Aer Lingus FAM Trip Touches Down in Denver with Irish Travel Trade

ITTN’s Katie is joining the Aer Lingus fam trip to Denver, Ivan Beacom from Aer Lingus is leading the group that also includes Linda Ryan (Click and Go Holidays), Caoimhe Miley (American Holidays), Lorraine Kenny (Sunway), Leah Adams (Travel Solutions Belfast), Aileen Clancy (Cassidy’s) and Roger Barrett, from Travel Counsellors.

The group flew out on the 15.25 service that Aer Lingus operates from Dublin to Denver four days per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays) onboard an Airbus A330 aircraft. The 9-hour, 50-minute flight flew by with great entertainment onboard, full meal service and attentive staff – but more on that next week as Katie gives you a full report on the Dublin-to-Denver route (and takes her very first business class flight on the way home!) 

On arrival in Denver, the group took the A-line train from the airport on a swift 35-minute ride into the centre of Denver (costing $10) where they arrived in to the beautiful Union Station. The renovated 1914 Beaux-Arts train station is home to chef-owned restaurants, bars and boutiques alongside the 112-room Crawford Hotel. The food offerings range from Japanese and Korean Barbeque to burgers, sandwiches and salads – with an art-deco bar that is the perfect introduction to Denver’s downtown.

For their two nights in Denver, the group stayed at the Oxford Hotel – a two-minute stroll from the station. With roots dating back to the 19th century, the hotel offers a unique historic charm with a deep mahogany lobby, and classic artwork hanging on the walls. The 80 guest rooms and suites are spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the redbrick of Denver’s downtown, the rooms offer a coffee machine, luxurious bedding, a full-screen TV and complimentary fast Wi-Fi. The hotel has a knack for reimagining the old building with delightful quirks – guests are given physical keys for their rooms; in the bedroom, there’s a stack of books to fill the unused fireplace and a bottle of bourbon sitting on the mantlepiece. On the fourth floor, guests can write postcards to their friends and family – and the hotel will send it off free-of-charge. Every evening, there’s a free bourbon tasting in the lobby and breakfast consists of lovely treats that get everyone ready for their adventurous day ahead. The staff are kind and welcoming, happy to help at every stage – whether it’s a bar recommendation or an activity booking. The hotel has been rewarded for their attention to detail – it was named Travel + Leisure’s “Favorite Hotel in Denver” for 2024. Find out more here: https://www.theoxfordhotel.com/\

On their first full day in the city, the Aer Lingus fam group of agents were treated to a classic Americana breakfast at The Original Denver, an upscale diner within the Rally Hotel. On the menu was all the American staples – pancake stacks, French toast, steak and eggs, bagels and Roger from TC was brave enough to order (and finish in its entirety) the Smothered Breakfast Burrito! https://www.theogdenver.com

The restaurant and hotel are located in McGregor Square right beside the Coors Field ballpark – home of the Colorado Rockies. In the square, a large sports screen hosts sports entertainment every night and hundreds show up to watch everything from baseball to American Football, cricket to soccer – and it was jammed yesterday evening as Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in the World Cup. For sports enthusiasts it’s a must: there’s a $15 ticket charge to sit down and watch the game but full table service is offered from the restaurants (including the Original) that look out on the square.

After breakfast, the group were taken on a wonderful bus tour of Denver by Alyce from Discover Denver Tours. A perfect way to experience the sprawling city – the group travelled from downtown all the way to the city limits. Here, travel agents learned about some key aspects of Denver that they should highlight to their clients:

• 16th Street is the 1.25-mile pedestrian promenade that connects the Civic Center to Union Station – lined with over 200 shops, restaurants and outdoor patios. The transport bus that rides up and down the street, stopping at every block every ten-to-fifteen minutes and is free for tourists and locals alike. At Larimer Square, half way down the promenade, you can enjoy a plethora of restaurant and bar options alongside street entertainment.

• The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the largest performing arts complex under one roof and it’s the second-largest of its kind in terms of numbers of venues and seating capacity – this is the cultural hub of the Mile High City and visitors can check out what’s on for their stay at https://www.denvercenter.org/

• While the Convention Center in Denver hosts everything from the Great American Beer Festival to the Denver Sportsmen’s Show – here visitors can also see the famous art installation of Denver’s 40-foot Big Blue Bear by Lawrence Argent – a fixture for tourism in the city.

• Across Colorado’s capital, the city celebrates local and international art. Every year, the city puts 1% of its annual budget to art commissions that come in the form of sculptures, graffiti and paintings. There’s an abundance of art galleries from the Denver Art Museum to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museo de Las Americas and the Clyfford Still Museum.

• In the RiNo district (stands for River North), visitors can see the famous murals and graffiti commissioned by the government that make for a vibrant area for wandering tourists. Here, renowned international and American artists celebrate their art styles and culture in a variety of formats from spray paint to hand-drawn paintings. The streets are covered in art for blocks, and everyone will find one mural that speaks to them specifically. One of the must-sees is Shepard Fairey’s mural – the artist known for creating the famous Barak Obama Hope portrait. His Power & Equality mural stretches the full side of a building and attracts thousands of tourists to the district every year.

• In the RiNo district, a must-stop-spot for food and a sit down is the Central Denver Market, that features 11 vendors from chocolatiers to a pizzeria, a smoothie station and a sports bar that plays the game of the day.

• The Colorado State Capital building peeks out over the skyline across Denver with its gold dome that is gilded with real 24-karat gold commemorating the Colorado Gold Rush that made the city what it is today. The seat of the state government is most famous for its ‘Mile High’ marker on its 13th step, and visitors can tour the inside for free on first-come-first-served guided tours.

• Yesterday, the group also had the opportunity to visit the Denver City Park – a 330-acre area that offers green lawns and stretching lakes, a variety of sculptures paying homage to the city’s history that is also home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Alongside the tennis courts, baseball, football and soccer fields – local Denverites come here to walk and picnic, sit under trees and catch-up with friends and have yoga and meditation classes. There’s even an 18-hole golf course that is free to book in – as the hills roll down, this spot offers a glorious view of the Rocky Mountains against the skyline of Colorado’s Central Business District with its uniquely shaped skyscrapers.

The Mile High Culture Pass ($41 for 3 days) is a must for those looking to experience the full wealth of museums on offer in the city that include: The Mile High Culture Pass admits you to 9 participating attractions once over the course of 72 consecutive hours. The pass is activated at the first attraction visited. Attractions include, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, History Colorado Center, Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, American Museum of Western Art, Molly Brown House Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art and a discount to the Centre for Colorado Women’s History. Find out more here:  https://visitdenver.com/listing/mile-high-culture-pass/

For travel agents looking to know more about the Colorado capital – the Visit Denver website offers great resources for learning, networking and connection at https://visitdenver.com/travel-trade/

A big thank you to Lisa Bruening, Senior Tourism Sales Manager and Flávia Light Vice President of Visit Denver for their warm welcome as the group heads out of the city for more adventures today!