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Fire torches Brown Palace’s Thanksgiving events

The Brown Palace in Denver, known for its extravagant holiday celebrations, has cancelled its Thanksgiving meal events and remains closed to guests following a structure fire.

It comes at what’s arguably the busiest season of the year for the iconic Denver landmark.

Brown Palace General Manager Nick Moschetti said Tuesday the fire did not damage the hotel’s infrastructure, but did affect the boilers — which supply heat and hot water to the hotel. The fire was Thursday.

The hotel has temporarily suspended all its operations, Moschetti said. Officials cancelled Thanksgiving dinner at all of the dining outlets as well as existing holiday tea reservations. The facilities are scheduled to reopen Saturday, including Breakfast with Santa in Ellyngton’s, Moschetti said.

“As of now, The Brown Palace will be reopening Ellyngton’s Restaurant, Ship Tavern and Tea Service beginning Saturday morning,” Moschetti said. “We are expecting our sleeping rooms to reopen for reservations on Monday.”

The Denver Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Palace, which is located in downtown Denver at 17th Street and Tremont Place, Thursday night.

Crews found the active fire at about 11:36 p.m. in the hotel’s basement, officials said. To access the fire, firefighters had to gain access through a 130-year-old chimney.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire and did not report any injuries, they wrote in a tweet.

The Brown Palace has a long history in Denver, first opening in 1892 with 400 guest rooms available for between $3 and $5 a night. Now, the hotel has 243 guest rooms and is known in Denver for afternoon tea, the annual champagne tower to kick off the holiday season in early November and as the final destination for the longhorns in the National Western Stock Show kickoff parade every January. The hotel is part of Marriott International’s Autograph collection.

This exterior shot of The Brown Palace shows its unique triangular shape, arched windows, and the red-sandstone-block architecture. Gazette file
This exterior shot of The Brown Palace shows its unique triangular shape, arched windows, and the red-sandstone-block architecture. Gazette file


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