I am attending a conference at the Colorado convention center in January. Most of chain downtown hotels are booked or outrageously priced. Any suggestions for a lesser-known/respectable, clean place?

Have you looked into The Curtis? (http://www.thecurtis.com/) It's just a couple of blocks away from the CCC and well-reviewed.

You could also check out the Denver hotel listings on Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g3...do-Hotels.html) and sort by price, and read the reviews to make sure it's a desireable place to stay.

Anything along the 16th St. mall will be fine - there is a free shuttle you can take up and down, it comes every 2 minutes.

Go to www.milehighholidays.com; they have some promotional rates for January, and better yet, have a comprehensive list of downtown Denver hotels, including chains and boutiques.

p.s. better get on it, if you are there during the stock show!

www.warwickdenver.com

Without knowing your budget, or what you have checked so far - consider The Curtis as mentioned; also the Marriott Courtyard or Residence; The Hilton Garden Inn; The Sheraton; The Westin; The Downtown Hyatt and the obvious Hyatt at Dnvr Convention Center. You can walk to and from any of these.

The Warwick is a favorite, and not too far from there is a Hampton; a little longer walk, but do-able.

Do not delay if your dates are during the Stock Show - big turnout that week.

Last year I stayed at the Ramada Inn on Colfax. It is a short bus ride to the convention center. Not too expensive when booked well in advance.

You didn't indicate your dates but the stock show is in town the first two weeks of January and everything is packed and expensive as the cowboys come to downtown for the winter blowout. You could consider the Denver Tech Ctr area about ten miles south of the downtown area BUT well served by the light rail. Maybe a 15 minute ride and stops right in the convention center.

The Warwick is very nice. It's a walk to the convention center, though you could hop on the free 16th Street shuttle.

The Castle Marne is a nice B&B, but it's further east from downtown.

There are boutique hotels downtown, like the Hotel Monaco, the Teatro, the Magnolia, the Oxford.

Here's a random list:
A. Hotel Monaco Denver - www.monaco-denver.com - (303) 296-1717 - 186 reviews
B. Magnolia Hotel - www.magnoliahoteldenver.com - (303) 607-9000 - 118 reviews
C. Jet Hotel & Lounge - thejethotel.com - (303) 572-3300 - 72 reviews
D. Brown Palace Hotel - www.brownpalace.com - (303) 297-3111 - 225 reviews
E. Hotel Teatro - www.hotelteatro.com - (303) 534-5335 - 106 reviews
F. Oxford Hotel - www.theoxfordhotel.com - (303) 628-5400 - 89 reviews
G. Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center - denverregency.hyatt.com - (303) 436-1234 - 153 reviews
H. Sheraton Denver Hotel - specialoffers.starwoodhotels.com - (866) 716-8134 - 92 reviews
I. Crowne Plaza Hotel Denver - www.crowneplaza.com - (888) 444-0401 - 42 reviews
J. Courtyard Denver Downtown - www.marriott.com - (303) 571-1114 - 53 reviews

I wouldn't recommend the Tech Center, though. Stay in downtown if possible.

Peaseout, the OP was asking for something less expensive than the current downtown hotels. If she wants less expensive, then she is going to have to get away for the downtown area especially if she is here during the stock show. The DTC has a number of more reasonably priced hotels and some discount motels that are well serviced by the light rail.

Yeah, all those dowtown hotels like the Monaco will send you broke. If the Warwick or the nearby Hampton Inn are booked or not suitable, consider taking a room in one of the hotels on Quebec Street in the Stapleton area (on the map: just south of where 270 and 70 meet).

The things is - ever since Stapleton (the former Denver airport) has ceased to be an airport area, now that the DIA further out is a reality, these hotels are very reasonable. There are quite good bus routes, and who knows, some hotels still might have a shuttle into downtown - just ask. You will certainly save a pretty penny.

There is a Renaissance, a Doubletree, a Radisson, a Guesthouse, a Comfort Inn, a Courtyard by Marriott - google them and find out. There are shops etc. nearby, a bit of a walk, not too many eateries, but to leave in the AM for your conference and to return to sleep this could be the ticket.

The OP's request: "Any suggestions for a lesser-known/respectable, clean place? "

Not asking for less expensive, fmpden. Thus my suggestions for downtown hotels to investigate.

The Tech Center is soulless IMHO. It always pains me to hear people are staying there because it doesn't feel like Denver, like downtown does. Or Cherry Creek.

You can call it what you like.

"Most of chain downtown hotels are booked or outrageously priced."

I just assume she want something that was not "outrageously priced" and therefore, cheaper.

She is attending a conference. She is not here on vacation. She needs a room. The Tech Ctr works fine for that purpose.

Question for the OP: what is your price range? If you're here for a conference, are you on a business expense account?

If she was on an expense account, I doubt if she would be terribly worried about over priced hotel rooms.

When I was using my expense account, I was concerned about anything over-priced.

Best to let the OP answer, though.