Staybridge Suites Denver Downtown by IHG — Hotel in Denver

I stayed at the Staybridge Downtown Denver Hotel the night of 2 September after attending a Rob Thomas concert at the Bellco Theater nearby. My first encounter was arriving at the hotel in the afternoon for check-in and not seeing a front entrance as we drove by the Colfax side (their address). Going around the block, I parked in the pretty sketchy public lot at 1313 Tremont Place across the street, intending to call the hotel to find out where I was actually supposed to park. I called, and the desk clerk said right where I was. My friend and I grabbed our bags and went around the west side of the building to the front but couldn’t find a non-gated entrance. I have mobility issues, so I was hobbling along with my cane and with my bags on my back and slung over my shoulder. We continued around to an alley and found the “front” and only entrance.||Going in, I was handed a waiver, which I actually read then signed stating that they were not responsible for anything that happened to my vehicle. It seemed pretty standard, but now I realize it was a red flag. I was given a card that stated I was a guest of the Staybridge and was told it had to be prominently displayed on my front dash in order to avoid the possibility of being ticketed or towed. This all cost me $27.||The room was fairly nice. Very small but clean and comfortable, and of adequate size for my one-night stay.||Went to the concert and returned between 11 pm and midnight. Put the card on my dash, locked my car, and headed upstairs for the night. My room’s window did not face that parking lot.||The following morning, we check out and head out to my car. The rear passenger side door was ajar and the car was unlocked. There was trash all over the back seat and front seats. Someone jimmied the front passenger door and tossed my car. They ripped down my visor organizer, destroying it, to take my emergency $20 bill and a half a book of postage stamps that were not visible from any angle. My handicap placard was on the floor and dirty from being repeatedly stepped on. They pulled everything out of my center console and strew it all over the floor. They apparently didn’t care for my taste in music because they left my five CDs on the front seat. They dumped out the contents of my glove box, but thankfully didn’t take any paperwork. They tossed the contents of the area under the dash in front of the stick shift and took a tiny piece of metal with my guardian angel stamped on it – a gift from a former student’s mother for taking care of her daughter on campus through four years of college. Monetarily, it was worth nothing, but it meant a lot to me, and they stole it. They opened my trunk. They either missed my concert jacket (as it was black) or didn’t want it, but bewilderingly, they took two of my canvas totes I use to carry groceries. My car was a mess.||I went back inside and breathlessly told the front desk clerk that my car had been broken into. The very first words out of her mouth were, “You signed a waiver, and we are not responsible for anything that happens to your vehicle.” Not, “I’m sorry.” Not, “Can I call the police for you?” No, I signed a waiver, and they were done. I was very upset and wanted them to do something. Finally, she stammered that they could maybe refund me my parking fee? I told her I planned to tell as many people as I could that this was an unsafe hotel. That was what ultimately brought out the manager who asked me not to do that, as I signed a waiver and what happened wasn’t their responsibility. I told her that I was going to do exactly that, and how the traveling public reacted to that information would not be my responsibility.||I left. They did not credit me back the parking fee, nor did anyone from Staybridge contact me over the last 10 days.||When I got back out to my car, I noticed that another car in the lot had its trunk popped. I am just thankful there was no actual damage to my car beyond needing to clean it out and buy a new visor organizer. I honestly believe that having to put a piece of paper on my dash that indicated I was staying in the hotel put a target on my car. The person or people who went through my car knew I would likely not be coming back out to it until the morning.||I tell my tale as a warning to fellow travelers. The Staybridge Downtown Denver is not a safe location. From having to enter through an alleyway to having to park in an unsafe public lot, there is NO WAY I would stay here again. In fact, I was planning on staying downtown on two different nights in October, and this has changed my mind. I canceled attending both events to avoid having to stay in downtown Denver at all. If you are considering a stay downtown, do with my information what you will. I am not responsible for your decisions, just like Staybridge was super quick to point out that they were not responsible for anything that happened to me or my car while I was their guest.||I know that NCTE is coming to Denver in November. I am a member, as are many of my friends. If any of them has booked the Staybridge, I will be advising them to book somewhere, anywhere, else and cancel...

I stayed at the Staybridge Downtown Denver Hotel the night of 2 September after attending a Rob Thomas concert at the Bellco Theater nearby. My first encounter was arriving at the hotel in the afternoon for check-in and not seeing a front entrance as we drove by the Colfax side (their address). Going around the block, I parked in the pretty sketchy public lot at 1313 Tremont Place across the street, intending to call the hotel to find out where I was actually supposed to park. I called, and the desk clerk said right where I was. My friend and I grabbed our bags and went around the west side of the building to the front but couldn’t find a non-gated entrance. We continued around to an alley and found the “front” and only entrance.

Going in, I was handed a waiver, which I actually read then signed stating that they were not responsible for anything that happened to my vehicle. It seemed pretty standard, but now I realize it was a red flag. I was given a card that stated I was a guest of the Staybridge and was told it had to be prominently displayed on my front dash in order to avoid the possibility of being ticketed or towed. This all cost me $27.

