Denver Hotel Prices 2026: Average Costs & Booking Tips

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Denver hotel prices in 2026 vary widely by travel date, neighborhood, hotel class, room type, events, and cancellation terms. The strongest official full-year benchmark is VISIT DENVER’s 2025 average daily rate of $180.82 for Denver City & County and $207.74 downtown. A separate recent Engine dataset of 2.7 million public hotel-rate observations reports an average advertised rate of $166 per night across searches collected from May 2024 through April 2026. Use these figures as planning benchmarks, then compare live totals for your exact dates before booking.

Quick Answer

The latest full-year VISIT DENVER data shows a 2025 average daily hotel rate of $180.82 for Denver City & County and $207.74 downtown. Recent Engine public-rate data provides another benchmark of $166 per night across 2.7 million observed rates collected from May 2024 through April 2026. Actual 2026 prices can be higher or lower. Inside Denver, allow for the 10.75% city lodger’s tax; hotels with 50 or more rooms are also subject to a 1% Denver Tourism Improvement District tax. Check the final total, parking, cancellation terms, and optional extras before booking.

Key Takeaways

  • The latest completed Denver lodging statistics show a 2025 ADR of $180.82 citywide and $207.74 downtown.
  • Engine’s recent Denver dataset reports a $166 average across 2.7 million public-rate observations collected from May 2024 through April 2026; this measures advertised search rates, not the official ADR.
  • ADR is an industry benchmark, not a promise that you will find a room at that exact price.
  • There is no dependable universal rule that one weekday is always cheapest or that booking exactly 84 days ahead saves the most.
  • Denver imposes a 10.75% city lodger’s tax on taxable lodging. Hotels with 50 or more rooms are also subject to a 1% Denver Tourism Improvement District tax.
  • Since May 12, 2025, federal rules generally require mandatory short-term lodging fees to be included in the displayed total price, although government taxes and genuinely optional extras can still be shown separately.
  • Your neighborhood can change both room costs and transportation expenses, especially if you need downtown parking or frequent rides.

Fact checked & updated: September 7, 2026.

How Much Do Denver Hotels Cost in 2026?

denver hotel price overview

If you want a trustworthy Denver hotel-cost benchmark, start with the most recent completed annual market data and then compare it with recent public-rate data. VISIT DENVER’s lodging statistics report the following 2025 average daily rates:

Denver hotel market 2025 average daily rate
Downtown Denver $207.74
Denver City & County $180.82
Denver Metro $150.89

Denver City & County’s official 2025 lodging statistics show an average daily rate of $180.82, while downtown averaged $207.74.

An average daily rate (ADR) is a hotel-industry performance measure based on room revenue and rooms sold. It is useful for understanding the market, but it is not the same as the rate you will see for a particular room. A live booking price can be higher or lower because of events, season, room type, cancellation policy, length of stay, occupancy, and current inventory.

What Do Recent Public Hotel Rates Show?

A separate Engine analysis of Denver hotel prices reports an average of $166 per night across 2.7 million public-rate observations collected from May 2024 through April 2026. Engine says these were the cheapest publicly available rates seen during searches by business accounts, not negotiated rates and not prices ultimately booked.

Its month-level data ranges from $121 per night in January and December to $221 in June. Those figures are useful for understanding seasonality, but they pool observations across the study period. They should not be treated as guaranteed prices for a specific month in calendar-year 2026.

How to read the numbers: VISIT DENVER’s ADR measures hotel market performance from rooms actually sold. Engine’s figure measures advertised public rates observed in searches. Your live booking quote is the price available for your exact hotel, dates, room and terms. These measures answer different questions, so they should not be expected to match.

If you are comparing hotel classes, you can also review these detailed guides to 3-star stays in Denver and 4-star hotels in Denver. Always recheck current prices for your actual dates instead of treating an average as a guaranteed rate.

What Would 1, 3, or 7 Nights Cost at the Official ADR?

