LAKEWOOD, CO,
December 6, 2012 – The $3 million remodel for the Best
Western Denver Southwest, located at 3440 South Vance Street, reaches
back over
250 million years for its inspiration. The concept: come roaring back
as a
dinosaur themed natural history museum, replete with skeletons, fossil
displays
and exhibits. The dedication and grand reopening is slated for
April 19,
Earth Day weekend 2013.
"We'll be creating a strong sense of regional identity by celebrating the unique paleontological history of the Dinosaur Ridge area," says Best Western Owner Greg Tally.
"In 1877, the modern love affair with dinosaurs began ten minutes from our front door. Paleotourism is a huge draw in the Western U.S., so we are going to make our property feel like a Gilded Age explorer's club/natural history museum. We hope to do this in a tasteful, understated manner. Think "A Night at the Museum" rather than "Jurassic Park" or an Americana Sinclair Dinosaur/Route 66 Roadside attraction."
Inside the 112 room hotel, there will be curiosity cases, specimen boxes, original aged, yellowed "Field Note" sketches that explain all the displays. Old reproduction lithographs of dinosaurs will line the hallways. There will be two restaurants, Paleo Joe’s and Roof Lizard Lounge, as well as a limited services “pocket spa,” Chalk. Also, a bogus satirical fraternal organization will serve as the museum entity -- The Venerated Order of the Stegosaur. The classroom/child care program will be Terrible Lizard Club (TLC).
"We’ve already started acquiring fossil casts and cases for the displays — including Sophie, a 30 plus foot Tylosaur, who will hang from the ceiling inside Joe's, " says Tally. "For our homey natural history museum/explorer's club vibe, we are using a dark, rich earthy palate, with a decidedly masculine presence. Overstuffed leather furniture, vibrant woods, curiosity cabinets and specimen drawers will complete the feel."
A brand new zero point entry swimming pool will be lined with an Italian tesserae mosaic Late Cretaceous Niobrara Sea.
"Imagine Ammonites, Belemnites, Mosasaurs, Archelons and Plesiosaurs swimming along the bottom. A few pterosaurs flying overhead, and living fossil potted cycads, palms, magnolias, fig trees, horsetails and ferns inside and out. Guests will be able to swim with the Mosasaurs," says Tally.
Also part of the project are 100 percent remodeled room packages and bathrooms, flat screen TVs, new guest room doors and windows, a resurfaced parking lot and updated landscaping, front facade and porte cochere.
Later construction phases slated for 2015 will include the addition of an elevator and covering the pool.
The hotel is owned and operated by Jefferson Hospitality, RLLLP, a family business consisting of Greg and his wife Meredith Tally, as well as parents Richard and Jean Tally. The Tallys also own the Wine Country Inn in Palisade, Colorado, and the Quality Inn in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Strategic partners include:
Morrison Natural History Museum -- On loan exhibits; Pahl Architecture -- Architects; Alliance Construction Solutions -- General Contractors; LeMessurier Engineering, LLC -- Structural Engineer; Design Force -- Guest Rooms and Public Space Interior Designers; Bargreen Ellignson -- Restaurant and Kitchen Designers; Taylormade Fossils -- Fossil Suppliers; Daniel Bigelow and Veronica Hunt -- Artistic and Creative Concept Directors.
For more information, go to www.bestwesterndenver.com
About The Best Western Denver Southwest:
The Best Western Denver Southwest is ten minutes away from Dinosaur Ridge, part of the Dakota Hogback. It is amongst the most paleontological important sites in the world. Most of our understanding of Jurassic era dinosaurs began with the little town of Morrison. The 19th century Bones Wars launched here, and the world’s first stegosaurus (the “holotype”) was unearthed here. Fossils are still being pulled out of the ground. There’s a Cretaceous era fossil track that once bordered the Cretaceous Interior Seaway on Dinosaur Ridge. And at the Morrison Natural History Museum, visitors can help remove part of an apatosaurus skull from its surrounding rock matrix, and hold parts of the original stegosaurus fossil. The world’s smallest stego footprints (from a baby the size of a kitten) are on display here. And the MNHS is one of the favorite haunts of the Beethoven/John Lennon of the modern Dinosaur Renaissance, Dr. Robert Bakker. He frequently runs the register at the gift shop.
Paleo draws in the immediate vicinity from the Best Western:
Dinosaur Ridge – Morrison – 10 minutes
Morrison Natural History Museum – Morrison – 10 minutes
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Denver – 30 minutes
Fossil Trace Golf Course – Golden – 20 minutes
Triceratops Trail – Golden – 20 minutes
Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum – Golden – 20 minutes
University of Colorado Natural History Museum – Boulder – 40 minutes
Western Museum of Mining & Industry – Colorado Springs – 90 minutes
Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center – Fort Collins – 90 minutes
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center -- Woodland Park – 2 hours
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument – Florissant – 2 hours
Dinosaur Depot Museum – Canyon City – 2:15 hours
Also multiple historic mine tours in Georgetown and Idaho Springs – 30 minutes
ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 66 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 14 million travelers are members of the brand's award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand's partnerships with AAA/CAA, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western in 2011 was named AAA's and CAA's Hotel Partner of the Year and bestwestern.com was named the 2011 Compuware Best of the Web Gold award winner. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit bestwestern.com.
