Located in a vibrant community of retailers, chefs, creators and cocktail crafters in Denver, The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block is leveraging its surroundings to bring life back after a challenging year.
Opening in 2017 in the Dairy Block "micro-district" of Lower Downtown Denver, the 172-room boutique hotel, The Maven, is adjacent to a mix demand generators, proving to be beneficial for all types of travelers.
To cater to this demand, the hotel has launched several new packages and in-room amenities to boost incidental revenue, while also supporting local businesses, said Area General Manager Tiffany Owen.
The Maven is owned by real estate investment and development company McWhinney and is operated by Sage Hospitality.
As part of an HNN series focused on hotel general managers, Owen details the types of business her hotel has on the books ahead, the success it had from one of its biggest demand-generating events this summer and more.
To start off, tell us a bit about Dairy Block’s history, how it’s evolved and how The Maven fits in, creating a micro-district for both locals and overnight guests.
The Maven anchors Dairy Block, Denver’s hottest new micro-district that features Denver’s first activated Alley. Developed by McWhinney, Sage Hospitality Group and Grand American, Inc., Dairy Block is a mixed-used redevelopment of the historic LoDo block that once housed Denver’s Windsor Dairy. Today, Dairy Block celebrates ... a vibrant community of inspired retailers, chefs, creators and cocktail crafters. It has become one of downtown Denver’s top destinations for shopping, drinking, dining — and of course overnight stays at The Maven.
Describe what the hotel scene is like in the area in terms of competition. Is The Maven one of few lodging accommodations there?
The Maven is located in the heart of downtown Denver’s popular LoDo neighborhood, which offers a wide variety of urban attractions and activities, including Coors Field, Larimer Square and Denver Union Station. The neighborhood features a mix of lodging options, everything from small boutique properties to large branded hotels.
How has management company Sage Hospitality elevated the hotel as an independent, boutique hotel that visitors are seeking on their travels along with sister properties Oxford Hotel and Crawford Hotel? What’s that relationship like with the sister properties, is there any collaboration?
Sage Hospitality is dedicated to creating places that people want to go to, not through. And our independent properties are at the heart of that mission. Sage Hospitality recently opened another independent hotel, The Rally, across the street from The Maven. The two properties share a sales and management staff and work closely to cross-promote and cross-sell.
Guests at The Maven can enjoy a 10% discount on all spa and salon services at The Oxford’s spa, and we definitely encourage all guests to take advantage of the extensive local transit options available from nearby Denver Union Station, including direct rail access to/from Denver International Airport.
The Maven and Dairy Block are also widely recognized as a Denver art destination. The hotel heavily promotes its 750-plus pieces of original art created by emerging and established Colorado artists, including Andrew Ramiro Tirado, Mario Zoots, Molly Bounds and Diego Rodriguez-Warner. Dairy Block and The Maven host First Friday Art Walks and pop-up art galleries to help support local artists and makers.
Tell us a bit about the business mix the hotel is seeing as demand returns as well as the demand drivers within close proximity to the hotel. Are there best practices your team has implemented for marketing to those specific travelers?
The Maven has definitely seen increased demand from leisure travelers as the United States starts to recover from the pandemic. In July, Denver hosted an influx of out-of-town baseball fans for the MLB All-Star Game, a multi-day event taking place just one block from the hotel at Coors Field. With The Maven’s prime location, the All-Star week provided a big boost in both leisure demand and corporate sponsor stays. Our Windsor meeting space was completely booked for 14 days, with a VIP event tied to the MLB All-Star festivities.
The Maven is seeing strong demand for weddings and social events for 2021, along with the slow return of business travel.
To cater to the increase in leisure travel, earlier this year The Maven launched several new evergreen package offerings, including a Denver Date Night offer and a Pedis & Prosecco getaway. We also launched several new in-room amenities targeting vacationers, including specials on champagne, artisan chocolates and a rose petal welcome, which have helped to boost incidental revenue, while also supporting other local businesses.
Are there any new or existing notable partnerships the hotel has with local businesses? How have those helped during the pandemic?
The Maven and Dairy Block have worked hard to continue to host a robust schedule of community events during the pandemic, including an ongoing market series, two family-friendly festivals, couples dance classes and outdoor concerts in our activated Alley.
In response to the pandemic, we partnered with several Dairy Block retailers and restaurants to create new guest experiences, including an in-room wine tasting with Blanchard Family Wines that features a custom video tasting experience and a romance amenity featuring Pickletown Flower Co. and Temper Chocolates.
Touch a bit on the hotel's on-property amenities, ranging from food and beverage to retail.
Dairy Block is home to dozens of restaurants, bars and shops, including Blanchard Family Wines; Seven Grand; Foraged; and Denver Milk Market, the 16-concept food hall by Chef Frank Bonanno. The Maven’s lobby is home to local food outlets Huckleberry Roasters, Kachina Cantina and Poka Lola Social Club.
Dairy Block also boasts an eclectic mix of shops, including local boutiques.
Guests can enjoy exclusive access to Dairy Block’s 4,500-plus square-foot fitness center, along with discounts on relaxing treatments the nearby Oxford Club, Spa & Salon. Other perks include a complimentary house margarita, glass of wine or craft beer from the Airstream trailer in the Maven lobby from 4 to 7 p.m. daily and one complimentary cup of Huckleberry’s house drip coffee each day.