Carbon-positive hotel Populus opens its doors in Denver
Nature-inspired hotel Populus has opened its doors in downtown Denver, showcasing environmentally conscious hospitality throughout.
Developed by Urban Villages and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, Populus comprises 265 guestrooms, flexible meeting and event spaces, and two distinct restaurants – Pasque, an all-day dining destination and Stellar Jay, a lively rooftop restaurant and bar.
The property’s architecture, courtesy of Studio Gang, is inspired by Colorado’s native aspen tree – Populus Tremuloides – an instantly recognisable symbol of the state. 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. At the base, the windows rise up to 30ft to frame entrances and views into the lobby and Pasque restaurant.
The hotel brings a diverse variety of trees and local vegetation to the heart of downtown Denver through its on-site roof garden and streetscape – both designed by local 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.
Envisioned by Wildman Chalmers Design in partnership with Fowler Architecture and Design, interiors pay homage to the Mountain West with warm colours, natural materials and undulating forms. Aligned with the hotel’s biophilic architecture, designs 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 guestrooms and suites reside; and leading up to the Stellar Jay rooftop restaurant and hospitality suites, which represent a celebration of colour and natural light, mimicking the lush canopy of a tree.
All interiors are designed to evoke the essence of the natural world while minimizing the building’s carbon footprint through consciously sourced materials. Wood slats in the lobby ceiling for instance are sourced from reclaimed wood snow fencing in Wyoming, guestroom carpeting is made from recycled materials that biodegrade in landfills, and many headboards are created from fallen beetle-kill pine.
Complementing the design scheme is an art collection, curated by Colorado-based Katherine Homes, which slowly unfolds throughout. 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 guestrooms, handpicked by Flowers of the Press to bring the essence of Colorado summer into the hotel year-round.
In all accommodation, expansive mountain or city views take center stage. 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.
Billed as the country’s first carbon positive hotel, Populus’ 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. The hotel 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.
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 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.
“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,” says 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 prioritise the health of the planet in a positive, engaging, and meaningful way.”
Mario Tricoci, founder and CEO of Aparium, adds: “We are incredibly proud to introduce Populus – a place where the best of design, sustainability, culinary, service and community converge under one stylish roof. 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.”
