What's New

The Latest and Greatest in the Mile High City in 2023

Denver is an outdoor city with spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and plenty of urban adventures for all ages. Explore The Mile High City’s farm-to-table cuisine, local craft breweries and unique live music venues like the famous Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre. Visit the Denver Art Museum with its famous Indigenous art and Western art collections, see the giant blue bear public art sculpture, shop at Cherry Creek or get an authentic western shirt at the iconic Rockmount Ranch Wear. The opportunities are endless!

Hotels | Culinary Scene | Museums & Attractions | Transportation | Sustainability

New & Notable Rankings

The Events Industry Council recently announced that VISIT DENVER has achieved PLATINUM Level certification to the EIC Sustainable Event Standards. Denver is the first destination to achieve the highest level of certification (November 2023)
Michelin recognized 26 Denver restaurants in their inaugural and highly anticipated Colorado-based Guide (September 2023)
Rolling Stone Magazine noted Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre as the No. 1 "Hottest Music Venue in the Country in 2023" (April 2023)
Denver International Airport’s (DIA) fleet operations was recognized for its sustainable management as the number three fleet in North America by the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) (August 2023)
Denver ranked #1 on Architectural Digest's 2023 list of the “Top 50 Most Climate Resilient Cities” due to factors including fewer threats of extreme weather damage and city-level initiatives to support clean energy (July 2023)
TODAY declared Denver in the top five sought-after destinations from July through September (June 2023)
Denver ranked No. 10 in the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest for Best City for Street Art (June 2023)
Resonance Consultancy named Denver the No. 14 destination on its America’s 100 Best Cities list (June 2023)
Denver is in the top 20 U.S. cities to live based on place, people, programming, product, prosperity and promotion, according to AFAR (June 2022)
Travel + Leisure proclaimed Denver among the “The 18 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2023” (January 2023)
In Food & Wine’s 2023 list of “The 10 Best U.S. Airports for Food,” Denver International Airport landed the Editor’s Pick (April 2023)
Time Out ranked Denver Union Station No. 9 in "The 21 most beautiful train stations in the U.S." (April 2023)
Travel Pulse named Denver one of their top three best U.S. destinations (January 2022)
Denver is in the top 10 best sports cities in the U.S., according to Wallet Hub (November 2022)
Wallethub declared Denver one of the top 10 best cities for an active lifestyle in 2023 (January 2023)
LawnStarter declared Denver No. 7 in a list of cities with the best bike scores (June 2023)
Today.com listed Denver in the top 39 best places to travel with kids in 2023 (February 2023)

Hotels

Populus at Civic Center Park, the first carbon positive hotel, plans to open in early 2024. The 265-room, 13-story hotel will feature an event space/ballroom, multiple food and beverage venues and a rooftop deck and bar. The hotel will be carbon positive thanks to the sustainable design and construction as well as substantial ecological efforts offsite, including an initial commitment to planting trees that represent over 5,000 acres of forest – offsetting an embodied carbon footprint equivalent of nearly 500,000 gallons of gas and removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Flora House opened in late 2022, offering a Boutique Hotel/B&B located in Denver's Wyman Historic District, touted as the city's oldest subdivision. The six-room luxury Victorian mansion turned hotel was constructed during the late 1800s by historical Denver architect William Lang. Flora House embodies several locations in Denver also designed by Lang, including the Molly Brown House, the A.M. Ghost building and the Castle Marne (just a block north of Flora House Denver), among others.

Denver’s Kimpton Hotel Born rebranded as the Limelight Hotel Denver in spring 2023. The Limelight Denver is under the operation of Aspen Hospitality, the hospitality division of Aspen Skiing Company. The hotel is conveniently located adjacent to Denver’s Union Station. The hotel is the first urban location for the Limelight brand and joins the existing Limelight portfolio in Aspen and Snowmass, Colo., and Ketchum, Idaho.

Thompson Denver by Hyatt opened in early 2022. Located in the heart of LoDo, the hotel also includes Chez Maggy by Michelin-starred chef Ludo Lefebvre.

The much anticipated Slate Hotel opened in May 2022 at the historic site of the original Emily Griffith Opportunity School across the street from the Colorado Convention Center and many other iconic Mile High attractions. This hotel adds 251 guest rooms to downtown Denver.

In August 2022, Denver’s trendy RiNo Art District welcomed the 140-room Vib by Best Western Hotels & Resorts. Its amenities include meeting and event space and an enclosed rooftop bar taking advantage of the views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver’s skyline.

Courtyard by Marriott Denver Stadium will add 118 rooms near Empower Field at Mile High in March 2024.