The examples below simply multiply the official 2025 ADR by the number of nights. They are room-subtotal planning examples, not booking quotes, and they do not include taxes, parking, optional services, or rate changes.

Stay length Denver City & County at $180.82 Downtown at $207.74
1 night $180.82 $207.74
3 nights $542.46 $623.22
7 nights $1,265.74 $1,454.18

GSA Lodging Benchmark for Trips Through September 30, 2026

The U.S. General Services Administration’s FY2026 per diem schedule sets Denver/Aurora federal lodging limits at $165 for November through March and $215 for October and April through September.

Important date note: FY2026 runs through September 30, 2026. If your Denver stay is in October, November, or December 2026, use the FY2027 GSA per diem schedule, which GSA has now published. GSA rates are reimbursement ceilings for eligible federal travel, not average consumer hotel prices.

When to Score the Best Hotel Deals in Denver

There is no universal Denver rule saying one weekday is always cheapest or one month always costs the least. Hotel pricing is dynamic, and rates can move when conferences, sports, concerts, holidays, school breaks, or large city events increase demand.

Different hotel-price websites can also produce different “cheapest month” or “cheapest weekday” answers without either dataset necessarily being wrong. The result depends on the hotels sampled, dates searched, booking lead time, guest profile, rate type, and whether the source is measuring sold-room ADR, an advertised average, a median listing price, or the cheapest public rate found during a search.

The better strategy is to compare your exact trip across several date combinations. If you can move your stay by one or two nights, search those alternatives before paying. Check the official VISIT DENVER events calendar too. A major event near downtown can change room availability and rates even when the surrounding week looks inexpensive.

The FY2026 GSA schedule provides one useful seasonal clue for travel through September 30, 2026: its Denver/Aurora lodging limit is lower from November through March than during October and April through September. Engine’s public-rate dataset also shows meaningful monthly variation. Neither dataset proves that one month will always be cheapest for every leisure traveler, but both show why the stay date matters.

Pro Tip: Search the same Denver hotel for your preferred dates plus one day earlier and one day later. Then compare the final rate, cancellation policy, parking, and included benefits rather than choosing from the headline nightly price alone.

Should You Wait for a Last-Minute Deal?

Last-minute discounts can appear when a hotel still has unsold rooms, but they are not guaranteed. Waiting can leave you with fewer neighborhoods, room types, bed choices, and refundable options. This is especially risky when your stay overlaps a convention, concert, sports weekend, graduation, or holiday.

If your trip is fixed, a practical approach is to reserve a reasonably priced refundable room and periodically recheck the same hotel. If a better refundable rate appears, review the original cancellation deadline before changing the reservation.

How to Book Hotels in Denver for the Best Rates

Start by searching your exact dates, then compare the same room or an equivalent room across the hotel’s website and reputable booking services. Look beyond the first number you see. Breakfast, parking, cancellation rules, bed type, room size, loyalty benefits, and optional add-ons can change which offer is actually better.

Timing Your Booking

There is no dependable rule that Denver hotels should always be booked exactly 84 days before arrival. A better process is:

  1. Start watching rates once your dates become likely. This gives you a baseline and helps you recognize whether a later price is actually better.
  2. Book earlier when your trip depends on a specific hotel or neighborhood. Waiting matters more when your alternatives are limited.
  3. Consider a refundable rate. It can give you room to recheck prices while protecting your accommodation.
  4. Check the cancellation deadline before changing anything. A lower rate is not useful if canceling the original reservation creates a larger penalty.

Using Price Comparison Tools

Price comparison services such as KAYAK, Momondo, Expedia, and other travel-search tools can help you see many Denver properties quickly. Use filters for neighborhood, star rating, guest needs, breakfast, parking, pet policies, and free cancellation.

After finding a hotel you like, check the hotel’s own website as well. Compare the same room type and cancellation terms. A direct rate may include a loyalty benefit or different policy, while an online travel agency may have a lower promotional rate. Neither channel is automatically cheapest every time.

