walk to the Ball Arena if it's snowing. The hotel car is there for a reason. Use it.
- Skip the Morning Coffee Run: The coffee in the lobby is great, but there’s often a "secret" guest-only coffee service on the upper floors in the morning. Ask the concierge.
- Explore the "Hidden" Art: The hotel curated over 600 pieces of local art. It’s not just in the rooms; it’s in the hallways and even the stairwells. Take 20 minutes to just walk the halls.
The Crawford is more than a hotel. It’s a successful experiment in urban preservation. It proves that you can take a crumbling piece of 19th-century infrastructure and turn it into the crown jewel of a modern city without losing the soul of the place.
Next Steps for Your Trip:
- Check the A-Line Schedule: If you're flying in, download the RTD MyRide app to see train times in real-time.
- Book Dining Reservations Early: Places like Stoic & Genuine fill up weeks in advance, especially on Rockies game days.
- Pack for "Denver Layers": Even if it's 70 degrees in the afternoon, the wind coming off the Platte River near the station gets cold fast once the sun drops behind the Rockies.