Several new hotels are set to open between 2023 and 2025, including the dual-brand Fairfield Inn & TownePlace Suites by Hawkeye Hospitality at 1320 Glenarm Place, a Marriott Hotel by Focus Development Group at 727 14^th Street, the Train Denver Boutique Hotel by Invent Development Partners at 4000 Blake Street, The Sonder Jefferson Park and a Virgin Hotel by Virgin Hotels & Vita Fox North LP at 4400 Fox Street.

Culinary Scene

Michelin recognized 26 Denver restaurants in their inaugural and highly anticipated Colorado-based Guide. The famously anonymous MICHELIN Guide inspectors selected a diverse range of restaurants across the city that exude culinary excellence. Below is a list of celebrated restaurants in each category. Denver joins Boulder, Aspen and Snowmass Village, the Town of Vail and Beaver Creek Resort in the Colorado MICHELIN Guide, the eighth Guide destination in North America. More information about these restaurants and the MICHELIN Guide program are available on the VISIT DENVER website.

One MICHELIN Star:

Beckon (Contemporary cuisine)
Brutø (Mexican/Contemporary cuisine)
The Wolf’s Tailor (Contemporary cuisine)
MICHELIN Green Star:
Brutø (Denver; Mexican/Contemporary cuisine)
The Wolf’s Tailor (Contemporary cuisine)

Bib Gourmand:

AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q (Barbecue)
Ash’Kara (Israeli cuisine)
The Ginger Pig (Chinese cuisine)
Glo Noodle House (Ramen)
Hop Alley (Chinese cuisine)
La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal (Mexican cuisine)
Mister Oso (Latin American cuisine)
Tavernetta (Italian cuisine)

Denver’s 2023 Recommended restaurants:

MICHELIN Special Awards:

Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award: Caroline Clark - The Wolf’s Tailor
Michelin Sommelier Award: Ryan Fletter and Erin Lindstone - Barolo Grill

Sap Sua – Listed in Bon Appetit’s Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of Summer 2023, Sap Sua brings nontraditional Vietnamese to East Colfax. After moving to Denver in 2020 from Los Angeles, husband and wife Anthony and Anna Nguyen were hosting pop-up dinners and selling dishes for pickup. Three years later, their new restaurant space opened late June and also features Anna’s French and Vietnamese inspired baked goods.

The Culinary Creative Group Additions – The thriving Denver restaurant group plans to add three more concepts to their repertoire this year. The new spots yet to open include Japanese eatery Kumoya moving into the current Tony P's location and an unnamed bar next to Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek.

Red Tops Rendezvous – Located in Jefferson Park, Detroit-style pizza Red Tops Rendezvous is now open for business. This space is the first project from Culinary Creative Group that was built from the ground up.

Fox & the Hen – Denver dining mogul and culinary director of Tap & Burger Carrie Baird added an all-day breakfast spot, Fox & the Hen, to the Highlands neighborhood. Known from her appearance in Top Chef in 2017, Baird joined forces with owner of Dis Burrito Michael Fox to bring an upbeat and playful breakfast spot to the Highlands neighborhood.

Ay Papi – Opened July 4, Ay Papi is a cocktail bar inspired by Juan Padró, founder of the Culinary Creative Group, and his Puerto-Rican Heritage. Located in Cherry Creek, the cocktails are focused on rum with a collection of mojitos, daiquiris, pina coladas and more.

Flight Club Darts – UK-based company Flight Club Darts opened its newest location in Downtown Denver. The space features proprietary dart tracking technology, video game scoring and six interactive multiplayer games, combined with premium food and handcrafted cocktails.

Kiké's Red Tacos – The birria taco specialist food truck opened its brick-and-mortar location in Sunnyside earlier this year. The family-run business is known for their quesatacos: corn tortillas dipped into the birria consomé, grilled and topped with melted cheese, onions, cilantro and lime juice.

Comal Heritage Food Incubator – With made-from-scratch menu offerings, Comal Heritage Food Incubator supports immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in the Denver community. The restaurant was previously located in the TAXI development for six years and has recently moved into its new, larger location at the RiNo ArtPark.

The Regular – Downtown Denver’s newest fine-dining experience opened in July, with owners Sydney Younggreen and Brian De Souza urging diners to feel like “regulars,” hence the name. The menu features four entrees, four appetizers and four tapas with specials for those looking to expand their palettes. Making their customers feel like home is not a new concept for the owners, as the two previously hosted a dinner series called The Guest in their home in Boulder.

Top Tenn Lounge – Located on Tennyson Street, Top Tenn Lounge is the newest bar addition to the thriving Berkeley neighborhood. The space was created by Denver Native Ortavio Griego, who is also a level two Sommelier.