Compare the Real Stay Cost

For each hotel, add together the costs that apply to your trip:

  • Displayed mandatory room price
  • Government taxes
  • Any applicable Denver Tourism Improvement District assessment
  • Parking if you will bring a car
  • Optional breakfast or meal charges
  • Pet charges if applicable
  • Optional upgrades or add-ons
  • Transportation to the places you plan to visit

This is especially important in downtown Denver, where a higher room rate at a walkable hotel can sometimes reduce the amount you spend on a rental car, parking, rideshares, or repeated transportation.

Best Neighborhoods for Denver Hotels

Denver hotel prices depend partly on location. Instead of choosing a neighborhood only because one room looks cheaper, consider how much time and transportation the area will add to your trip.

Area Best for Main cost consideration
Downtown / LoDo First visits, business trips, restaurants, attractions, sports Rooms and parking can cost more, but you may need less local transportation.
RiNo Art, breweries, restaurants, nightlife, boutique stays Compare boutique properties with downtown hotels and check how far you will travel each day.
Cherry Creek Shopping, dining, upscale stays, walkable neighborhood trips The area includes many upscale hotels, so compare the room premium with the value of being close to the places you plan to visit.
Capitol Hill / Golden Triangle Museums, historic streets, local atmosphere Availability varies, so compare the whole central-city area instead of one block.
Airport / Gateway area Early flights, late arrivals, short airport-focused stays A lower room rate may be offset by travel time if most of your plans are downtown.

Downtown Denver and LoDo

Downtown works well for travelers who want restaurants, entertainment, business districts, sports venues, and major attractions close together. The latest VISIT DENVER data also shows why location matters: downtown’s 2025 ADR was $207.74 compared with $180.82 across Denver City & County.

Union Station can be especially convenient for travelers who do not want to rely completely on a car. The RTD A Line connects Union Station with Denver Airport Station.

Cherry Creek

Cherry Creek can work well if your trip centers on shopping, restaurants, and a walkable upscale neighborhood rather than downtown attractions. VISIT DENVER identifies Cherry Creek as one of the city’s main hotel areas. Compare its room prices with downtown options and calculate how often you would otherwise need to travel between neighborhoods.

Capitol Hill and the Golden Triangle

This part of central Denver can suit travelers who prefer historic streets, museums, civic attractions, and a more neighborhood-oriented feel while remaining close to downtown. Compare walking distance and transport routes carefully because Denver neighborhood names often cover larger areas than a visitor expects.

RiNo District

RiNo, short for River North Art District, works well for travelers interested in street art, galleries, breweries, restaurants, and creative spaces. VISIT DENVER describes RiNo as one of the city’s creative hubs, with art throughout its former industrial landscape.

Discover Unique Stays: Historic and Boutique Hotels

unique historic and boutique hotels

Denver has historic hotels, modern boutique properties, and design-focused stays that can make the hotel part of the trip. Because their room rates change constantly, compare current prices for your dates instead of relying on an old “starting at” price.

  • The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: A historic downtown hotel at 321 17th Street known for its long Denver history, dining, spa, and traditional afternoon tea.
  • The Rally Hotel: Located at McGregor Square in LoDo, making it convenient for travelers who want to stay close to downtown entertainment and Coors Field.
  • Catbird Hotel: A modern RiNo property with apartment-style and extended-stay features.
  • The Crawford Hotel: Located inside Denver Union Station, combining a historic setting with direct access to a major transportation hub.
  • Limelight Denver: A modern downtown hotel near Union Station, Ball Arena, and Coors Field.

These properties may cost more than a basic hotel on some dates, but location, design, included facilities, and transportation convenience can add value. Compare each hotel’s current offer with simpler nearby alternatives before deciding whether the premium is worthwhile for your trip.

