At the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, guests can stay in the same quarters that President Teddy Roosevelt did during his visits out West. In fact, Hotel Colorado was once considered the “White House of the West” because President Roosevelt brought out his staff to stay for a three-week hunting trip.
According to Larry MacDonald, the hotel’s general manager, historians believe the original Teddy Bear was created at Hotel Colorado during Roosevelt’s 1905 visit. The housekeeping staff presented the president with a stuffed bear made of scraps and fine materials after he had an unsuccessful day hunting bears. His daughter Alice nicknamed it “Teddy” after her father.
Ahead of Presidents Day and the long weekend, we thought it would be fun to take a peek into the presidential suites at popular Colorado hotels. Today, of course, the definition of “presidential suite” is less literal; it usually means the accommodations are the best in the house, fit for a commander-in-chief. But at some of these hotels, presidents have, indeed, checked in.
In addition to the Roosevelt Suite (nightly rates start at $429), Hotel Colorado showcases its presidential history with photos of the Roosevelts’ visit displayed in the grand lobby. Teddy Bears are also sold at the gift shop, including bears outfitted in uniforms that resemble the one President Roosevelt wore when he served in the Spanish-American War.
And any discussion of swanky places to stay must include The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star resort, which has several opulent suites in its inventory and has been a destination for several presidents, including Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. and George W. Bush.
Here’s a look at six more presidential suites that loom large in Colorado’s hotels.
The Brown Palace
Theodore Roosevelt also visited The Brown Palace in 1905, and the hotel has hosted nearly every U.S. president since.
The historic hotel in downtown has a few presidential suite offerings, including the Reagan Suite (a nod to Ronald, who stayed at the hotel during a 1981 visit to Denver), as well as the stately Roosevelt Suite.
The Eisenhower Suite is a tribute to Dwight D., who checked into the accommodations during the summer of 1955. (First Lady Mamie Eisenhower grew up in Denver.) Hotel historian Debra Faulkner said that his family stayed at the hotel so frequently that The Brown was also considered a Western White House.
“Ike loved to play golf, and he sometimes practiced his swing in the large living room of The Brown’s presidential suite,” Faulkner said. “On one occasion, a slight miscalculation resulted in his golf ball slamming into the fireplace mantel, leaving quite an impression.”
When the Eisenhower Suite was created in that same space in 2000, the hotel replaced the damaged mantel with a new one, but so many people were familiar with the story of the golf ball goof that designers chose to preserve the piece of mantel with its imperfection in a shadowbox, along with the story behind it.
The Brown also served as Eisenhower’s 1952 campaign headquarters when he ran for president, she says. A tribute wall added to the suite in 2021 showcases letters, photos and mementos from the 34th president.
Starting nightly rate in the presidential suites is $1,600; 321 17th St., Denver; marriott.com. Public tours are available every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1 pm. The tour is $15 for overnight hotel guests or $25 for the general public.
Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver
The Hyatt Centric can’t confirm whether President Joe Biden has stayed at the hotel before, but members of his Secret Service team did back in November 2023 when the president visited Colorado as part of the Investing in America tour.
The 1,000-square-foot presidential suite has a private rooftop terrace to show off mountain and city views and it’s the only room on the hotel’s sprawling 15th floor.
The presidential suite is typically reserved for c-suite executives and VIP visitors coming to the Mile High City. It’s so exclusive that you won’t find it on the hotel’s website. It’s more of an “if you know, you know” type of booking, and you have to call the hotel concierge directly to book the suite.
Starting nightly rate is $799; 1776 Champa St., Denver; hyatt.com.
Four Seasons Hotel Denver
A likely contender for the most expensive stay in the Mile High City, the top-floor, three-bedroom presidential suite at Four Seasons Hotel Denver comes with views of the Rockies, and is furnished with local art, a Shabui stone fireplace, marble bathrooms, plus a private fitness studio. The suite’s piano is a nice touch, too, and the floor-to-ceiling windows make for dramatic sunset viewing.
Starting nightly rate is $13,000; 1111 14th St., Denver; fourseasons.com/denver
The Oxford Hotel
The Oxford Hotel, which made its grand debut in 1891 in LoDo, is Denver’s oldest hotel that’s still in operation. Here, guests can duck into The Cruise Room, a red-lit iconic martini bar that first opened on the day Prohibition ended in 1933. (Go ahead and toast to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president whose proclamation declared the end of Prohibition).
The Oxford’s presidential suite is a Victorian-inspired space with a clawfoot soaking tub and two decorative fireplaces. In addition to hosting Teddy Roosevelt and Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Oxford’s famed guests have included the Dalai Lama, baseball player Cal Ripken Jr., and actors Kevin Costner and Robert Redford.
Starting nightly rate is $599; 1600 17th St, Denver; theoxfordhotel.com
Halcyon, a Hotel in Cherry Creek
Many famous people have stayed at the Halcyon’s one-bedroom presidential suite, but the hotel is tight-lipped about its VIP guestbook. This modern 1,300-square-foot suite was designed by Restoration Hardware and is outfitted with a Peloton bike, an oversized soaking tub and a large terrace to show off views of Denver’s skyline.
Starting nightly rate is $1,500; 245 Columbine St, Denver; halcyonhotelcherrycreek.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
One of the most luxurious stays in Denver is at The Ritz-Carlton, where the discreet, 2,605-square-foot presidential suite is equipped with its own private gym. Chefs from Elways will also come to the suite to prepare private dinners, and guests can order in-room massages. Newly renovated, the suite features an oversized tub with views of the Denver skyline and the option to convert the space into two or three bedrooms. (The hotel’s privacy policy doesn’t let staffers reveal if any presidents have stayed there before.)
Starting nightly rate is $5,000; 1881 Curtis St., Denver; ritzcarlton.com.
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