The Crawford Hotel in downtown Denver is excited to unveil a major refresh, including a luxurious design update to each of its 112 magnificent guest rooms.

Originally opened in 1881, the iconic Denver Union Station reopened to great fanfare in July 2014 after a $54 million renovation that included the creation of The Crawford Hotel, which is named for renowned urban preservationist and Union Station Alliance member Dana Crawford. The hotel was recently honored with a Michelin Guide One Key in the first-ever awards highlighting the most outstanding hotels in the country.

In celebration of its 10^th anniversary, The Crawford is elevating the guest arrival experience with the creation of an inviting new lobby space, The Parlour, that is separate from the Great Hall and will offer private elevator access to the guest floors. The Crawford Parlour will feature ongoing lobby programing including live local music, welcome cocktails, and private experiences. Guests can expect to enjoy exclusive events, amuse bouche tastings and more.

The Crawford Hotel refresh was inspired by elegant train trips on the Orient-Express and designed to embrace the grand architecture of Denver Union Station. Designed by DLR Group and Sage Studio, The Crawford guest rooms now feature opulent custom-made furniture and window treatments in rich jewel tones of emerald green, deep rose, cobalt blue and burnt orange, with an eclectic mix of locally sourced art and gorgeous floral ceiling coverings. Arched doorways were added to honor the Mizpah Arch that welcomed guests to Denver Union Station in the early 1900s. The guest beds are anchored by large, scalloped headboards with pearl-inspired sconces and dressed with fine linens. Upgraded amenities include an in-room Cooper Lounge cocktail experience and Grown Alchemist bath products.

Technology upgrades include the addition of chic Loftie alarm clocks, the multiuse smart alarm clock designed by sleep scientists to help guests put down their phones and get more sleep. The Crawford has partnered with Loftie to be the first hotel to share custom content to guests. Both adult and children’s bedtime stories will be available – with each version celebrating Dana Crawford’s life and her important legacy as a trailblazing female leader for downtown Denver.

The Crawford Hotel features three different room types that reflect the different eras of the landmark building’s history The “Pullman-style” rooms on the second level evoke train travel at its heyday. The “Classic” rooms are inspired by the building’s Victorian era beginnings, with a touch of modern elegance. “The Loft” rooms in the former attic feature exposed wood timbers and vaulted ceilings. The Crawford also offers four 1-bedroom LoDo Suites and the 726 square foot Crawford Suite, which features a Butler’s pantry, separate living and dining rooms, a powder room and a master bedroom with a sitting area.

Denver Union Station’s Great Hall, Cooper Lounge and 8,000 square feet of meeting & event space are also being reimagined with new furniture, light fixtures and more. The current $11 million renovation will be completed this July to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the revitalization of Denver Union Station.

The Crawford has also created several unique overnight offerings for guests to explore the Mile High City, including new partnerships with Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Hotel website

DENVER — Hundreds of unhoused people could be moved directly into permanent leased housing under a new program the city is considering.

The city began testing the Street to Lease program earlier this year as part of Mayor Mike Johnston’s ongoing efforts to fight homelessness.

During the pilot program, the city moved 12 people from a small encampment in Council District 8 directly into permanent housing.

Right now, unhoused people who accept city services are moved into temporary housing.

The city wants to use $5 million in pandemic funding to expand the Street to Lease program.

This would allow the city to move 250 unhoused people directly into permanent housing within 30 days of outreach.

Most of the money, about $4.2 million, would be used to pay their rent and utilities for up to a year, city officials said.

“This is a program that HOST (Department of Housing Stability) has intended to deploy for some time,” said Cole Chandler, the mayor’s senior homelessness advisor.

Chandler, who appeared before the city council’s housing committee on Wednesday, said money had already been set aside for the program.

“We’re now at a place where we’re ready to bring it forward and implement that,” said Chander.

The city plans to contract with Housing Connector, a nonprofit focused on helping people access affordable housing.

Housing Connector will help the city identify available housing units. They will also help process payments.

“They’re able to really be a strong liaison. And if there are challenges that are coming up with an individual in the housing unit, they’re able to work through those and sort through those with the landlord,” Chandler said.

Like with District 8, the city would focus on providing permanent housing to people living at smaller encampments throughout the city.

“The goal is to spread them out in the city of Denver, but also give them options so that they can choose where they want to live,” said Will Goodale with Housing Connector.

Denver wants to move those experiencing homelessness directly into permanent housing

Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer said the program appeared to be more promising than other homelessness programs the city spent money on.

But she and others were concerned about how the city plans to pay for the program long-term, given that pandemic funding is running out and city agencies having to cut their budgets due to the immigration crisis.

“You cannot have sustainable programs without a sustainable funding source,” said Sawyer.

Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore told Chandler there was not a lot of time left to figure out how the city would pay for this program and others that depend on pandemic funding.

“The majority of those funds are one-time funds,” said Gilmore. “They’re not going to magically appear again, ever.”

Chandler said city officials were having “critical conversations” about its long-term spending plan.

“We’re evaluating that as we look forward into the 2025, 2026 and beyond budget,” Chandler said. “I think that this is a program that is worth investing in and is worth bringing into our community.”

Gilmore also pressed Chandler about the overall spending of the mayor’s All In Mile High Homeless initiative.

“We were told by May 10 we would have the numbers around what is the All In Mile High’s true operating costs,” said Gilmore.

She asked Chandler if he could tell her the annual costs of that program.

“I mean you should know it,” said Gilmore.

“We’re still actively working on that,” Chandler replied. “We have a presentation for [the finance and governance committee] on June 18 where we’re planning to bring those items forward,” Chandler said.

Gilmore has been seeking the spending numbers for months and said it was disappointing that she even had to ask that question in a televised committee meeting.

“This is bordering on ridiculousness now. It’s embarrassing not to be able to tell a constituent what this costs,” said Gilmore. “It was early May and now June.”

Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez said she feels hopeful about the Street to Lease program and wants to know how the city is going to get participants into a position where they can pay their own rent.

“I feel like if people are investing something in this program, they’ll get more out of the program,” said Alvidrez.

Chandler said the city does not require people in its homelessness programs to meet with case managers.

But he said there are plenty available, about one case manager for every 20 people.

“While it’s non-compulsory, we’re working actively with individuals to help them get access to services,” said Chandler.

The city council’s housing committee advanced the city’s $5 million request on Wednesday, but some council members said they were on the fence about whether to give it final approval due to concerns about its long-term funding.