History of the Rally Hotel
Colorado’s first urban winery, Carbone Wine, opened in 1933 in the industrial warehouse district in lower downtown Denver. The building on 19th and Wazee made history when it burned down in 1942 in the city’s largest fire at the time. The company quickly rebuilt a few blocks down Wazee St.
Fifty years later, construction began on Coors Field—home of the Colorado Rockies—and the Ballpark Neighborhood was born. Now, this hip historic site is home to The Rally Hotel at McGregor Square. It sits almost in the footprint of the winery and is so close to the ballpark you can practically smell the hot dogs. Indeed, it takes three minutes to get to the field.
Theme of The Rally Hotel
Naturally, it’s all about America’s Favorite Pastime in Colorado. Curated by Nine dot Arts, a local design company that has decorated many of Denver’s spaces, the furnishings range from pop art to baseball memorabilia to Colorado decor. Look up, look down—you’ll find something inspired by our Boys of Summer.
Rooms at The Rally Hotel
Rooms at the 182-room hotel are comfortable, spacious and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a colorful plaid carpet in the Rockies hues. Our All-Star King Room amenities include a chest with a mini-bar and fridge, coffeemaker, and a stack of books courtesy of Tattered Cover Bookstore. The open closet holds a safe and robes, again in plaid.
The bathroom sparkles with a large lighted mirror and shiny white tile. In addition, there’s the all-important magnifying mirror.
The eighth floor is exactly 5280 feet above sea level—a mile high—so the rooms there are elevated too, in style and price. Four different types of ADA rooms also are available.
Happily, the entire hotel (except food outlets) is dog friendly. German Shepherd or French Poodle, size doesn’t matter. For $50 per pet, you can get a bowl, a bed, treats, and a bandana. This is the fun spirit you’ll find everywhere at The Rally.
Even the art is whimsical.
Dining at The Rally Hotel
Don’t expect white tablecloths and gourmet food in The Original, The Rally’s inside-outside dining room. In fact, don’t even expect glass. They served our wine and Moscow Mule in plastic cups! That’s bringing casual dining down to a whole new level. This is diner dining at its finest.
The menu offers mainly pub food—burgers, sandwiches, salads and dishes to share—and all-day breakfast and shakes. There are limited entrees, such as Pan Roasted Trout and Pork and Applesauce. But, they were delicious and filling. Service was attentive.
The Rally Bar serves up ball field fare: Sliders, Corn Dogs, Chicken Wings and such. And Happy Hour knocks it out of the park with Coors Light Draft for $2 and other specials Wednesday-Saturday from 4-6.
Grab ’n Go Breakfast starts at 6:30 am to accommodate business travelers and runs until 10:30 for those sleeping in. It’s at The Grandstand Cafe off the lobby. A handful of egg sandwiches ($9-$10) and various bowls ($8-$10) and pastries make nice choices to pair with morning joe.
By the way, coffee here is free every morning because it’s included in the $25 per-day amenity fee.
Other daily “freebies” include an appetizer from The Original, Happy Hour and scoop of ice cream at The Grandstand, 15 percent off food in The Rally Bar, and a S’Mores kit and roasting tools, especially popular with kids.
Facilities and Services
Every service person we ran into was cheerful and friendly, especially Taylor Bradley, the front desk manager. While waiting in line, I heard her handle people on the phone, and she was terrific. I believe she sets the tone for her employees.
A beautiful plunge pool and hot tub grace the rooftop deck on the Sky Bridge that connects to the residential suites.
A fitness center on the 12th floor is open 24/7. Finally, indoor and outdoor event space with catering is available for small groups or large conferences.
McGregor Square
The hotel overlooks McGregor Square, a huge circular plaza with a giant Panasonic screen. The name honors former Colorado Rockies president Keli McGregor who died in 2010. We stayed at the hotel during the Stanley Cup finals when the Avalanche were close to winning. The energy in the square was insane! During normal times, people are milling around or watching a game while eating at one of the adjacent restaurants. The Original spills out onto the square with umbrella tables.
Location
The Rally is in the heart of LoDo (lower downtown). Besides being next door to Coors Field, it is walking distance to Union Station where trains run to Empire Field (home of the Denver Broncos) and Ball Arena (home of The Avalanche, 2022 Stanley Cup Champions) and a popular concert venue. Also, you can catch a train to and from Denver International Airport at the Station, as well as pick up the 16th Street free shuttle that takes you throughout downtown Denver for dining, shopping and entertainment. The Denver Center for Performing Arts is an easy shuttle and short walk away.
The Rally at McGregor Square has crystalized the spirit of this sports town and etched a new place in this historical site.
The Rally Hotel
1600 20th Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
720-907-1234
therallyhotel.com
Claudia Carbone is an award-winning travel writer and member of the Society of American Travel Writers, North American Travel Journalists Assoc. and Denver Woman’s Press Club. Currently, her work is published in The Denver Post, Colorado Expression Magazine, MTN Town Magazine, London Sunday Telegraph, GoWorldTravel.com and RealFoodTraveler.com. Her blog Sleepin’ Around covers any place you can sleep on vacation.
- Visiting West Point: How to Navigate Your Way to and Around the Iconic Military Academy - February 4, 2023
- Sleeping on The Wharfside, Floating Bed and Breakfast Docked on San Juan Island - December 18, 2022
- Urban Meets Mountain with Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City in Utah - December 15, 2022