DENVER, Colo.—Denver’s Hotel Teatro has unveiled a new experiential design, reimagining the entire ground floor of the historic luxury property. While carefully preserving the original marble and architectural detail of the 1911 Tramway building, the hotel has responded to the changing demands of travelers and the community by adding a new, locally-inspired restaurant, The Nickel; The Barrel Bar, featuring a curated barrel-aged cocktail program; a new lobby and The Study, an open-space library lounge concept, designed by Studio Frank.
“Travelers today are looking for welcoming, unique spaces that are also authentic to the destination they are in,” explained Afsi Bird, general manager of Hotel Teatro. “Our guests will now arrive into ‘The Study,’ an absolutely beautiful and cozy space where we hope everyone feels at home, just as they would relaxing in the living room of their most interesting friend,” she continued.
Inspired by the best of Colorado, lead designer Catherine Frank and her team chose to highlight the hotel’s existing architectural features and capitalize on the grand scale of the space to create a series of comfortable, stylish settings where guests and locals can linger.
“When working with a landmark property like Hotel Teatro, I wanted to build on its original, existing greatness,” Frank explained. “We removed the awnings from the exterior of the windows to provide more natural light and showcase the existing architectural framework. Our goal was to create a relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere—casually elegant like a vintage suitcase.”
Designated The Study, the once formal dining space is now an all-day lounge featuring repurposed custom lighting, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves flanking a sandstone fireplace, custom curved wingback chairs, and iron chandeliers designed by Studio Frank that suspend from the tall coffered ceiling. Much of the custom metalwork featured is also locally sourced from artisans just outside of Telluride. Textural linens throughout the space include patina’d leather and striped wool, combined with nail head accents and rustic finishes, all thoughtfully chosen to reference the traditional Rocky Mountain artisanal aesthetic. Additionally, a large, etched wood mural highlights the custom-designed, wood and metal reception desks at check in.
The Study offers an ideal spot for lounging and socializing whether for an intimate breakfast, coffee, an impromptu happy hour, or before and after the theater, where small bites, local craft beer, and signature cocktails are the focus. The zinc Barista Bar features a new local coffee roasting program created by small-batch specialists Method Roasters. Their craft coffee creations are served in the lounge and throughout the hotel. A collection of photographs is showcased above the Barista Bar depicting 250-year-old bottles that were once found in a North American river excavation. The images also reference the mercury-glass bottles that were collectively installed in the wall of small wooden cubicles that line one side of the Bar. Curated music lists play throughout the space, adding another element to the new experience at Teatro.
Check out the photo gallery below for a glimpse inside.
