SpringHill Suites® By Marriott Denver Downtown At Metro State: Beauty, Form And Efficiency
Located close to Interstate 25, the Pepsi Center, and historic Larimer Square, SpringHill Suites® by Marriott is a stylish and eco-friendly place for travelers to enjoy while visiting the "Mile-High City." In a unique partnership, the property is owned by the Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) and managed by Sage Hospitality.
Having opened in 2012, SpringHill Suites® is already earning accolades from the public, with a current TripAdvisor ranking of #14 out of 152 hotels in Denver. The property also has the distinction of earning LEED® Gold status for New Construction (no easy task), making it only the second such hotel in Denver so designated and one of 11 in the United States.
The non-profit Green Building Council (USGBC) uses a points system for awarding Gold status in categories such as sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. According to Walter Isenberg, president and CEO of Sage Hospitality, "This property gives both business and leisure guests an amazing green lodging option in the heart of downtown Denver."
MSU and Sage Hospitality, in a public-private partnership (the first of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region), have created a Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center right on campus. Here students can not only earn a degree in the hospitality industry but also gain invaluable first-hand experience working alongside industry professionals at SpringHill Suites®.
General Manager Scott Perry says that students can "learn by doing" in disciplines such as tourism, events, and restaurant and hotel management. Some of the real-world knowledge they gain comes from working shifts at the hotel in one or all of the following areas:
- Front Desk
- Auditing
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Facilities
- Food and Beverage (at the on-site restaurant Degree)
Perry says that approximately 70% percent of the students are from the Denver area, and most end up staying and working in some aspect of the city's thriving hospitality industry.
For the emerging market of next-generation travelers, the brand offers an affordable and eco-friendly visit, fusing form and function along with modern décor and comfortable furnishings. This includes an abundance of natural lighting with grand views of Denver's skyline, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds that release toxins) paints and flooring, full recycling, and natural cleaning products used by the housekeeping staff.
The 150 guest suites feature clean lines with a bright, airy feel, comfortable bedding, flexible workspaces, separate seating areas with pull-out sofa beds, microwaves, mini-fridges, and modern bathroom fixtures.
A full, hot breakfast is complimentary, as is wireless internet and shuttle service to nearby attractions.
The on-site restaurant, Degree Metropolitan Food + Drink, is quickly drawing attention for the culinary mastery of its executive chef, Daniel Hyman.
Having gained experience in the competitive Chicago area restaurant scene, Hyman creates his own version of "comfort food with a twist." Using a variety of his own cooking techniques, locally-sourced ingredients, and a flair for creativity, he is wowing food lovers with entrées such as his Colorado chicken club, Tokusen ramen bowl, and "Board of Directors," which is a selection of Colorado sausages, house pickles, homemade stone-ground mustard, apple brandy paté, and grilled crostini.
Travelers today have a wide variety of choices when visiting cities like Denver. They look for things such as affordability, friendly staff, cleanliness, and visually pleasing décor, as well as comfortable rooms and environmental consciousness. Most will be pleasantly surprised to find all of this and more at SpringHill Suites® Denver Downtown at MSU.