Classy exterior of the Hotel Teatro.

For out-of-towners attending a world-class production at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Hotel Teatro is the place to stay. While the hotel is just 10 years old, it’s housed in a wonderfully restored 1911 building that’s just a block from the performing arts complex in downtown Denver. Ornate costumes and fun props from the Denver Center Theatre Company adorn the walls in the hotel’s public spaces, and framed playbills, photographs and posters are found in the hallways and guest rooms. The relevant decor just adds a feeling of festivity to the hotel, especially for theater lovers.

While I didn’t get to attend a DCPA performance when I was in Denver a couple of weekends ago (Wicked was sold out), I did stay at the Hotel Teatro with my husband and two children (courtesy of the property). This upscale hotel is not necessarily designed for kids (no indoor pool, no game room), but we found it perfectly suitable — albeit sophisticated — for my two children, ages 7 and 9.

We stayed in a Junior Suite, whose rack rate is $299 for a Saturday night in November (smaller rooms start at $159/night). With about 550 square feet, the warmly decorated suite afforded us plenty of room, as well as separate sleeping areas: the kids bunked in the living room on a sofa sleeper, while we had the king bedroom. I appreciated the two full bathrooms, so we didn’t have to share with the kids, and each room — separated by French doors –  had its own TV set, too. Plenty of privacy for a family of four!

Deluxe Corner King Room at the Hotel Teatro.

Other room highlights: the classy marble bathrooms and Indonesian sandstone floors, rainforest showerheads, Aveda bath products and Frette towels (including two oversized ones that I loved), free Fiji water and included wireless Internet. I think the only bummer with our room (#700) was that it was located next to the elevators. While my husband and I couldn’t hear any ringing bells or foot traffic after bedtime, my kids in the sofa sleeper could since it was against a wall closer to the elevator bank. It was nothing that a little iPod music couldn’t drown out — our suite came with an iPod docking station, too.

Again, my older kids were perfectly content to stay at the Hotel Teatro, even though it didn’t have a bunch of gimmicky bells and whistles for children. One nice service for families with babies and toddlers: if you’ve forgotten diapers or want to borrow a crib, the hotel has many baby items on hand for your complimentary use — from a bottle warmer to a highchair to baby shampoo.

While we didn’t dine at Hotel Teatro, acclaimed local chef Kevin Taylor operates two restaurants there: Restaurant Kevin Taylor, offering French-American cuisine in a sophisticated dining room, and the more casual Prima Ristorante and Enoteca, serving Italian food and a huge wine list. I also didn’t use the small basement fitness room (hey, I walked a lot during our downtown Denver adventures), but it is open to guests 24 hours a day. Guests can also use the fully equipped Denver Athletic Club up the block for $20/day.

Even for non-theatre-goers, the location of the Hotel Teatro  is great — just two blocks from Denver’s bustling 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian-only zone with a trolley that runs up and down the strip filled with tons of kid-friendly restaurants. We walked with our kids to the Wazee Supper Club and to Dixon’s Grill, each about six blocks away and two restaurants I’d highly recommend for families.

For special promotions that include dining or tickets to local attractions or other amenities (think champagne, chocolate and strawberries for an “Amore Package”), click on the specials and packages section of the hotel website.

Photos courtesy Hotel Teatro.