Populus Is Now Open, Reconnecting Guests to Nature in the Heart of Denver and Ushering in a New Era of Eco-Conscious Travel

Populus, the urban hotel that blends nature-inspired design with environmentally conscious hospitality to put the health of the planet first, is now open in downtown Denver. Developed by Urban Villages, a leading real estate developer and environmental steward, and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, a pioneer in the lifestyle hotel industry, Populus crafts an inspired and exciting guest experience centered on mindful hospitality through its 265 guest rooms; flexible meeting and event spaces; two distinct restaurants – Pasque, an all-day dining destination and Stellar Jay, a lively rooftop restaurant and bar; and iconic Aspen tree-inspired design by AD100 architecture firm, Studio Gang. Not only are all aspects of Populus authentically rooted in the harmony of nature, but the hotel actively gives back to the environment by planting a tree for every night’s stay – allowing guests to be a part of the planet’s collective betterment.

“The opening of Populus marks an incredibly significant milestone and represents a new model of environmentally conscious hospitality that will forever change the guest experience for mindful travelers, while adding vibrancy to the city of Denver,” said Jon Buerge, President of Urban Villages. “We are excited to watch Populus come to life as the center of a thriving community, becoming everything from the new neighborhood hotspot to a must visit hotel destination, all while inspiring the industry to rethink how hotels can prioritize the health of the planet in a positive, engaging, and meaningful way.”

“We are incredibly proud to introduce Populus – a place where the best of design, sustainability, culinary, service and community converge under one stylish roof,” said Mario Tricoci, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aparium. “This new property beautifully embodies Aparium’s commitment to creating hotels that honor their unique destinations, while setting an unprecedented new standard for innovation and hospitality across the country. Populus is not just a destination; it’s a reflection of Denver’s vibrant energy, a way for travelers to connect more deeply and more authentically with nature, and a symbol of what the future of travel can and should look like.”

General Manager George Prine adds: “Our team has poured their passion into every detail of Populus, ensuring that our mission to protect the environment seamlessly enhances the guest experience. We are confident that everyone, whether traveling for work or pleasure, joining us for lunch or dinner, or enjoying Friday night drinks on the rooftop, will leave Populus feeling inspired, delighted, and connected.”

Skyline-Defining Architecture Brings Nature to the City

Populus is designed by the world-renowned architecture and urban design firm, Studio Gang, founded and led by Jeanne Gang – a MacArthur Fellow and WSJ. Magazine‘s 2022 Architecture Innovator of the Year. Studio Gang’s design for Populus draws from the growth processes of Colorado’s native aspen tree – Populus Tremuloides – an instantly recognizable symbol of the state, which Jeanne Gang studied while hiking in Colorado. Studio Gang’s first building in Colorado, Populus seamlessly integrates nature into downtown Denver – forever changing the city skyline and adding to the architectural diversity of the entire Mountain West.

Designed to be as functional as it is striking, the texture and rhythm of Populus’ façade perform efficiently in Denver’s varied climate, with “lids” over each window extending slightly outward to shade the interior of the building. On the interiors, the Aspen-eye windows change in size and shape to reflect the public or private nature of various spaces. At the base, the windows rise up to 30 feet to frame entrances and views into the lobby and Pasque restaurant. In the hotel rooms above, guests have immersive views of the nearby State Capitol, Civic Center Park, and the Rocky Mountains.

Not only is Populus inspired by nature, but it brings a diverse variety of trees and local vegetation to the heart of downtown Denver through its onsite roof garden and streetscape – both designed by Denver-based landscape architecture firm, Superbloom. The green roof is a four-season garden filled with lush, perennial trees, shrubs, and plant species that support biodiversity while the canopy of trees surrounding the hotel provides a cooling effect in the harsh sun. The result is a stunning, sustainable hotel that is deeply connected to nature and its surrounding neighborhood.

