Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek

Visitors to Denver are no doubt familiar with the downtown-adjacent districts, but there’s another secondary city center a few minutes’ drive to the south and east. Cherry Creek North, surrounded by upscale residential neighborhoods, is home to some fine shopping and nightlife, as well as — to give it its full name — Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek. Here all of Denver’s aspirational threads are woven together: glamorous but unpretentious design, a low-key and welcoming atmosphere, a couple of ambitious restaurants, plus a selection of activity-focused services and a rooftop pool with a view of the Rocky Mountains.

The rooms and suites are luxurious and loft-like, with full-length windows that admit more than enough of Colorado’s plentiful sunshine. Lavazza coffee makers and Jonathan Adler bath products are among the luxe details. Halcyon’s own in-house gym is augmented by guest passes to local yoga, barre, and cycling studios. The Gear Garage is stocked with sleds, snowshoes, skateboards, scooters, and New Belgium cruiser bikes. And to the already substantial Cherry Creek North restaurant scene Halcyon adds three options: the bistro-style Local Jones, the rooftop Rare Bird, and the perfectly self-explanatory Quality Italian.