DENVER—Coloradans looking to book a room at one of the best hotels in the country might want to consider a staycation in Denver.
This week, Esquire unveiled its list of the best new hotels in the world, which reporters and editors culled “the old-fashioned way,” they wrote—by visiting a slew of new properties in person over the past year.
Denver’s nature-inspired Populus Hotel, which opened last October, was not only the sole local spot on the list but also earned the title of “hotel of the year” for 2025. Rising 13 stories into the skyline, the Populus is immediately noticeable for its white exterior covered in oblong windows, designed to mimic the eyes of aspen trees. In fact, its namesake is the scientific term for aspens, Populus tremuloides.
Esquire’s Jeff Gordinier gushed about the aesthetic, from the exterior with its arched windows designed to deter birds from flying into the glass to the sheets of reishi mushroom leather decorating the in-house bar, Pasque. The Rocky Mountains vistas from the rooftop bar, Stellar Jay, aren’t bad either, he wrote.
The mission behind the Populus also resonated. The property was designed to be the country’s first “carbon positive” hotel, meaning it aims to make a positive environmental impact. It does so with amenities like a biodigester that turns food scraps into compost, using only renewable energy resources, and planting trees for each night a guest stays there, The Denver Post previously reported.
“Traditionally, hotels are pretty bad for the environment, but every gesture at this curvy, revolutionary property has been created with the idea of honoring nature. That spirit happens to lead to a beautiful and restorative experience,” Esquire said.
The Populus Hotel topped the publication’s list of 42 hotels across the globe.
