Hotel Monaco050

Hotel Monaco bills itself as a "boutique hotel," but that doesn't mean it's too fancy or hip for families. The eye-catching decor - think wildly bright stripes and checkerboard patterns - appeals instantly to the kid in all of us.

The hotel was created by combining two of Denver's historic buildings and is situated in the heart of the city's downtown hub-bub, right off the 16th Street Mall.

The hotel caters to both kids and pets. Families can take advantage of complimentary-loan cribs or playards (request at time of reservation) and in-room safety kits. Kids are presented with special KimptonKids welcome gifts upon check-in, while comment cards just for kids are provided so that kids can have a say about their stay too. Finally, the concierge or front desk staff can make arrangements for accredited babysitting services and rental of additional items such as strollers. Games can be checked out at the front desk.

Guests are invited to scratch and pet the house mascot, Georgie Mac, a Shih-Tzu canine who carries the distinct title of Director of Pet Relations. All pets are welcome; pet-less travelers can actually "borrow" a goldfish from the front desk!