Halcyon, a Hotel In Cherry Creek

Worth getting out of bed for

Head to the hotel’s gear room and borrow a bike to cycle down Cherry Creek – there’s even a tandem option if you’re feeling particularly romantic. (You can also borrow a Leica camera, a giant paddle skateboard, basket balls, a scrabble board and more vinyl for your room.) Your stay comes with a day pass, so lose time in Denver Botanic Gardens – in nearby Cheesman Park – as you wander past spiky cacti, bright shrubbery and enormous tropical flowers. In addition to the artistic floral displays, there’s a rotating cast of temporary collections too; past exhibits have included Deborah Butterfield’s minimalist equine pieces and eye-catching Alexander Calder sculptures. If you’re in the mood for a spot of shopping, there’s a massive mall just two blocks away from the hotel, and a number of outdoorsy boutiques across the street and around the corner from the hotel.

Denver’s also a gateway to the nearby Rocky Mountains. At Dinosaur Ridge, just 23 miles from city center, you can spy Jurassic bones and Cretaceous footprints; download a self-guided tour before you go so you don’t miss the Stegosaurus site. In the summer, catch a concert at world-famous Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, anaturally-formed setting that’s hosted everyone from the Beatles to U2. It’s open year-round for hiking – you’ll find trail loops of varying lengths – but unless you have a ticket, you won’t be able to check out the amphitheatre itself on concert days. Don your daypacks – the hotel and its gear room can help out here – and head out early in the morning for a hike in spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park. Relaxed-as-can-be Boulder, nestled in the foothills, is an easy 30-minute drive north of Denver; hiking trails start from the edge of town, and central Pearl Street is lined with restaurants, hip cafés and all manner of outdoor-enthusiast shops

Local restaurants

It may look like a clapboard house on the outside, but inside Cuba Cuba you’ll find seriously tasty authentic Cuban fare. For the main event, order pan-seared fish topped with spicy mango and pineapple, market-fresh paella, or a classic Cubano sandwich, with roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese. Sip on mint-muddled mojitos and snack on a side of plantains tossed in garlic mojo while you wait for your meal. Laidback, pub-style Cherry Cricket is just around the corner from the hotel; order locally sourced bison burgers, micro-brews and crispy mac-and-cheese bites. At upscale eatery Mercantile and Provision, seasonal, elevated comfort food is served tapas-style; order shishito peppers in a sesame-caramel marinade, house-made fennel sausage, and Creekstone Farms short rib with grits and fried green tomatoes. Tacos Tequila Whiskey does what it says on the sign; order tacos stuffed with citrus-marinated skirt steak, crispy roasted pork carnitas and grilled shitaki mushrooms with cotija cheese.

Local cafés

At Denver Biscuit Co, you’ll find southern comfort food; order flakey, buttermilk-biscuit-based sandwiches stuffed with fried chicken or pulled pork, or biscuit platters with scrambled eggs and streaky bacon. Order breakfast food all-day long at hip Vert Kitchen; choose from bircher mueslis, seasonal frittatas, and béchamel-covered croque madames. Indulge your sweet tooth with a stacked cone at Milkbox Ice Cream inside Union Station; this is Colorado, so there’s no shortage of coconut-based vegan options, too. We like their boozy shakes, particularly the rum-based coconut and almond-fudge Dignitary.