There’s a new cowboy in Denver: Urban Cowboy, a 16-room boutique hotel in Capitol Hill’s historic George Schleier Mansion, officially opens its doors on Oct. 19.
The Brooklyn-based brand already launched its restaurant and bar, Urban Cowboy Public House, on Sept. 13. The cozy eatery, designed to evoke a 19th-century Denver saloon, serves slices from Roberta’s Pizza, a beloved Neapolitan pizza joint from Bushwick, in Brooklyn.
But the wow factor will come from the unique design elements that Urban Cowboy founders Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks have included in the rooms — something that mixes modern maximalism with the historic charm of the mansion building itself, built in 1886 during the Gilded Age.
Examples include custom-made and hand-pressed wallpaper, vintage pieces from the couple’s personal collection, and copper clawfoot tubs set in the bedrooms rather than the bathrooms.
“We stripped back 1980s office renovations to expose original elements like the hand-carved Bavarian staircase, ornate fireplaces and a hayloft from the property’s days as a carriage house,” Porter said. The renovations also revealed a hand-carved wooden bar.
“If you stay 16 times, that’s 16 different experiences,” Porter said.
Porter and Banks were approached by development firm GBX to revitalize the property. The building, originally designed by Denver architect Frank Edbrooke, was slated for demolition. However, the couple saw potential in the mansion’s original bones.
Unlike the brand’s other hotels, Denver’s Urban Cowboy includes an event space in what was once the carriage house’s hayloft. Banks, a Denver native, said they intend to rent it out for private events, wine tastings and pop-up markets. They also hope to team up with nearby businesses and spas to offer curated packages and in-room amenities like locally sourced mini-bar products.
Urban Cowboy is the company’s fourth hotel — the others are in Brooklyn, upstate New York and Nashville — and all of them cater to people who like unusual lodging. “Our guests are a mixture of people who follow us from hotel to hotel. They use Urban Cowboy as a base for things like exploring nature, going to concerts, business travel, skiing or snowboarding,” explained Porter. “They’re looking for a more unique point of view than what a Marriott or Hilton can offer.”
The restaurant and bar follow suit. The hotel’s cocktail program is helmed by Alex Jay, who brings her culinary background to Denver, focusing on fresh ingredients, house-made syrups, and simple but creative drinks. “We like to keep our cocktails fresh, balanced and approachable,” Jay said. “We juice everything fresh daily and make all our syrups and tinctures in-house.”
The cocktail menu includes favorites like The Mama Rita, a fresh twist on a classic margarita, and the Public House Old Fashioned. The bar also serves local beers and whiskey.
On the food side, Roberta’s Pizza has become an iconic New York spot, growing from its beginnings in a former auto body shop in Brooklyn into a culinary hub.
“We started in a rough-and-tumble part of NYC, but now we’re known for more than just pizza,” said Chris Ancona, Roberta’s director of operations. “When you visit Roberta’s, you come for the pizza but stay for the other innovative dishes.”
The collaboration with Urban Cowboy began during the early days of the pandemic when Porter connected with Roberta’s founders. A pop-up at Urban Cowboy’s Catskills location eventually led to this full-scale partnership, which Ancona says is a perfect cultural fit. “It’s all about being scrappy, rolling with the punches, and delivering an amazing guest experience,” he explained.
Roberta’s in Denver will offer its Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven imported from Italy as well as dishes like oxtail al forno.
Urban Cowboy is at 1665 Grant St., Denver. The bar is open Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to midnight.
