The Brown Palace: Eisenhower's Summer White House in Denver

Denver was Mamie Eisenhower's hometown, and when her husband became president, the city became a seasonal seat of government. Its headquarters was a triangular sandstone palace at the corner of 17th and Broadway.

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection

The Brown Palace opened in the 1890s, designed by Frank E. Edbrooke in the Italian Renaissance style around a breathtaking eight-story atrium lobby crowned with stained glass. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to visit, speaking at a banquet here during a 1905 trip to Colorado, and Presidents Taft and Wilson were served by the same room-service head waiter in later years.

The hotel's defining presidential chapter belongs to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who used the Brown Palace as his summer headquarters during his presidency, staying for weeks at a time while visiting Mamie's family. The suite he occupied was renamed the Eisenhower Suite in 1980, and its fireplace mantel still bears a dent left by a wayward golf ball when Ike practiced his swing indoors.

Book the Eisenhower Suite for the full story, or one of its siblings, the Reagan and Roosevelt suites. Whatever room you choose, don't miss afternoon tea beneath the atrium's stained glass, a Denver ritual.

Plan your stay: Explore more hotels in Denver

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About this guide: Presidential connections are drawn from public sources, including official White House schedules, presidential and historical archives, and reputable news outlets, as well as the hotels' own published histories. Hotel names, ownership, and amenities may have changed since publication. This information is provided for general interest, is not guaranteed, and should be independently verified. Hotelaholic is not affiliated with or endorsed by any U.S. president or government agency.