Casa Bonita – What was once a Colorado staple was purchased by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reopened summer 2023. Casa Bonita, known as an “eatertainment” venue located in Lakewood, reopened with renowned chef Dana Rodriguez behind the new menu and offerings.

Yardbird – Coming to Denver this fall is a spot that began in 2011 with Southern comfort food. Located in RiNo, Yardbird will be home to the area’s “largest urban patio” that includes a stage, a full bar and a smoker. Alongside the restaurant chain’s staple dishes like chicken and waffles, lobster mac & cheese and ribs, the Denver menu will also boast unique dishes that are still in the works.

Hey Kiddo – Well-known Denver chef Kelly Whitaker is behind The Wolf’s Tailor, Basta and Bruto. He expanded his culinary reach in the city with the opening of Hey Kiddo’ Located on the ground floor of the Asher boutique hotel in the Berkeley neighborhood, Whitaker’s “New American” inspired dining concept will also feature a cocktail bar called OK Yeah.

Welton Street Café – the historic, Black-owned Welton Street Café is back after a two-year closure. Owner Fathima Dickerson plans to break ground on a new location in 2023, bringing the soul food of Welton Street Café to Denver once again.

Le French - Rougui Dia became the first Black woman to hold the executive-chef position at a Michelin-starred restaurant at Le Petrossian 144 in France in 2005. She went on to open Le French in the Denver Tech Center alongside her sister, Aminata in 2019. The sisters are expanding their provisions, a combination of French and Senegalese masterpieces, to a second location at the 9+CO development off Colorado Boulevard and East Ninth Avenue.

Meta Asian Kitchen – With a debut in Avanti Food & Beverage, the collective eatery concept located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood, Meta Asian Kitchen is opening a standalone location with Cantonese and American Chinese offerings.

Molotov Kitschen and Cocktails – Denver chef Bo Porytko added to his repertoire with the opening of Molotov Kitschen and Cocktails in January 2023. Porytko is known for several business ventures in Denver including Rebel Restaurant, which closed in 2018 and Misfit Snack Bar, located inside Middleman. Offering Eastern European dishes, Molotov is a product of Porytko’s Ukrainian heritage. The space embodies the culture behind his upbringing and offers a combination of traditional and eclectic dishes and cocktails.

Museums & Attractions

16^th Street Mall Renovations - Built in 1982, the 40-year-old 16th Street Mall is currently undergoing a major restoration. The project will reconfigure the Mall’s layout to create wider sidewalks, a new amenity zone and center-running Free Mall Ride shuttle service. The renovation will also replace and expand the existing tree canopy, creating a refreshing green space in the center of the city. The project includes plans for interactive elements, along with new collections of site furnishings to help encourage more people to engage in a fun and vibrant environment along Denver’s revitalized signature 16th Street Mall. Project completion is set for 2024 and more information can be found on the project website’s Current Project Activities page. Note: Although the mall is being revitalized, it's remaining open for business during construction.

Denver Center for the Performing Arts/Denver Performing Arts Complex – The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) boasts an impressive calendar of performances and events in 2023, including Beetlejuice, Annie, Wicked and numerous other titles. For more DCPA events, visit https://www.denver.org/things-to-do/arts-culture/performing-arts/.

Meow Wolf Denver – Opened in 2021, Meow Wolf, the artist collective responsible for Santa Fe’s immersive art exhibit, the House of Eternal Return, added a permanent installation in Denver. The Denver venue features the work of 110 Colorado-based artists on four floors of colorful rooms, as well as a 450-person capacity music venue, café and retail space. New happenings at Meow Wolf Denver’s Convergence Station include Adulti-Verse events for 21+ visitors and an array of concerts and events throughout the year.

The New National Western Center – Renovations at the Denver Coliseum will result in a 246-acre campus to preserve the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo as Denver’s largest event for the next 100 years and add state-of-the-art spaces to hold concerts and festivals, farmers’ markets, sporting events, trade shows and conventions, as well as office space, business incubators, classes, public art, cultural events, family activities, shops and more. More than 2.2 million square feet of indoor and outdoor space is being developed, including 20 acres of public plazas and flexible stockyards.

