A 1902 Denver Hostel Reimagined as an Artist-Driven Boutique Hotel and Event Venue
When Christina and Mike Eisenstein acquired a run-down 1902 hostel at 1114 Acoma Street, the building had housed communal lodgers for more than a century — with shared bathrooms, minimal amenities, and a structure that had seen better days. Their vision was entirely different: a boutique hotel in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, where every room would be a commissioned work of art, designed by a local artist with near-total creative freedom.
Same Team, Start to Finish
CSHQA Principal Jesse Goldman and Project Manager Lily Valentine led the architectural work, a project with a particularly fitting backstory. Goldman previously owned Pendentive, LLC, the firm that prepared the preliminary design plans, and Valentine had been his only employee before both joined CSHQA. The preliminary vision and the architectural execution came from the same minds.
The scope was demanding. Converting a communal hostel into a boutique hotel meant reconfiguring the entire plumbing layout, removing corridor-accessed shared restrooms, and building 24 private en suites, one per guest room. Kitchens were reconfigured across multiple units. A detailed code study uncovered and resolved multiple compliance gaps in the existing structure. ADA improvements included a new ramp at the alley entry and a fully accessible ground-floor unit.
Local Artists
Thirty local artists designed 24 guest rooms and all common spaces, from the exterior facade to the mechanical room to the laundry room, each working with near-total creative freedom. CSHQA’s architectural work created the code-compliant, structurally sound framework that made the artistic vision achievable. The Eisensteins selected the artists, finishes, and final fixtures; the result is a property that feels less like a hotel and more like a museum you can sleep in.
National Attention
The Acoma House opened in fall 2023 and immediately drew national attention. Condé Nast Traveler named it among Denver’s most distinctive properties. 5280 Magazine profiled the design process and the artists behind the rooms. The project is now recognized as one of the Mountain West’s standout examples of adaptive reuse — a historic building given a second life that honors both its neighborhood and the creative community that defines it.
Space Next Door
A year later, the Eisensteins brought CSHQA back for the space next door. At 1110 Acoma, an adjacent retail unit was converted into an art gallery and event venue. CSHQA conducted code research, feasibility analysis, architectural drawings, space measurements, and layout recommendations — and produced a full 3D BIM model with event renderings to bring the concept to life before construction began. The venue now primarily serves as a wedding and private event destination, extending the Acoma House experience across both properties.
The Acoma House and its adjacent event venue are open and welcoming guests and bookings. Explore the hotel at theacomahouse.com, or inquire about events and private celebrations at The Acoma House Events.
Photography © TJ Romero, Architectural Storytelling
