If you've ever tried to book a room in downtown Denver during a Nuggets playoff run or a massive convention at the Colorado Convention Center, you know the pain. Prices skyrocket. Traffic on I-25 becomes a literal parking lot. This is exactly why a lot of us who actually live in the Front Range or travel here frequently steer people toward the Sheraton Denver West Hotel in Lakewood instead. It's tucked right off Union Boulevard. It's not flashy like the new glass towers in RiNo, but honestly? It’s arguably more functional for a specific type of traveler.
Most people look at the map and see "Lakewood" and think they're out in the suburbs. They're right. But they're also wrong about what that means for their trip.
Staying here puts you in a weirdly perfect "middle ground." You are ten minutes from the foothills of the Rockies. You are also about fifteen minutes from downtown if the traffic gods are kind. It’s a hotel that leans heavily into its location near the Denver Federal Center and St. Anthony Hospital, which means the crowd is usually a mix of government contractors, medical professionals, and smart skiers who realized they could save $200 a night by staying twenty miles closer to the mountains.
The Reality of the Location: Union Boulevard and Beyond
Union Boulevard is the lifeblood of this specific pocket of Lakewood. It’s a dense corridor of office buildings and surprisingly decent restaurants. When you stay at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, you aren't just stuck in a room eating overpriced club sandwiches. You’re walkable to places like 240 Union—a spot that’s been a local staple for decades—or more casual joints like Jose O'Shea's for mid-tier Mexican food that hits the spot after a flight.
The hotel sits at a higher elevation than downtown. If you get a room on the west side of the building, the view of the foothills is genuinely stunning. You can see the "M" on Mount Zion in Golden. You can see the weather rolling in over the peaks before it hits the city. It’s a perspective you just don't get when you're staring at the side of a parking garage in LoDo.
Getting Around Without Losing Your Mind
Let's talk about the Light Rail. The Federal Center Station is right there. The W Line takes you straight into Union Station. It’s cheap. It’s relatively clean. It beats paying $50 for valet parking at a downtown hotel every single night. If you’re heading to a Rockies game, this is the move. Park for free at the hotel, hop the train, and have a beer without worrying about the drive back.
Then there’s Red Rocks. If you’re in town for a show, the Sheraton Denver West Hotel is one of the closest major full-service hotels to the venue. It’s about a six-mile drive. An Uber from here to the amphitheater is manageable; an Uber from downtown to Red Rocks after a sold-out show will cost you half a mortgage payment.
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Inside the Sheraton: What to Expect in 2026
The property has been through several iterations and refreshes over the years. It’s a Marriott property, so you know the drill with the Bonvoy ecosystem. The lobby is designed around the "Sheraton Public Square" concept. They want you out of your room. They want you sitting at the communal tables with your laptop, drinking a latte, looking busy.
It works.
The rooms are standard Sheraton. They're clean. The beds are the "Sheraton Signature" variety, which are consistently some of the best in the mid-range hotel world. They aren't trying to be "boutique" or "edgy." There are no weird open-concept bathrooms where your roommate can see you showering. It’s a grown-up hotel for people who value a desk that’s actually large enough to work at and a TV that connects to Netflix without a three-step engineering degree.
The Fitness Situation
One thing that sets this place apart from the cramped "converted closet" gyms in many city hotels is the size of their fitness center. It’s huge for a hotel of this size. There’s an indoor lap pool that’s actually long enough to swim in, plus a sauna. If you’re a traveler who loses their mind when they can’t find a free treadmill at 6:00 AM, you’ll be fine here.
Addressing the "Boring" Allegations
Is Lakewood "cool"? Not really. Not in the way people think of "cool" when they’re looking at travel magazines. But cool is expensive and loud.
The Sheraton Denver West Hotel is quiet.
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You’re near Green Mountain Park, which offers some of the best "bang for your buck" hiking in the metro area. You can be at the trailhead in five minutes. You can hike the 6.5-mile loop, see the entire city skyline from the top, and be back in the hotel shower before your first Zoom call of the day. That’s the real Colorado experience, not sitting in traffic on Speer Boulevard.
The Business Side of Things
Because of its proximity to the Federal Center—which houses over 25 different agencies—this hotel is built for business. The meeting spaces are extensive. If you’re hosting a conference, the ballroom space is significant. They have 18 meeting rooms. That’s a lot of square footage for a suburban hotel.
The Wi-Fi is generally robust. They understand that a significant portion of their clientele is here to work. If you're a "digital nomad" or just someone stuck on a long business trip, the club lounge (if you have the status or pay for the upgrade) is a decent retreat. They do the standard breakfast spread and evening hors d'oeuvres. It’s predictable, and in the travel world, predictable is often a luxury.
Common Misconceptions About Staying in Lakewood
People often worry that they’ll feel "isolated" from the Denver action.
You won't.
The drive to Belmar is under ten minutes. Belmar is Lakewood’s "downtown" area—it’s an outdoor shopping district with a Whole Foods, a Target, a bowling alley, and plenty of bars. If the hotel restaurant (Beau’s Kitchen & Lounge) isn't doing it for you, Belmar has everything from Tstreet to Chuy's.
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Another misconception is that the altitude won't hit you here. You're at roughly 5,600 feet at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel. That’s higher than the city of Denver. Drink water. A lot of it. The hotel puts out plenty of infused water in the lobby for a reason. Don't ignore it.
Nuance: The Downsides
Let’s be real. If you want to walk out of your hotel and immediately be surrounded by art galleries and nightclubs, don't stay here. This is a car-dependent area. While the Light Rail is close, you’re still going to want a rental car or a healthy Uber budget if you plan on exploring anything beyond the Union Boulevard strip.
Also, it’s a big hotel. Sometimes service can feel a bit "efficient" rather than "personal." During peak conference season, the lobby can feel like a hive. If you’re looking for a romantic, intimate getaway, this might feel a bit too corporate for your taste.
Actionable Strategy for Your Stay
If you decide to book the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, here is how you maximize the experience:
- Request a High-Floor West-Facing Room: Specify this in your booking notes. Looking at the mountains is 100% better than looking at the parking lot or the hospital across the street.
- Use the Light Rail for Events: If you are going to a game at Coors Field or Ball Arena, use the W Line from the Federal Center. It saves you the headache of $40+ parking and the post-game gridlock.
- Explore Golden: You are only about 10-12 minutes from downtown Golden. Skip the generic hotel dinner and go to the Golden Mill for the food hall experience or walk along the Clear Creek trail.
- Check the Red Rocks Schedule: Even if you aren't going to a show, check the schedule. On non-show days (or mornings), you can go to Red Rocks to exercise or just look around. It’s essentially in the hotel’s backyard.
- Green Mountain for Sunsets: Drive five minutes to the Florida Trailhead at William F. Hayden Park on Green Mountain. Hike up for 15 minutes. Watch the sun go down behind the Rockies. It’s the best free show in the state.
The Sheraton Denver West Hotel isn't trying to reinvent the hospitality industry. It’s a solid, reliable, well-located anchor for anyone who wants to see Denver and the mountains without the chaos of the city center. It’s about utility. It’s about being close to the things that actually matter—nature, transport, and a decent night's sleep.
To get the most out of your trip, download the RTD (Regional Transportation District) app before you arrive. It makes navigating the W Line from the Federal Center Station much smoother. Also, if you’re planning on hiking Green Mountain, keep an eye on the local trail conditions via the COTREX (Colorado Trail Explorer) app; Lakewood trails can get muddy and stay that way for a few days after a snowmelt, and the local rangers are pretty strict about trail preservation.