The room was fairly nice. Very small but clean and comfortable, and of adequate size for my one-night stay.

Went to the concert and returned between 11 pm and midnight. Put the card on my dash, locked my car, and headed upstairs for the night. My room’s window did not face that parking lot.

Overnight, my car was burglarized. The interior and trunk were trashed and a few items were stolen.

I went back inside and breathlessly told the front desk clerk that my car had been broken into. The very first words out of her mouth were, “You signed a waiver, and we are not responsible for anything that happens to your vehicle.” Not, “I’m sorry.” Not, “Can I call the police for you?” No, I signed a waiver, and they were done. I was very upset and wanted them to do something. Finally, she stammered that they could maybe refund me my parking fee? I told her I planned to tell as many people as I could that this was an unsafe hotel. That was what ultimately brought out the manager who asked me not to do that, as I signed a waiver and what happened wasn’t their responsibility. I told her that I was going to do exactly that, and how the traveling public reacted to that information would not be my responsibility.

I left. They did not credit me back the parking fee, nor did anyone from Staybridge contact me over the last 10 days.

When I got back out to my car, I noticed that another car in the lot had its trunk popped. I am just thankful there was no actual damage to my car beyond needing to clean it out and buy a new visor organizer. I honestly believe that having to put a piece of paper on my dash that indicated I was staying in the hotel put a target on my car. The person or people who went through my car knew I would likely not be coming back out to it until the morning.

I tell my tale as a warning to fellow travelers. The Staybridge Downtown Denver is not a safe location. From having to enter through an alleyway to having to park in an unsafe public lot, there is NO WAY I would stay here again. In fact, I was planning on staying downtown on two different nights in October, and this has changed my mind. I canceled attending both events to avoid having to stay in downtown Denver at all. If you are considering a stay downtown, do with my information what you will. I am not responsible for your decisions, just like Staybridge was super quick to point out that they were not responsible for anything that happened to me or my car while I was their guest.

I know that NCTE is coming to Denver in November. I am a member, as are many of my friends. If any of them has booked the Staybridge, I will be advising them to book somewhere, anywhere, else and cancel...

TLDR: horrible parking situation, outdated, small rooms, poor location, amazing staff and service.

Stayed here from Wednesday 7/16 to Saturday 7/19. The overall impression is that many things need to be improved for me to ever return here or recommend this place. I will start with what is great:

1. The staff. They were extremely helpful, gracious, and always attentive to our needs. They kept the place spotless and were always around when needed.
2. The breakfast was excellent each day. They vary the selection from day to day. One day was scrambled eggs with bacon and other selections. The next day were cheesy omelets, breakfast potatoes, and sausages. The next were southwest omelets and sweet potatoes. Very impressed for a lower priced hotel to have these selections.
3. They have happy hour every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with friendly staff and free beer, wine, and appetizers. That was a nice touch.
4. The pool and the weight room are nice touches and are in decent shape.
5. Very nice outside seating area. However, there needs to be way more seating out there. There are only 3 tables out there.

The Bad:

1. There is little-to-no documentation about how bad the parking situation is. You have only roughly 10-15 spots in an alley behind the hotel and they are $30+ a day to park there and are always full. You have to park in a public parking lot across the street for $27 a day. Mind you, this is in a high-crime area. Every morning taking my dog out there were no less than 4-5 homeless sleeping around the building. They also commented at check-in that people regularly get tickets from the city for parking there even with a pass displayed in the window. I was lucky that I did not have any trouble but there was glass on the ground in the parking lot so someone obviously has had problems.
2. The front door is in a dank alley behind the building with absolutely no room to off-load your belongings. It was constantly filled with construction vehicles and scooters.
3. The room was a two queen suite with a kitchen but wasn't any larger than a basic hotel room anywhere else. The bathroom was so small that my shoulder would protrude into the bathtub when standing at the toilet. The fixtures and furniture were very out of date.
4. No plungers in the bathroom (enough said).
5. The water pressure in the shower was non-existent. I could have poured a cup of water over myself with more pressure.
6. The TV situation is very bad. The cable is digital cable that comes into the room through a coax cable from the wall. This meant we regularly couldn't get many channels to even come in due to poor signal strength. We couldn't watch ESPN, FOX and multiple other channels as they would always give a signal strength error. Other channels that did work would regularly have sync issues and stuttering. Very poor decision to not have a Roku Tv or another smart TV brand in the room.
7. A pet friendly hotel with absolutely no grass or relief area anywhere near? Yep, you heard that right.
8. The location is tremendously bad. It is right next to a probation building. Less than a block away is a bus stop that is filled with homeless and less than savory characters. We tried to ride scooters through that area and were not impressed nor did we feel safe. The road situation is bad around the hotel. It is all one-ways so you have a hard time actually getting to the hotel depending what direction you come from. It is also nowhere near any major sports venues. You have to take a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute scooter ride to any...