*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.
"We'll be creating a strong sense of regional identity by celebrating the unique paleontological history of the Dinosaur Ridge area," says Best Western Owner Greg Tally.
"In 1877, the modern love affair with dinosaurs began ten minutes from our front door. Paleotourism is a huge draw in the Western U.S., so we are going to make our property feel like a Gilded Age explorer's club/natural history museum. We hope to do this in a tasteful, understated manner. Think "A Night at the Museum" rather than "Jurassic Park" or an Americana Sinclair Dinosaur/Route 66 Roadside attraction."
Inside the 112 room hotel, there will be curiosity cases, specimen boxes, original aged, yellowed "Field Note" sketches that explain all the displays. Old reproduction lithographs of dinosaurs will line the hallways. There will be two restaurants, Paleo Joe’s and Roof Lizard Lounge, as well as a limited services “pocket spa,” Chalk. Also, a bogus satirical fraternal organization will serve as the museum entity -- The Venerated Order of the Stegosaur. The classroom/child care program will be Terrible Lizard Club (TLC).
"We’ve already started acquiring fossil casts and cases for the displays — including Sophie, a 30 plus foot Tylosaur, who will hang from the ceiling inside Joe's, " says Tally. "For our homey natural history museum/explorer's club vibe, we are using a dark, rich earthy palate, with a decidedly masculine presence. Overstuffed leather furniture, vibrant woods, curiosity cabinets and specimen drawers will complete the feel."
A brand new zero point entry swimming pool will be lined with an Italian tesserae mosaic Late Cretaceous Niobrara Sea.
"Imagine Ammonites, Belemnites, Mosasaurs, Archelons and Plesiosaurs swimming along the bottom. A few pterosaurs flying overhead, and living fossil potted cycads, palms, magnolias, fig trees, horsetails and ferns inside and out. Guests will be able to swim with the Mosasaurs," says Tally.
Also part of the project are 100 percent remodeled room packages and bathrooms, flat screen TVs, new guest room doors and windows, a resurfaced parking lot and updated landscaping, front facade and porte cochere.
Later construction phases slated for 2015 will include the addition of an elevator and covering the pool.
The hotel is owned and operated by Jefferson Hospitality, RLLLP, a family business consisting of Greg and his wife Meredith Tally, as well as parents Richard and Jean Tally. The Tallys also own the Wine Country Inn in Palisade, Colorado, and the Quality Inn in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Strategic partners include:
Morrison Natural History Museum -- On loan exhibits; Pahl Architecture -- Architects; Alliance Construction Solutions -- General Contractors; LeMessurier Engineering, LLC -- Structural Engineer; Design Force -- Guest Rooms and Public Space Interior Designers; Bargreen Ellignson -- Restaurant and Kitchen Designers; Taylormade Fossils -- Fossil Suppliers; Daniel Bigelow and Veronica Hunt -- Artistic and Creative Concept Directors.
For more information, go to www.bestwesterndenver.com
About The Best Western Denver Southwest:
The Best Western Denver Southwest is ten minutes away from Dinosaur Ridge, part of the Dakota Hogback. It is amongst the most paleontological important sites in the world. Most of our understanding of Jurassic era dinosaurs began with the little town of Morrison. The 19th century Bones Wars launched here, and the world’s first stegosaurus (the “holotype”) was unearthed here. Fossils are still being pulled out of the ground. There’s a Cretaceous era fossil track that once bordered the Cretaceous Interior Seaway on Dinosaur Ridge. And at the Morrison Natural History Museum, visitors can help remove part of an apatosaurus skull from its surrounding rock matrix, and hold parts of the original stegosaurus fossil. The world’s smallest stego footprints (from a baby the size of a kitten) are on display here. And the MNHS is one of the favorite haunts of the Beethoven/John Lennon of the modern Dinosaur Renaissance, Dr. Robert Bakker. He frequently runs the register at the gift shop.
Paleo draws in the immediate vicinity from the Best Western:
Dinosaur Ridge – Morrison – 10 minutes
Morrison Natural History Museum – Morrison – 10 minutes
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Denver – 30 minutes
Fossil Trace Golf Course – Golden – 20 minutes
Triceratops Trail – Golden – 20 minutes
Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum – Golden – 20 minutes
University of Colorado Natural History Museum – Boulder – 40 minutes
Western Museum of Mining & Industry – Colorado Springs – 90 minutes
Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center – Fort Collins – 90 minutes
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center -- Woodland Park – 2 hours
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument – Florissant – 2 hours
Dinosaur Depot Museum – Canyon City – 2:15 hours
Also multiple historic mine tours in Georgetown and Idaho Springs – 30 minutes
ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 66 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 14 million travelers are members of the brand's award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand's partnerships with AAA/CAA, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western in 2011 was named AAA's and CAA's Hotel Partner of the Year and bestwestern.com was named the 2011 Compuware Best of the Web Gold award winner. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit bestwestern.com.
*Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate.