Our car was totaled by a drunk driver while we were sleeping peacefully inside the Holiday Chalet and we're still giving it 5 stars... try to top that!
Last week I booked 2 nights starting on 11/15 with Regina, she was extremely helpful on the phone. Our 15+ year old dog has trouble with stairs, so we reserved the Alexandrina Suite on the first level. Regina checked us in and was again very friendly. The suite was absolutely gorgeous, probably even prettier than their pictures. It was recently renovated and everything was done perfectly. The beds & pillows were super comfy and the huge shower and soaking tub were amazing. We walked to a show at the Fillmore on Friday night, went to sleep around midnight, everything was going great, until...
We were awakened at 3 am by loud pounding on our door, Stefan was saying that our car had been involved in an accident. A drunk driver going 60+ mph on Colfax plowed into a pizza delivery car parked behind ours, which started a 4 car chain reaction. The driver's Toyota Tundra truck went airborne upon impact, somersaulted and landed on the side of our Outback. Luckily nobody but the driver was injured, and he wasn't seriously hurt. The teenager delivering pizza was visibly shaken since he would have definitely been killed if he had left any quicker. Colfax Avenue was completely closed for a couple hours as they towed away the 3 demolished vehicles.
We planned to stay & ski at Beaver Creek starting Saturday afternoon but that was definitely no longer possible. The Holiday Chalet was completely booked that night, we worried that we would have to switch hotels but Stefan put us in a soon to be remodeled room across the hall. It wasn't in the greatest shape, but it also wasn't meant to be rented out. We were just grateful we didn't have to change hotels and that we were safe and warm. Because of some serious health issues with one of the employees, Stefan was there on Saturday by himself. He was constantly moving all over the hotel the entire day, checking people in & out, cleaning rooms, answering the phone... and he never complained even though he was working on little sleep.
We ended up staying 6 nights at the Holiday Chalet and started to feel like part of their small family. There are only 4 main employees (Regina, Stefan, Alyssa & Kyle) at this time and they were all wonderful. We also got to know the neighborhood very well and although it is a bit gritty along Colfax, the walk to lovely Cheesman Park goes past some really ornate, beautiful old houses.
The restaurants in the area were all great, but Torta Grill was hands-down the tastiest and it's less than 100' away. Here's my take on other places:
Izu Sushi- fantastic lunch deal; 3 big sushi rolls, soup & salad for $12
Vine Street Pub- really awesome beers and tasty food
Illegal Pete's- Do yourself a favor and go for one (or two) of Mel's delicious Margaritas. Not sickening sweet like most Margs, but they definitely pack a punch... and they're only 4 bucks
Pete's Kitchen- Now we know why it's a Denver institution. Saturday night, working on only a couple hours of sleep, we stumbled into PK. When the waitress asked how our day was going, we had to say, "Not that great" and then told her about the accident. She was so genuinely caring and when we went to pay for our delicious gyro and reuben sandwiches, the woman sitting next to us had overheard our sob story and paid our bill... that's what makes Denver so special!
After spending 6 nights here and seeing all the suites (not the upstairs rooms), I have a theory about the schizophrenic reviews this place gets. People either really love or hate it and I believe that must be based on what room you book. If you stay in any of the 3 suites and aren't happy, as my mom would say, "You need to have your head examined"! Each one has a kitchen, sitting area and tons of Victorian charm. My unbiased view, pay the few extra bucks and get a suite if possible. Ours was $120/nt minus a 15% concert discount (who does that?), the total was $101+ tax. Well worth every penny and way cheaper than any of the other nearby hotels we looked in to.
About the neighborhood, Colfax is a very busy, fast street... we won't park along it for any amount of time ever again. We could always find parking within 2 blocks on either High or Williams. There IS a wide assortment of urban characters out front. As one local said, "Colfax is better than TV, sit back & enjoy". We were definitely asked for money but never felt unsafe while walking around. We're happy that we can afford to rent a hotel room when so many fellow Americans don't know where they'll sleep or eat next. It's good to venture out of our bubbles every now and then.
We're now home in Chicago, about to cook a day-after-Thanksgiving turkey, only wish we had Stefan's Wavy Gravy to go with it. We're so fortunate to have a lovely house, decent income and some new friends in Denver... I'd call that a silver lining. read more