Layered Storytelling Through Interior Design and Art

Designed by Wildman Chalmers Design in partnership with Fowler Architecture and Design, Populus’ interiors pay homage to the Mountain West with warm colors, natural materials, and undulating forms. Aligned with the hotel’s biophilic architecture, the interiors are inspired by the feelings evoked by sitting among an Aspen grove, starting with the ground floor lobby and Pasque restaurant, filled with warm browns and woods reminiscent of a forest floor; moving up through the trunk and branches of the main floors where the guest rooms and suites reside; and leading up to the Stellar Jay rooftop restaurant and hospitality suites, which represent a celebration of color and natural light, mimicking the lush canopy of a tree.

All interiors, from the materials to the furniture and art, are designed to evoke the essence of the natural world while minimizing the building’s carbon footprint through innovative, consciously sourced materials. For example, the wood slats in the lobby ceiling are sourced from reclaimed wood snow fencing in Wyoming, the guest room carpeting is made from recycled materials that biodegrade in landfills, and many guest room headboards are created from fallen beetle-kill pine.

The interiors are complemented by a thought-provoking art collection, curated by Colorado-based artist and environmental activist Katherine Homes, which slowly unfolds during guests’ stays. The art goes beyond just visuals to encompass a full sensory immersion, with each piece carefully selected to reflect the local surroundings and give a voice to the wild. Highlights include a commissioned painting by Cheyenne and Arapaho artist Brent Learned; local bird songs in the elevators from conservationist and natural sound recording artist, Jacob Job, who recorded in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park; and Pressed Native Wildflowers in each of the guest rooms, consciously handpicked by Flowers of the Press to bring the essence of Colorado summer into the hotel year-round.

Spirited Guest Rooms, Event Spaces, and Amenities

Populus reflects Aparium’s signature translocal hospitality through a variety of inspired amenities and communal spaces that cater to both locals and visitors. Upon entering Populus, guests are greeted with a buzzing ambiance and lively energy flowing throughout the first floor, where Pasque, one the hotel’s signature restaurants, and the Little Owl coffee bar are located. A grand staircase leads to the second floor, which hosts flexible meeting and event spaces that can accommodate everything from business meetings and co-working areas to celebrations and pop-up events. On the top floor, a series of hospitality-style suites are available for private social or corporate events, affording striking views of Denver’s parks, downtown skyline, and neighboring Rocky Mountains. Complete with a state-of-the-art gym, Populus’ array of amenities ensures that whether for work or leisure, the guest experience is one of elevated comfort and convenience.

Populus’ 265 guest rooms are intentionally designed to provide a relaxing and stylish escape. They range in offerings from the Grove and Aspen rooms, which offer a minimalistic yet charming retreat, to the spacious and luxurious Pando Suite, perched on the top floor and featuring a dining area, kitchenette, 1.5 baths, a soaking tub, and panoramic views. In all the light-filled guest rooms and suites, the views take center stage, offering expansive mountain or city views through the Aspen-eye windows. In many rooms, the windows themselves extend into a window hammock – a curved, cushioned bench that provides a space for guests to unwind and connect with the outdoors.

Elevated, Nature-Inspired Dining and Drinking at Pasque & Stellar Jay

Populus’ culinary offerings are as vibrant as the city it calls home. The hotel’s two signature restaurants – Pasque, an all-day dining destination featuring seasonally driven, nature-based cuisine; and Stellar Jay, a lively rooftop restaurant, bar, and outdoor terrace that serves bold, live-fire cuisine with scenic views and perfectly prepared cocktails – are helmed by Executive Chef Ian Wortham. Chef Wortham and Director of Food and Beverage Curtis Landrum, former colleagues at Denver’s acclaimed Tavernetta, are dedicated to creating memorable dining experiences that reflect the flavors and bounty of Colorado, all while championing small or family-owned purveyors.

Pasque, located on the “forest floor”, focuses on seasonally driven cuisine with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that highlight the region’s finest plant-based ingredients and proteins from land and sea. The restaurant’s design, inspired by the elegance of the local Pasque wildflower, creates a warm and inviting ambiance perfect for everything from a business lunch to a romantic date night.

