Step into the 1960s at Colfax’s newest motel
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DENVER — Colfax Avenue was Nathan Beal’s very first introduction to Denver. He moved to Denver from Atlanta in 2004, and after taking the wrong exit while driving into town for the first time, Beal and his wife ended up driving 40 miles along Colfax.
More than 20 years later, Beal is standing on the precipice of opening day of his latest project, La Vista Motel on Colfax and Hudson Street.
“Travel is the story of Colfax,” Beal said. “Colfax was what welcomed us to Denver, so doing a project in this area was always a goal for us.”
La Vista Motel, now open to the public, was built in 1956. Beal, a developer, purchased the property in 2022 and spent six months stripping it to the bones — removing all the flooring, walls, and most of the structural aspects of the building. More than three years later, the motel is open to the public, with most rooms starting at around $150 per night.
La Vista intends to bring a fresh perspective on the motel experience. The space is reminiscent of 60s Palm Springs.
Beal, a longtime developer in the area, says a project on Colfax was always a goal of his. Why the throwback vibe? It’s pretty simple — Beal likes vintage things.
“Old houses, old buildings, you name it,” Beal said. “I just really love the history of places, and we’re really proud of what we’ve restored here.”
The orange and heirloom-blue doors speckle the exterior of the two-story building, with interiors to match. The motel’s 23 rooms include ‘60s-style Frigidaire systems, hand-painted murals, and locally-sourced products like blankets and wall art. There’s even a roof deck with views that nods to the avenue’s nickname, “Gateway to the Rockies.”
“We see this as an asset to our community, with something for everyone to enjoy whether you’re traveling or not,” Beal said.
There have been more than 300 motels that have come and gone over the course of the avenue’s history — today some of these motels are dilapidated or abandoned. La Vista was no exception. The motel faced several closures prior to Beal purchasing the property, for reasons including crime, prostitution, and, in general, cleanliness.
“We had a lot of asbestos,” Beal said, laughing.
What followed was a complete rebuild of the space. Beal brought on design firm Xan Creative to curate the motel’s nostalgic aesthetic. You’ve likely seen Xan’s work before — they’re responsible for, among others, Snooze A.M. Eatery, Atomic Cowboy, and Illegal Pete’s.
At the time of publishing, La Vista’s Google Review sits at a 3.2 out of five stars — since Beal kept the old name of the building, he also inherited some of the old reviews.
“There was a lot of crime that happened here,” Beal said. “The city had shut down the motel by the time I bought it, and had been several times in its overall history.”
When asked about how he plans on keeping the motel from slipping into a state of disarray like other properties on the avenue, Beal points to the presence of El Piñon, the motel’s on-site coffee shop and bar. El Piñon is open to non-guests and features a basement that Beal hopes to use for community gatherings, such as book clubs or DJ nights.
“We love this neighborhood, so we’re happy to have the cafe employees here most of the time keeping an eye on the comings and goings, making sure that good things are happening here,” Beal said.
The East Colfax construction and traffic has been a bane for many commuting Denverites. The city is in the middle of a multi-year project to implement Bus Rapid Transit, which has a goal of expanding bus transit and improving public transit infrastructure along one of the city's main thoroughfares. Businesses along the avenue have felt the impact of limited accessibility, like Middleman bar, which closed permanently due to the construction’s impact on foot traffic, the owners said. Some businesses report up to a 50% decrease in business since the project started.
Beal says the orange cones and noisy trucks have been a non-issue for La Vista (which has also been under construction). In fact, Beal is feeling optimistic about the future of Colfax, especially in a post-construction world.
“Once all of this is complete, we’re going to have a great bus system, nice streets, more trees,” Beal said, standing on the roof deck of the motel looking out at the sea of orange cones. “We’re hoping the unique experience is enough to get people to come down to Colfax.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.