A Tale Of Two Cities Both Steeped in The Art of Business & Pleasure

Photos courtesy of The Sheraton

After spending a year quarantining off and on and getting a little too comfortable in the bubble that is our homes along with rocking any pair of pants with an elastic band, it was time to venture out and explore the NEW. Sweatpants, see ya later! We’re headed to the recently transformed Sheraton Hotel. Stepping into the post-pandemic world as a think-tank and design laboratory catering to the remote workforce and offering a reprieve from WFH culture, the Sheraton in Downtown Denver and Phoenix are re-writing the hotel rules. For the past century, the Sheraton has stood as a home away from home for travelers. Its intention has always been to create hospitality spaces designed for the world to gather in—stylishly and comfortably. But this certainly isn’t a new notion for the heritage brand. Life was pretty swell from 1937 to 2019 and then of course… well, you know what happened next.

The hospitality industry took a big hit but in the pile of ashes, rose a phoenix (in Phoenix! pun intended) amongst twenty-two other hot spot locations across the globe. The Sheraton’s glow-up covered a number of details. Without forgetting its roots, the designers wished to continue to promote the brand’s ethos, highlighting the importance of social gathering and the familiar warmth of community while maintaining an awareness of this new reality. No one ever said the new reality can’t be chic and stunning though. Taking cues from each location’s natural materials, Sheraton in downtown Phoenix combines rich desert hues, earthy tones and metals along with elevated private studios and lobby sanctuaries, mimicking the mountainous terrain. The light wood and dark metal accents softly glow under muted natural lighting, creating a relaxing environment for working on your deadlines or grabbing a cocktail with friends. Sheraton took the notion of a public square and reimagined it BIG TIME—featuring glass-encased studios that allow privacy while still giving a sense of togetherness and situated just within reach of the heart of the space, a grand bar and entertaining area. It should be noted also that the robes in my room were life-changing.

Sheraton Downtown Denver allows visitors to peer through the lens of the designer’s own vision. Johnson Nathan Strohe spearheaded the makeover project as lead architect and interior designer. Mirroring the public square approach once again, the design calls out 60’s beatnik nostalgia—a time of surging growth and change. Sounds familiar. The lobby is noted with soft leathers and metallic finishes complete with a beckoning fireplace just off-center from the faceted glass bar, anchoring the lobby as both social setting and workspace. 

Needless to say, the Sheraton showed us and our cowboy boots up,
but was the most gracious host about it.