Cai and I love a good hostel and have stayed in quite a few all over the world. Although there is sometimes a preconceived notion of hostels, if you do your research, a hostel can be one of the highlights of your trip! So, when we had a quick stop in Denver, CO before visiting our family in New Mexico we decided to look into hostels and found Ember! IT WAS AMAZING!

We’ve stayed in both private rooms and dorms, but we’ve never stayed at a hostel that made the dorm life feel as private and comfortable as Ember did. We stayed in one of their co-ed dorms with 6 bunks. Ember provided all the linens including towels, had plenty of storage space for our luggage and everything was spotless. Each bunk has its own light, outlet and privacy curtain. We’ve actually never stayed in a hostel that had a privacy curtain and let me tell ya, it’s a game changer! Your dormmates can come in and out without completely disturbing you when they turn on the room lights and you have your own privacy while you sleep.

Likewise the showers and bathrooms are all private stalls or full bathrooms complete with rainfall shower heads, sinks and mirrors. We honestly had less privacy in our college dorms, haha! These spaces were also always super clean. For all you hostel newbies or skeptics, Ember Hostel will take all your precautions away.

Now, onto the amenities! Free coffee and espresso, a full kitchen, laundry on-site, wifi, hair dryers, ironing stations, a fire pit, a twelve person hot tub, concierge service, and a curated list of fun things to do in the area each day.

The lounge is perfectly curated with intriguing design aspects everywhere you turn and is a great spot to meet fellow travelers. Everyone we met at Ember was super friendly and full of interesting conversation. One guest even helped us with our photography and took the photos of Cai and I playing Connect Four below!

The Ember team was also so friendly, nice, welcoming and helpful. They were always approachable and happy to help with anything you might need or just to ask you how your day was going. They set an awesome tone for the typical “social vibe” of a hostel, but maintained the service of a boutique hotel.

Finally, the location is right in Capitol Hill with the beautiful capitol building just down the road. It is walking distance from most everything you’d need and is a short drive away from all the spots in Denver you’d want to explore.

10/10 we’d recommend.