Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Denver Littleton

With its location next to the Rocky Mountain foothills and its public spaces with a contemporary Western look, the Holiday Inn Express has a distinctly Colorado feel. The high-ceilinged lobby is done in warm colors of rust, orange, brown, and harvest gold, and features wooden furniture and a stone fireplace. Guests gather here and also around the indoor pool and hot tub, situated in a light-filled space overlooking the hills. An outdoor patio with barbecue grills is a decent spot to relax on a warm day, but unfortunately its location next to the highway means it’s not as quiet as it could be. The hotel has no meeting rooms, but its location -- just a short drive from businesses like Siemens and Lockheed Martin -- means it's a good pick for business guests. Families with kids also come for the affordable rates, pool, and free breakfast. 

The Holiday Inn Express is surrounded by the Rocky Mountain foothills, with several hiking and mountain biking trails within a short walk. The hotel is located off State Highway 470 in a commercial area with a supermarket and several fast food restaurants. Several corporate offices, including Lockheed Martin and Siemens, are within a five- to 10-minute drive, and Manor House Event Center is a five-minute drive. Bandimere Speedway is 10 minutes by car, and Chatfield State Park, William F. Hayden Green Mountain Park, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert venue are all about a 15-minute drive. The center of Littleton and the historic Highlands Ranch Mansion are also both a 15-minute drive. Downtown Denver features the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies stadiums and Denver Nuggets arena, the Downtown Aquarium, 16th Street Mall, and Denver Museum of Art -- it’s about 25 minutes by car. Denver International Airport is a little more than a 45-minute drive from the Holiday Inn Express.  

The guest rooms at Holiday Inn are spacious and have a handsome, contemporary look, with wooden furniture and rich, autumnal colors of beige, tan, brown, rust, and harvest gold. Some units feature views of the surrounding foothills. All 76 rooms come with 37-inch flat-screen TVs with more than 130 channels and 70 HD channels, plus coffeemakers and free Wi-Fi. Only the Suites have microwaves and mini-fridges, and they also add seating areas with sofa beds. None of the units have safes, but safety deposit boxes are available at the front desk. Bathrooms are spacious and feature granite countertops, and all come with hairdryers, toiletries, and shower/tub combos. 

The Holiday Inn Express offers a wide assortment of property features. A freeform indoor pool (about 10 meters at its longest point) is situated next to a hot tub in a room with large windows that let in ample natural light and afford views of the surrounding foothills. Those views are also on offer from the large, well-landscaped patio with barbecue grills. The fitness center is small, but it's bright and contains modern cardio machines and free weights. For dining, the free breakfast buffet has earned enthusiastic praise from previous guests for its spread of hot cinnamon rolls, egg-and-cheese-omelets, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and wide array of cold fare. The hotel also serves free cookies in the early evening. There's no full-service  restaurant on-site, but there's a bar and grill next to the hotel that offers guests discounts, and there are several other restaurants in the surrounding area. Other amenities include a coin-op laundry, business center, 24-hour front desk, free on-site parking, and  free Wi-Fi throughout. One pet (dogs only) under 65 pounds is permitted in each room for a refundable deposit, plus a nightly fee.