Denver Art Museum – The Denver Art Museum (DAM) completed an extensive renovation project and revealed new permanent collection galleries in its Frederic C. Hamilton Building on May 14, 2023. The completed project resulted in the museum’s African Arts, Modern and Contemporary Art and Arts of Oceania collections on display to the public for the first time since construction kicked off in 2016. Reinstallation of the Hamilton Building contributes to the DAM’s mission to represent a broad array of art in an inclusive and thought-provoking environment. DAM will welcome Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak, for the 2024/25 holiday season. One of the most versatile artists of the 20th century, Maurice Sendak is best known for award-winning titles Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There and Nutshell Library. He also designed theater sets and collaborated on films. Wild Things will open at the DAM Oct. 13, 2024 and will be on view through Feb. 17, 2025, in the museum’s Hamilton Building. In summer 2024, DAM will present Biophilia: Nature Reimagined, a multisensory exhibition that brings together more than 70 imaginative works, including architectural models and photographs, objects, fashion, digital installations and immersive art experiences that collectively highlight the transformative power of nature. Featuring works by an international roster of designers and artists including Iris van Herpen, Studio Gang, teamLab, Joris Laarman and DRIFT, among others, Biophilia will be on view from May 5 through August 11, 2024, in the museum’s Anschutz and Martin & McCormick galleries on level 2 of the Hamilton Building and is included in general admission.

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA) – The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Denver now offers a viewing experience for color blind visitors. After acquiring Technicolor-inspired glasses made by EnChroma, MCA Denver became one of the first museums to offer an experience in color to those who are used to seeing art in black and white. MCA Denver also recently acquired the Holiday Theater, located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood at 2644 W 32nd Ave. The space is open for programming including panels, performances and more to uplift the creative community and further contribute to the museum’s mission in advancing contemporary art.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) unveiled the new Infinity Theater early 2023, featuring improved audio and visual accessibilities, including a hearing induction loop, updated closed captioning, new programming and both 2D and 3D capabilities. The space can be used for a variety of purposes, including conferences, private events, performances on stage and infinite possibilities to showcase movies, films, videogames, concerts, live streaming and much more.

History Colorado Center – History Colorado Center opened its new permanent exhibit, The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever in November 2022. The exhibition tells the tragic history of the U.S. Army attack on a camp of mostly women, children, and elders at Big Sandy Creek in southeastern Colorado. The soldiers murdered more than 230 peaceful people, marking the deadliest day in Colorado history. The story is told from the perspectives of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal representatives, drawn from oral histories that have been passed down for generations.

Museum of Illusions – New to the 16th Street Mall is the Museum of Illusions. With plans to open in the fall of 2023, the space offers an intriguing visual, sensory and educational experience with illusions ranging from tried-and-true classics to the never-before seen. Guests will enjoy more than 80 visual and educational exhibits featuring holograms, stereograms, optical illusions and immersive rooms that are designed to tease the senses and trick the mind.

Meetings and Conventions

The Colorado Convention Center expansion is scheduled for completion in late 2023. New features will include 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and ballroom space, plus 35,000 square feet of pre-function space and a jaw-dropping 20,000-square- foot outdoor terrace, all of which will be located on the roof of the existing building.

Transportation News

Ranked in the top 10 busiest airports in the world, DEN is Colorado’s largest economic engine, bringing in $33 billion annually.

Announced in August 2023, Aer Lingus will begin flying direct from Denver International Airport to Dublin four times a week starting May 17, 2024.

The new gates at DEN bring the total number of gates at the airport to 156. The C-East expansion is the second of four expansion areas, including a newly constructed outdoor deck that provides prairie views with a pet relief area, outdoor seating and firepits. A similar space exists in the A-West expansion area.

With 9,750 average daily active bus stops, RTD maintains the largest fleet of electric buses in the nation (26) to service the 16th Street Mall.

The Winter Park Express Ski Train returns for the 2024 season with service starting the weekend of Jan. 12-14 through the weekend of March 29-31, taking travelers from Denver to Winter Park every weekend for a $34 one-way ticket. The ski train – which runs from Denver Union Station in the heart of downtown right to the base of the ski slopes – is the perfect way to make Denver the basecamp for experiencing Winter Park Resort’s many seasonal activities, from skiing and snowboarding to snowshoeing, tubing and more.

Sustainability

Denver International Airport (DEN) remains dedicated to energy efficiency and the environment. Programs like the Environmental Management System, wastewater reduction, airport solar program, single-stream recycling and a partnership with the Colorado Green Business Network support the airport’s goals to reduce its impact on the environment.

The RTD A Line offers a “green” way to travel to and from the airport.

Colorado Convention Center (CCC)’s commitment to sustainability include the Waste Management Program, Energy and Water Conservation efforts, Air Quality policies and sustainable catering with the goal to make all events held in the space sustainable. The CCC has been a LEED Existing Building at Operations and Maintenance Level GOLD since 2010.

Through the months of July and August 2023, RTD is offering zero fares across its system as part of the Zero Fare for Better Air initiative. This collaborative, statewide initiative, made possible by Colorado Senate Bill 22-180, in partnership with the Colorado Energy Office, was designed to reduce ground-level ozone by increasing the use of public transit. Current RTD customers benefit as they did not have to use or purchase fare products during Colorado’s high ozone season.  