Extra Costs to Check Before You Book

The room price is only one part of a Denver hotel budget. Taxes, hotel-specific assessments, parking, optional meals, pet charges, transportation, and upgrades can still change your total.

Denver Lodger’s Tax

Denver imposes a 10.75% city lodger’s tax on taxable lodging purchases. You can review the rule in the Denver Revised Municipal Code.

Denver Tourism Improvement District Tax

Denver also has a Tourism Improvement District. Hotels within the city limits with 50 or more rooms are subject to an additional 1% hotel and lodger’s tax. This means the 10.75% city lodger’s tax should not be treated as the only Denver-specific hotel tax that can apply to every property. Review the full government-tax breakdown for the hotel you are actually booking because other applicable government charges can also affect the final total.

What the Federal Hotel-Fee Rule Changes

The Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. For short-term lodging, businesses that display a price generally must show the total price including mandatory fees upfront.

Government taxes and genuinely optional goods or services do not always have to be included in that first displayed total, although applicable charges must be disclosed before payment. That means you should still review the final booking screen carefully.

Note: A hotel that looks slightly more expensive can still be the better value if it includes something you would otherwise pay for, such as parking, breakfast, convenient transit access, or a more flexible cancellation policy.

Parking and Transportation

If you drive or rent a car, check the hotel’s current overnight parking price before booking. If you plan to stay downtown and spend most of your time there, compare the cost of parking with the cost of using transit or occasional rides instead.

Travelers arriving through Denver International Airport can also consider how close a hotel is to an RTD A Line station. The current A Line runs between Union Station and Denver Airport Station, so location can sometimes save more than choosing the lowest room price several miles away.

Cancellation Terms

Compare refundable and nonrefundable rates carefully. A nonrefundable room may cost less upfront, but it gives you less flexibility if your plans change or the same hotel later drops its rate.

Denver Hotel Booking Checklist

Before you book, use this short checklist instead of relying on a single advertised nightly rate:

  1. Check your exact dates: Events and remaining inventory can change prices sharply.
  2. Compare nearby nights: Moving the trip by one day can change the total.
  3. Compare the same room and terms: Match bed type, guest count, cancellation policy and included extras.
  4. Review taxes and assessments: Account for Denver’s 10.75% city lodger’s tax and, where applicable, the 1% Tourism Improvement District tax.
  5. Add parking and transportation: A cheaper room can cost more overall when it requires a car, paid parking or frequent rides.
  6. Check the cancellation deadline: Know exactly when a refundable reservation becomes nonrefundable.

When Should You Book?

There is no single best number of days before arrival for every Denver hotel. If you need a particular property, room type, or neighborhood, start comparing earlier. For flexible trips, compare nearby dates and consider reserving a refundable option while you continue watching eligible rates.

What Average Nightly Rate Should You Use for Planning?

For official market context, the latest completed VISIT DENVER lodging statistics report a 2025 ADR of $180.82 for Denver City & County, $207.74 downtown, and $150.89 for the wider Denver metro market. For a separate recent advertised-rate benchmark, Engine reports a $166 average across 2.7 million public hotel-rate observations collected from May 2024 through April 2026.

These datasets measure different things, so neither should be treated as a guaranteed 2026 booking price. Search your actual travel dates to see current availability and use the benchmarks to judge whether the quote looks relatively low, typical, or high.

