The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa Autograph Collection

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2744 reviews

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  Platinum Elite Guest Shocked by Service Failures at Brown Palace

  I stayed at The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa from November 26–29 (Confirmation #89570264), and this was the single worst Marriott stay I’ve ever experienced — shockingly below Autograph Collection standards. As a Platinum Elite member, I expect professionalism and basic competence, but this stay was a continuous chain of failures from start to finish. ⸻ 1. Arrival Experience – No Greeting, No Help, No Status Recognition • No doorman or concierge assistance at the entrance. • Arrived at 3:40 PM; the front desk was completely unattended for nearly 2 minutes. • My Platinum status was not acknowledged until I reminded the associate myself. • No welcome reward selection was offered until I proactively asked. This is unacceptable at any full-service Marriott, let alone an Autograph Collection. ⸻ 2. Incorrect Breakfast Information – Two Days in a Row Day 2 – Thanksgiving (Total Chaos) Front desk told us to go to Ellyngton’s before 9 AM. Ellyngton’s was completely closed due to the holiday. We were sent to the Holiday Inn Express next door for a continental breakfast. For an Autograph Collection, this is beyond unacceptable. Other guests were correctly informed and went directly through the 2nd-floor walkway, proving we were specifically misinformed. ⸻ Day 3 – Black Friday (Severe Delay Forced Us to Miss Breakfast) This was the only day breakfast was functioning normally — and it still went wrong. My father ordered an egg Benedict and I ordered an omelette. We waited 35 minutes and nothing had been prepared. We had a 11:00 AM transportation reservation in Colorado Springs for the Garden of the Gods trolley tour (reserved days in advance), so I had already scheduled a 9:15 AM Uber the night before. Because breakfast never came, we had no choice but to request the food to-go, take the Uber without eating, and finally eat our “breakfast” cold on a bench at the Garden of the Gods visitor center. This is an Autograph Collection — yet it cannot prepare two basic breakfast dishes in half an hour. ⸻ Day 4 – Saturday (Another Breakfast Failure) We arrived at Ellyngton’s again, only to be told that every Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas is Christmas Brunch and vouchers are not accepted — a policy no one informed us of in advance. When we looked confused (understandably), I overheard a staff member whisper: “Their English doesn’t seem to be good.” Although my father is new to the U.S., I have lived in Southern California for nearly 10 years, and I am a native-level English speaker. This comment was offensive, discriminatory, and completely unprofessional. ⸻ 3. Room Quality & Maintenance – Far Below Brand Expectations • HVAC only blew cold air; maintenance couldn’t speak English, and he was not informed by the hotel about the issue in advance. • Shower water either dangerously hot or barely running. • No bedside power outlets. • Mattress excessively soft; I woke up multiple times every night, and my father experienced significant back discomfort. • Housekeeping left empty drink bottles untouched. This room condition would be disappointing at a Fairfield Inn, let alone an Autograph Collection. ⸻ 4. Hydration Station – Poorly Communicated and Poorly Designed Hotel claims bottled water isn’t provided “due to environmental reasons,” and guests must use the hydration station. However: • No signage saying the stations are ONLY on the 7th and 9th floors • I wasted time searching the 8th floor • Had to call to find out where it was • During Thanksgiving, with most shops closed, not providing water was especially inconvenient This is not sustainability — it is poor communication. ⸻ 5. Room Service & Billing Miscommunication We ordered breakfast room service at 9:45 AM on Day 4 due to the “Christmas Brunch”, and it arrived at 11:10 AM. The server told us to give the breakfast voucher to the front desk at checkout. At checkout, the front desk asked why we didn’t give it to the server. Because your staff told us otherwise. ⸻ 6. Incorrect Name on Welcome Note The welcome card addressed me as “Jian” instead of my full name, and the welcome gift for a Marriott Bonvoy platinum member is a piece of brownie. A small detail, but it reflects the overall lack of attention. ⸻ Final Thoughts I have stayed at Marriott properties across the U.S., Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. I already lower my expectations when staying in the U.S., but this property still managed to be the worst Marriott stay I’ve ever had anywhere in the world. Service breakdowns across all major departments: • Front desk • Restaurant • Housekeeping • Room service • Maintenance • Internal communication • Staff professionalism and training For the prices charged and the Autograph Collection branding, this stay was completely unacceptable. ⸻ Recommendation Until significant operational improvements are made, despite its well-known history, I cannot recommend this hotel — especially not to Marriott Bonvoy elite members.

  Nov 30, 2025
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  Not at all what I expected

  Gross, dirty, needed alot of basic repairs. I was so disappointed, this hotel is supposed to top tier. I’ve had a cleaner Best Western. They need to do a deep cleaning. Corners, carpets, baseboards, doors, 🤮 Bartender was barely polite, the bar top was sticky, the chandelier was lovely, as long as you don’t look down.

  Nov 28, 2025
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  Disappointing.

  Very disappointed in the quality of the hotel room. It was outdated, the thermostat did not work, peeling paint and dusty. Beautiful lobby area but that is it.

  Nov 27, 2025
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  Overpriced Christmas tea

  My family and I recently had the tea experience at the brown palace. The venue is beautifully decorated for Christmas and there was live music with solo singing every so often. Our party of five choose three different teas and they were delicious! The attentiveness of Forest, Marriane and Hiwot was excepcional! It’s on the higher end, so come prepared to pay and feel free to dress up.

  Nov 24, 2025
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  Historic luxury in the heart of Denver

  Beautiful, historic hotel with a magnificent lobby and atrium. Rooms have been updated, but ours could have used some paint touchups. The staff are very friendly and helpful. We were there when it hosted a benefit for a local charity-5,201 champagne glasses stacked like a Christmas tree to the second floor. Amazing and fun to see as they poured champagne from the top. Ship Tavern restaurant was just ok; Ellinytons for breakfast was outstanding. Excellent walking distance to many restaurants and Union Station.

  Nov 11, 2025