This is Part 1 of a two-part final update on the 16th & Wewatta Hotel/Office project next to Denver Union Station. Today we focus on the Hotel Born, a new 200-room Kimpton hotel that opened a couple of weeks ago. In Part 2, Ryan will take a look at the hotel’s companion office building—1881 16th Street—which opened earlier this summer. Our announcement post on this development was back in March 2014, followed by numerous updates.

The Hotel Born anchors what was known during the Union Station planning era as the “A” Block, an L-shaped parcel that wraps around the end of the Union Station commuter rail platforms and includes the 21-story Platform apartment tower in addition to 1881 16th. The Hotel Born is the last building to be completed at the corner of 16th and Wewatta and shares the intersection with 1900 16th Street, the Triangle Building, and 1601 Wewatta.

We have a lot of photos for you today, so let’s get started with these views from across the intersection of 16th and Wewatta:

Hotel Born, looking southeast up 16th Street

Looking northwest from near 16th and Wynkoop:

Hotel Born from near 16th and Wynkoop

The view of the Wewatta side of the hotel and the porte cochère entry:

Hotel Born from near 17th and Wewatta

The final side of the Hotel Born faces the Union Station “train hall” area under the white canopy:

Hotel Born from the Union Station train hall
Hotel Born from the Union Station train hall

The Hotel Born has an attractive sidewalk presence on all four sides of the 12-story structure. Here we see restaurant patio seating for Citizen Rail along the 16th Street Mall and pedestrians crossing the porte cochère entry along Wewatta. The project architect, Semple Brown Design, incorporated beautiful polished wood on soffits and other building elements throughout, complementing the dark brick exterior.

Hotel Born pedestrian frontage along 16th Street

A pedestrian passage separates the Hotel Born from its adjacent office building and provides a direct walking path from Union Station’s platforms to the 16th Street Mall. The L-shaped porte cochère passes under the second level with egress to 16th Street.

Pedestrian passage between the Hotel Born and 1881 16th

In addition to a pedestrian entry on 16th, a second entry via the porte cochère provides access from the transit platforms. The Tavernetta restaurant overlooks Union Station’s signature white canopy.

Hotel Born pedestrian access via the porte cochère
Tavernetta restaurant overlooks the Union Station platforms

Landscaping and public art enhance the pedestrian spaces around the hotel. Dig Studio did the landscape and public realm design.

Landscaped pedestrian areas around Hotel Born
Public art at the Hotel Born

Let’s wrap up this post with one final photo of the Hotel Born—an excellent addition to Downtown Denver’s Union Station district!

Stay tuned for Part 2 and our final look at the Hotel Born’s sister building, 1881 16th Street.