Sources

  1. VISIT DENVER — Lodging Statistics — Denver, downtown, and metro hotel ADR and occupancy benchmarks.
  2. Engine — Denver Hotel Price Data — public-rate observations, methodology, average Denver rate, and monthly price pattern.
  3. U.S. General Services Administration — FY2026 Denver Per Diem Rates — federal lodging-rate benchmark for Denver/Aurora through September 30, 2026.
  4. U.S. General Services Administration — Current Per Diem Rates — current lookup including FY2027 rates for travel beginning October 1, 2026.
  5. Federal Trade Commission — Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees FAQ — mandatory-fee disclosure requirements for short-term lodging.
  6. Denver Revised Municipal Code — Chapter 53 — Denver city lodger’s tax provisions.
  7. City and County of Denver — Tourism Improvement District — official description of the additional 1% assessment on Denver hotels with 50 or more rooms.
  8. VISIT DENVER — Events Calendar — current Denver event dates that can affect lodging demand.
  9. Regional Transportation District — A Line Schedule — rail connection between Union Station and Denver Airport Station.
  10. CoStar — 2025 U.S. Hotel Performance — full-year 2025 U.S. ADR benchmark.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an average trip to Colorado cost?

There is no useful single statewide trip average without knowing your trip length, starting point, transportation, hotel level, food budget, and activities. Build a budget by pricing airfare or driving, lodging, local transportation, meals, and planned attractions for your exact dates.

What is the average cost of a hotel per night in the US?

CoStar reported a U.S. hotel average daily rate of $160.54 for full-year 2025. Individual hotel prices can be much lower or higher depending on the destination, season, hotel class, events, and exact travel dates.

Is downtown Denver worth the higher hotel cost?

Downtown can be worth paying more if you value walkability, restaurants, sports venues, business access, Union Station, and reduced local transportation. If you plan to drive to places outside central Denver each day, another neighborhood may give you better overall value.

How can you save money on a Denver hotel?

Compare nearby dates, check the official event calendar, search more than one neighborhood, compare the hotel’s direct rate with booking sites, and consider refundable reservations that allow you to recheck prices. Also compare parking, taxes, applicable assessments, breakfast, transportation, and cancellation rules before deciding which room is cheapest overall.

Do Denver hotel prices change during events?

Yes. Conferences, concerts, sports events, festivals, graduations, and holiday weekends can increase demand and reduce available rooms. Check Denver’s event calendar while comparing hotel dates so you can spot possible demand spikes before booking.

Is there a cheapest day of the week for Denver hotels?

Not reliably across every hotel or dataset. Booking sites may identify a cheapest weekday within their own recent searches, but the pattern can change with business travel, events, season, inventory, hotel sample, and booking lead time. Search your preferred dates plus nearby nights instead of assuming one weekday will always be cheapest.

How much tax do Denver hotels charge?

Denver imposes a 10.75% city lodger’s tax on taxable lodging. Hotels within the city with 50 or more rooms are also subject to a 1% Denver Tourism Improvement District tax. Other applicable government charges can affect the final amount, so review the full tax breakdown shown for your specific reservation.

How much does a Denver hotel cost per night in 2026?

For official market context, VISIT DENVER reports a 2025 ADR of $180.82 for Denver City & County and $207.74 downtown. Engine’s separate recent public-rate dataset reports a $166 average across 2.7 million rate observations collected from May 2024 through April 2026. Your actual 2026 booking price depends on your dates, hotel, room, location, cancellation terms and current inventory.

Conclusion

Denver hotel costs in 2026 depend on your travel dates, neighborhood, room type, events, cancellation policy, transportation needs, and current inventory. The strongest official full-year benchmark is VISIT DENVER’s 2025 ADR of $180.82 for Denver City & County and $207.74 downtown, while Engine’s recent public-rate dataset provides a separate $166 advertised-rate benchmark. Use those figures for context rather than as guaranteed quotes. Before booking, compare live prices for your exact dates, review Denver’s 10.75% city lodger’s tax, check whether the hotel’s 1% Tourism Improvement District tax applies, and add parking, transportation, optional extras, and cancellation terms. Downtown and LoDo work well for convenience, RiNo suits art and nightlife trips, Cherry Creek is useful for shopping and dining, and other areas may provide better overall value when central location is less important.

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Hello there! I’m Weston Harrison, the mind behind “getcostidea.” As a passionate advocate for financial awareness and cost management, I created this platform to share valuable insights and ideas on navigating the intricacies of costs in various aspects of life.

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