By Joe Carabello for Denverite
Amid the chaos of the transit construction project on East Colfax, a property known for its colorful, checkered history, is emerging as a revitalized landmark for the Bluebird District.
Developer Brian Toerber bought the aging, neglected All Inn Motel for $3.55 million at auction in 2016. After a decade of work, he is unveiling a $22 million reimagining of the accommodations, with a focus on food and beverage — and a deserving name change from the All Inn Motel to All Inn Hotel.
The hotel recently began hosting guests, and its restaurant, FiNO, opened March 18. Its reopening marks the end of a tumultuous 10-year journey for Toerber.
“I won’t meddle with day-to-day operations, but I look forward to breaking bread with customers, travelers and staff,” he said. “I enjoy every moment I’m here.”
And for local leaders, it couldn’t come soon enough. Retailers like Pete’s Greek Town and the iconic Starbucks “barn” went out of business after long runs in the neighborhood. Many small retail shops have gone vacant, and homelessness has proliferated for years.
“In the years during and since the pandemic, we’ve seen this stretch of Colfax struggle, and this hotel represents a new chapter,” said Ellen Roth, president of the South City Park Neighborhood Association.
Restoring mid-century vibes
Stepping into the redesigned space will transport visitors to the mid-century vibe of the property’s first inhabitant: the Fountain Inn, described as a “luxury motor hotel” when it opened in 1959.
The building also hosted Rockbar, a raucous hipster bar, from 2005 to 2012, named for its rock walls and infamous for its parties.
Today, the restoration by designer Abigail Plantier, founder of Maximalist Experience Design and investment partner with Toerber, mixes nostalgia with modern amenities.
“Many of Denver’s top tourist destinations are in close proximity to the All Inn,” said Toerber, who views the Colfax corridor as a hotel desert. “City Park, the Museum of Nature & Science, the Denver Zoo, Denver Botanic Gardens, and the Cherry Creek shopping district are all within one mile.”
Planning for Colax’s transit future
Toerber said he priced the rooms to compete with hotels in Cherry Creek and downtown. He’s confident the avenue’s new bus rapid transit line will draw guests who are visiting the Colorado Convention Center and other destinations.
The All Inn property has an exceptionally large parking lot for this stretch of Colfax, which should appeal to tour-bus operators who struggle to find parking near the Bluebird, Ogden, and Fillmore venues.
“And National Jewish Health is a neighbor that has already expressed anticipation for a decent hotel to accommodate its out-of-town patients and visitors,” said Toerber.
Nine lives for lemons
The hospitality team is led by industry veteran Steven Waters, creator of Take Care Brands, a hospitality firm.
Waters’ portfolio includes projects in New York City and Denver, including Run For The Roses, a quaint underground cocktail lounge in the Dairy Block complex.
Consulting chef Sheamus Feeley will oversee a coastal Mediterranean restaurant named FiNO, featuring shared-plate, seasonally driven selections, honoring the aperitivo tradition of gathering, relaxing, and lingering over a casual meal.
Its wine program will also be featured in a 6,000-square-foot wine and music garden, opening later this spring. And it will all be done by zero-waste principles, according to management. Lemons at FiNO’s bar will live ‘nine lives’, with oleo saccharum and oils from the peels used in housemade limon-cello.
Toerber hopes food and beverage sales will make up 40% of revenue. All is Well, a combination coffee bar and lobby bar, also will serve casual food.
“I had to convince lenders who were skeptical about hotel revenue to throw out their generic business model,” Toerber said. “My hospitality project just happens to live in a hotel. Neighbors, upscale dining and bar patrons, and live music enthusiasts will generate the bulk of our revenue.”
Hard-earned historic status
Abigail Plantier’s design honors the building’s recognition by the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado Historical Foundation, which helped to secure state and federal tax credits. That required a time-consuming process of matching design elements like the original guest room windows.
The “sliding windows are no longer available, but we were fortunate to find a quarry that had the same, distinctive rock used in the building’s construction,” Plantier said.
“Its imperfections are part of its story,” Plantier said. “And we can celebrate its style without replicating it. When we choose adaptive reuse instead of knocking down an older building, we create a new experience.”
Guest room décor features sculptural lamps, upholstered headboards, and burlwood nightstands. Plantier’s team repurposed vintage elements and reclaimed pieces from the 1960s, like bar carts and hand-knotted rugs.
“Nothing out of a catalog . . . no stamp-and-repeat here,” Plantier said.
The building’s covered guest dropoff structure even found new life. Known as a porte-cochère, it has been redesigned as an outdoor space — with views of the people, parties and life on Colax Avenue.
If you go…
3015 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO, 80206 | 303-284-4545 | Open daily 5 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Rooms starting at $200/night
