The Crawford Hotel at Denver Union Station shows the length of brand development and execution that Sage has spearheaded for years. Coining the historic building as “Denver’s Living Room” was step one in a detailed and exciting process, revitalizing a landmark and creating one of Denver’s top-rated hotels.
Denver Union Station was a quiet office building and the Lower Downtown side of Denver had become defunct. The City of Denver and RTD chose the Union Station Alliance, comprised of Sage Hospitality Group, Urban Neighborhoods, McWhinney, REGen, LLC and Larimer Associates to revitalize the building and kick off what eventually has become the city’s heartbeat, a massive transportation hub and a new destination known as Union Station Neighborhood.
Through scores of surveys, town halls, research and experience the Union Station Alliance team knew that this public/private partnership had to be a place for everyone. Prior to interior design and leasing, the team worked with a brand agency to determine the core messaging and pillars that Union Station would rest on. By declaring the building Denver’s Living Room, curating art from only local artists and committing to leasing to Colorado-grown restaurants and retailers only, Denver Union Station’s core messaging still drives the building’s purpose and promise today.
A true independent Colorado hotel, The Crawford exemplified modern luxury while paying homage to its train station and western roots in a subtle and tasteful way. The Crawford offers three distinct room types; Pullman, Classic and Loft, each an experience in itself. The hotel’s art was curated completely from local artists by Sage partner Nine dot Arts. Pictured below, a Loft room. Lofts were carved from Union Station’s quiet attic, leaving the original structure beams, brick and history for guests to experience firsthand.
A Loft room at The Crawford Hotel at Denver Union Station
Interesting fact: When the original numbers were run for The Crawford Hotel filling the wings of Denver Union Station which used to house office space, the 80-something rooms that would fit would not create a sustainable cash flow for the hotel to provide returns.
The development team identified space between the high ceilings of the original first and second floors where an additional floor was added, bringing the room count to 112 and creating the Pullman room floors, the most popular room type for guests.
Denver Union Station’s $54 million renovation has been called the example of how historic buildings should be revitalized, inspiring others like Kansas City and D.C. to mimic some of the team’s efforts. Sage Hospitality Group is no stranger to successful building renovations, we applied our passion for placemaking, experiential hospitality and our ability to think like an owner to balance out the vision for this new destination in Denver. Since its opening, The Crawford has overperformed in revenue and occupancy and continues to regain strength after the COVID-19 shut down.
