Tag Archives: McCormick’s Fish House

Glamour and Grandeur Alike at The Oxford Hotel

Picture 18Opened in 1891, The Oxford was Denver’s first hotel, and it’s still going strong. Built by brewing magnate Adolph Zang, it looks every part the stately Grand Dame, with its sumptuous marble-floored lobby and collection of Western art. But the 21st-century amenities are plentiful, including free WiFi, iPod docking stations, and plasma TVs in every room.

While the hotel’s richest jewel is the Art Deco–era Cruise Room, a visit to McCormick’s Fish House off the lobby may be in order just for a glimpse of the cathedral stained-glass panels lining the bar (and perhaps a round or two of oysters on the half-shell).

The Cruise Room: A Come-What-May Place

Picture 5It’s a suave moniker for a swanky joint. Not just old school but downright historic, The Cruise Room in The Oxford Hotel was downtown Denver’s first post-Prohibition bar. And it’s still every inch an Art Deco–era wonder—resplendent in red neon, leather, and chrome and replete with elegant murals, a classic jukebox, and natty bartenders who pour proper martinis (the real three-to-one deal, even if the rest of the cocktail list is a tad twee). Throw in some oysters on the half-shell from McCormick’s Fish House (located just across the lobby, it services the bar)—and prepare to lose yourself in retro reverie.