Stellar Jay, perched on the rooftop, is a lively, open-air restaurant that serves bold, live-fire cuisine against a backdrop of Denver’s downtown skyline and the Rocky Mountains. Named with a nod to the charismatic Steller’s Jay bird, the restaurant features shared plates of wild game, fresh seafood, and seasonal produce. The playful, vibrant atmosphere of Stellar Jay, complemented by bright cocktails and the green roof of native plants, is designed to reconnect diners with nature and each other, giving people a coveted gathering place to drink, dine and delight in their incredible surroundings.

Populus is also home to the Little Owl coffee bar, conveniently located on the first floor, where hotel guests and locals can enjoy a coffee or bite from the bar or grab and go breakfast from the walk-up window.

Redefining Eco-Conscious Hospitality

As the country’s first carbon positive hotel, Populus goes beyond net-zero to help the planet regenerate and thrive. Already, the hotel’s embodied carbon footprint, equating to 6,675 mTCO2e*, has been reduced through a combination of sustainable design and construction techniques – including the use of low-carbon concrete, an insulated façade system and GFRC rainscreen, and intentionally not having onsite parking – then offset by the acquisition of 7,000 tons of certified carbon credits (7,000 mTC02e) as a part of its evolving, nature-based sustainability strategy For this latest initiative, Populus worked with partner organizations, Grassroots Carbon, OneTreePlanted, and Terrapass, to acquire a balanced mix of high integrity, certified forest and soil carbon credits from US-based projects whose core impacts include protecting habitat and watersheds, promoting soil and forest health, drought tolerance, resiliency, and biodiversity across a variety of coastal and inland ecosystems. In addition, Populus is further offsetting its carbon footprint through a hands-on tree planting and reforestation effort in partnership with the US Forest Service and other agencies. The first of these efforts included planting over 70,000 trees (172+ acres) in Gunnison County, Colo. in summer 2022 in partnership with One Tree Planted vis-a-vis the United States Forest Service; the planting was a part of a reforestation following beetle kill, a nature disturbance in forests. Populus remains committed to offsetting its operational carbon footprint throughout its lifetime and its approach encompasses so much more than carbon offsets, including collaborating with local farms to promote regenerative practices, using 100 percent renewable electricity, turning all food waste into compost to be returned to local farmers, and embodying an overall reverence for nature that connects guests to the natural world.

Most notably, Populus opens with its One Night, One Tree program, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, a congressionally chartered partner of the U.S. Forest Service and leading organization bringing people together to restore National Forests and Grasslands, which plants a tree for every night’s stay, contributing to up to 20,000 new trees in 2024 alone for a tangible and positive impact on local forests. Populus’ trees are planted in two Colorado regions and are regularly monitored by the USDA Forest Service to ensure the forests will grow and remain protected for future generations.

Populus also prioritizes zero-waste dining in its restaurants, using an onsite biodigester from BioGreen360 to divert 100% of food waste away from landfills and into compost for local farms – taking the food from table to farm and establishing a circular solution for food waste. In partnership with Zero Foodprint and Wolfe’s Neck Center, the restaurants will further support regenerative farming practices that sequester carbon and improve the food system. In fact, as a Zero Foodprint member, Populus is committing one percent of its restaurant sales to regenerative farming, which is then matched by Wolfe’s Neck, through its USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities**, immediately doubling environmental and community impact. For ongoing transparency and improvement, Populus continuously tracks data on carbon sequestration, energy performance, and food waste with the help of Lotus Engineering & Sustainability, ensuring the highest standards of sustainability are upheld.

Denver: A Destination for the Modern Traveler

As Denver continues to rise as a top travel destination, Populus stands out as a symbol of the city’s evolution towards a more sustainable future. While its design and ethos are inspired by nature and the surrounding landscape, Populus is primely located in the epicenter of Denver’s thriving downtown, providing guests with a unique mix of both nature and urban environments. Built at the crossroads of Civic Center Park and Denver’s 5280 Trail project, the hotel offers panoramic views of both city and mountains, along with immediate proximity to some of the city’s best arts and cultural offerings, including the Denver Art Museum and the Performing Arts District. Studio Gang has also been selected to lead the revitalization of nearby Civic Center Plaza, including an updated amphitheater and promenade, which will further enhance the neighborhood’s vibrancy and architectural design.

Populus was financed by Banc of California and constructed by The Beck Group.

Hotel website