Populus Denver
Hotel in Colorado, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Populus Denver is a 13-story hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado, United States, located adjacent to Civic Center Park. Designed by the architecture firm Studio Gang and developed by Denver-based real estate company Urban Villages, the hotel opened in October 2024 and contains 265 guest rooms. It features a carbon-positive environment that has drawn praise in the national media and has been named in 2025 as one of the world's "Greatest Places" and "Best New Hotels" by Time and Esquire magazines respectively.
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| Populus Denver | |
|---|---|
The hotel's exterior, 2024 | |
 Interactive map of the Populus Denver area | |
| General information | |
| Location | 240 14th Street Denver, Colorado, US 80202 |
| Coordinates | 39°44′25″N 104°59′28″W |
| Opening | October 2024 |
| Management | Aparium Hotel Group |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 159 ft (48 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Studio Gang |
| Developer | Urban Villages |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 265 |
| Website | |
| populusdenver | |
Plan
During the COVID-19 pandemic when the hospitality industry was experiencing a downturn, Urban Villages publicly unveiled the name and renderings of the Populus Denver, and framed the project as a long-term, counter-cyclical investment based on expectations that travel demand and civic events would rebound by the time the building opened. They had acquired control of the site in early 2016 after purchasing the property from the City and County of Denver and a private partner for $2.5 million.[1]
The earlier plans had focused on micro-apartments,[1][2] but the program was later revised to emphasize hotel use for the Civic Center revitalization.[3][4] The program also funded tens of thousands of Engelmann spruce trees which were planted in Colorado in 2022, however, a large number of those died due to extreme weather. Despite, the program was continued for an additional number of trees in subsequent years, with the guests encouraged for a "One Night One Tree" program, where the management would plant one tree for every night they stay.[5][6][7]
Populus occupies a triangular site bounded by West Colfax Avenue, 14th Street, and Court Place in downtown Denver, directly across from Civic Center Park.[1] Construction began in April 2022[8] and continued through 2024, a period marked by elevated material costs and labor constraints stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The project topped out in 2023, with interior buildout and systems commissioning continuing into 2024. It opened to guests in October 2024.[9] Reportedly, the building height is 159 ft (48 m) and it covers 135,000 sq ft (12,500 m2).[10]
Design and amenities
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The hotel is designed by Studio Gang, marking the firm's first completed project in Colorado. Its structural engineering consultancy is provided by Studio NYL.[11][12][13] Reportedly, the hotel aims to be a carbon-positive by sequestering more carbon dioxide than it emits through construction and ongoing operations, and it has a built-in dashboard to display the carbon offset through online monitoring.[5][6][14]
The building envelope is reported to have a biomimetic facade cladded with large glass fiber reinforced concrete panels to reduce thermal bridging by less use of anchors. It features 365 irregularly shaped, vertically oriented window openings that are designed to provide shading and protection from rainwater. The windows are inspired by the dark lenticels found on the bark of quaking aspen trees, and thus the hotel's name is derived from the tree's scientific name, Populus tremuloides.[12][13][15] The windows of up to 30 ft (9.1 m) height act as entrances on the ground floor.[10] Interior spaces are designed by Wildman Chalmers and are made from cold-formed steel with no right angle in its architecture, along with a low-carbon concrete mix.[16]
The lobby features recycled materials, with walking surface decorations resembling the forest floor, along with the reception desk made from the felled cottonwood tree, wall decorations from beetle-kill pine, and the ceiling decorations from reclaimed lumber snow fences. The hallway features a dark theme to evoke the nature-inspired experience of being inside a treehouse. The hotel uses electricity made from renewable materials and relies on nearby public facilities for car parking instead of having a built-in garage,[5][6][17] though it provides a valet service to the guests and has bicycle parking racks available.[18]
Operated by the Aparium Hotel Group, it is a 13-story building. The ground floor features a lobby having the Little Owl Coffee shop and Pasque, a restaurant named after a flower and featuring an overhead sculptural installation made from Reishi, a mycelium leather. The floor just above has some of its amenities, including a library, a fitness center, and meeting and gathering spaces, while the rooftop floor has Stellar Jay, a bar named after a bird and featuring an in-house seating evironment like a tree canopy along with a public terrace with a view towards the Civic Center. An on-site biodigester processes food waste into local fertilizer. The rest of the floors in between contain 265 guest rooms with eco-friendly accessories, and the guests are given wooden room keys with biodegradable sleeves containing wildflower seeds, which can be planted once they leave.[a]
Populus Seattle, a similar hotel also by Urban Villages, opened in Seattle in 2025.[6]
Reception
Many local viewers and publishers found the structure's appearance similar to a cheese grater[b] or having eye-shaped windows,[c] while some reviewers also appreciated the scent of Reishi, which is designed by a biotech firm, MycoWorks, for intentionally soothing the guests while entering.[d] Others have found discomfort in viewing the building's exterior, claiming it triggered their trypophobia.[28]
In 2025, Time included Populus on its list of the "World's Greatest Places", citing the hotel's biophilic design, rooftop amenities, and sustainability narrative,[7] and Esquire named it in its list of the "Best New Hotels in the World", calling it a "revolutionary property" with the "idea of honoring nature".[29] It won the Glass Magazine Award for Best Green Project due to its climate-conscious design in reducing its carbon footprint[30] and received a Michelin Key from the Michelin Guide, recognizing excellence in design, service, and overall character.[31] It was also awarded by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as one of the "Best Tall Buildings" for its sustainability measures,[32] and is certified as LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.[33]
