Anyone looking to book a room at one of the best hotels in the country might want to consider a stay in Denver.
This week, Esquire unveiled its list of the best new hotels in the world, which reporters and editors culled “the old-fashioned way,” they wrote – by visiting a slew of new properties in person over the last year.
Denver’s nature-inspired Populus Hotel, which opened last October, was not only the sole local spot on the list but also earned the title of “hotel of the year” for 2025. Rising 13 stories into the skyline, the Populus is immediately noticeable for its white exterior covered in oblong windows, designed to mimic the eyes of aspen trees. In fact, its namesake is the scientific term for aspens, Populus tremuloides.
Esquire’s Jeff Gordinier gushed about the aesthetic, from the exterior with its arched windows designed to deter birds from flying into the glass to the sheets of reishi mushroom leather decorating the in-house bar, Pasque. The Rocky Mountains vistas from the rooftop bar, Stellar Jay, aren’t bad either, he wrote.
The mission behind the Populus also resonated. The property was designed to be the country’s first “carbon positive” hotel, meaning it aims to make a positive environmental impact. It does so with amenities like a biodigester that turns food scraps into compost, using only renewable energy resources, and planting trees for each night a guest stays there, The Denver Post previously reported.
“Traditionally, hotels are pretty bad for the environment, but every gesture at this curvy, revolutionary property has been created with the idea of honoring nature. That spirit happens to lead to a beautiful and restorative experience,” Esquire said.
The Populus Hotel topped the publication’s list of 42 hotels across the globe; you can take a virtual tour of it below. If you’re looking for an escape from Denver, see where else in the world Esquire recommends you should stay here.
The Aspen tree inspired exterior of the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Grand staircase in the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Bar area in the Pasque restaurant inside the Populus Hotel features sheets of mushroom leather as decor. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)Special dots on the windows of the new Populus Hotel to prevent birds from crashing into the windows. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)Rooftop view from the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) A view of the City and County Building from the Stellar Jay rooftop restaurant at new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) The Populus Hotel in Denver features 265 rooms. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)A view of the City and County Building from the Stellar Jay rooftop restaurant at new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Spliced wood displayed in a waiting area at new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Chef de Cuisine, Efe Taslik, right, and sous chef Blaise Colamarino, left, prepare for a meal service at the Stellar Jay restaurant on the rooftop of the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Bathroom in a room at the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Show Caption1 of 12The Aspen tree inspired exterior of the new Populus Hotel in downtown Denver Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Expand Read More Details
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