Best Cheap Hotels in Denver for US Travelers

Denver’s hotel inventory is large enough that budget travelers usually have choices, especially if you are flexible on neighborhood and travel dates. Searches for stays in the city surface anywhere from roughly 473 hotels (momondo) to 594 hotels and places to stay (Booking.com), with listed starting rates from about $50 for hostels and basic motels to more than $450 for top-rated downtown properties. For Memorial Day weekend or any summer trip, the cheapest prices are most often found outside the immediate downtown core, in neighborhoods such as Sun Valley, Central Park, and near the airport, while walkable downtown and River North options tend to sit in a higher bracket.

This guide focuses on the lower-cost end of the market, using only pricing and property details that appeared in the fetched sources. Rates change frequently, so treat the numbers below as snapshots rather than guaranteed prices.

What “Cheap” Means in Denver Right Now

Fetched listings place Denver budget stays into three rough tiers:

• Under $70 per night: Hostels and freeway/airport motels dominate this tier. Momondo shows Hostel Fish at 1217 20th Street from about $50, Ember Hostel at 857 Grant Street from about $56, Hometowne Studios by Red Roof near Glendale/Cherry Creek from about $59, Ram comfort from about $58, Motel 6 Denver Federal Blvd at 3050 West 49th Avenue from about $58, and Motel 6 Denver – Airport at 12020 East 39th Avenue from about $67. Guest scores range from 5.9 to 8.3, so quality varies. These are best for solo travelers, backpackers, or anyone who needs a bed near I-70, Federal Boulevard, or Denver International Airport and does not expect full hotel service.
• About $120–$170 per night: This is where branded midscale hotels and suites appear. Drury Plaza Hotel Denver Central Park lists starting rates around $128 and is 17 miles from Denver International Airport in the Central Park neighborhood; it offers indoor and outdoor pools and free Wi-Fi. In Sun Valley, MainStay Suites Near Denver Downtown at 620 Federal Boulevard, Building B, starts around $137 with a 7.3 guest score, while Comfort Suites Near Denver Downtown in Building A starts around $149 and scores 7.6. Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown West at 1800 Federal Boulevard starts around $166 and scores 8.7. These suit families or travelers who want a standard hotel room with parking access and easy highway entry.
• Roughly $170–$330 per night: A few lifestyle and boutique properties fall here, which is cheaper than Denver’s top luxury properties but still a stretch for a strict budget. Life House Lower Highlands in LoHi is described as affordable with an app-based touchless check-in/concierge system and a drink program. The Ramble Hotel in River North is 1.2 miles from the Colorado Convention Center and has a fitness center. Limelight Hotel Denver sits 2,625 feet from Ball Arena and includes an on-site restaurant. These work best for travelers who prioritize neighborhood character and walkable dining over the absolute lowest nightly rate.

Downtown & River North: Walkable but Pricier

If your plan is to walk to Union Station, the 16th Street Mall, or the Colorado Convention Center, expect to pay more. The following top-reviewed downtown properties appeared in the sources, though most are not “cheap”:

• The Crawford Hotel sits “a few steps from Union Station,” with a fitness center, private parking, restaurant, and bar. Booking.com lists it from about $473 with a 9.3 score from 154 reviews. Guests have highlighted daily complimentary drinks and a convenient launch point for Rocky Mountain tours.
• The Rally Hotel at McGregor Square is in downtown and lists from about $317 with a 9.1 score from 258 reviews. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, private parking, room service, and free valet rides within roughly 2 km; a supermarket is about a five-minute walk away.
• Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center Hotel has a restaurant on site and is about a 10-minute walk from the Colorado Convention Center.
• The Ramble Hotel in River North Art District lists from about $329 with a 9.4 score from 147 reviews and offers a fitness center.

For travelers trying to keep costs down, downtown is better for one or two nights where you can avoid rental-car costs; for longer stays, a Central Park or Sun Valley property and occasional rideshare may cost less overall.

Airport & Central Park Sleepover

Flying in late or out early can make an airport-area room worth the extra distance from downtown. Drury Plaza Hotel Denver Central Park is 17 miles from Denver International Airport and was listed from about $128 with a 9.3 guest score from nearly 700 reviews. It has both an indoor and outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen satellite TVs in the rooms. Central Park is a quieter, residential-feeling area northeast of downtown, so this is a tradeoff: lower nightly rate and airport convenience versus a 20- to 30-minute drive to most downtown attractions.

Momondo also lists Motel 6 Denver – Airport at 12020 East 39th Avenue from about $67 with a 5.9 score, which is the cheapest airport-adjacent option in the fetched data but has a lower guest rating.

Hostels & Motels Under $70

The lowest rates in the sources are at hostels and older motels. In addition to Hostel Fish and Ember Hostel downtown-adjacent, Hometowne Studios by Red Roof Denver – Glendale/Cherry Creek at 4850 Leetsdale Drive starts around $59 and scores 4.2, which is the lowest-rated property in this tier. Ram comfort, at about $58, scores 7.3. Motel 6 Denver Federal Blvd at 3050 West 49th Avenue is listed around $58 with a 6.3 score.

This tier works for travelers who literally need a place to sleep and shower, but fetched reviews are mixed. The sources do not provide detailed room-condition information, so inspect recent guest photos and read current reviews before booking.

Lower Highlands & Golden Triangle Budget-Boutique Picks

Two of the more characterful lower-cost options come from Condé Nast Traveler’s Denver list:

• Life House Lower Highlands is set in the Lower Highlands (LoHi), a neighborhood highlighted for its bars, restaurants, and cooler local vibe. The hotel is described as affordable and uses a mobile app for touchless check-in, concierge messaging, and guest chat. Interiors reference Colorado wildflowers and cowboy history with Prussian blue, rusty red, mustard tones, honey-colored leather, and cowhide.
• The Acoma House is in the Golden Triangle Creative District, within about a five-minute walk of the Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum, Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art, Center for Colorado Women’s History, and History Colorado Center. Each room is artist-designed in a converted historic building.

Neither property is a roadside budget motel, but they are positioned as more affordable ways to stay in two of Denver’s most walkable cultural areas.

How to Choose

Fetched data suggests a few rules of thumb:

• Book early for Memorial Day weekend: Prices in the $100–$170 bracket can move quickly because Denver has limited inventory close to downtown. The $50–$70 tier tends to fill first because the absolute number of beds is small.
• Check total cost, not just nightly rate: Some downtown properties charge for parking, and U.S. News flagged a $27 nightly resort fee at Hotel Teatro, so resort or facility fees may apply at comparable downtown hotels.
• Match location to itinerary: Downtown hotels put you within walking distance of Union Station, the convention center, and Ball Arena. Central Park and airport hotels are better for late arrivals, early flights, or car-based exploration of the Front Range. Sun Valley and Federal Boulevard hotels require a car or rideshare to reach most museums.
• Read recent reviews: Source snippets contain broad guest scores, not detailed room-by-room conditions, so verify current cleanliness and maintenance issues before committing.

Editorial Disclosure

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Source Notes

• https://www.booking.com/city/us/denver.html
• https://www.momondo.com/hotels/denver
• https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-hotels-in-denver