It’s not often I rave about anything in Broomfield, the suburban Denver town and next door neighbor of Boulder.   Locally it’s best known for Flatiron Crossing, a sprawling mega mall complex with the ubiquitous chain restaurants spoking out from it’s hub.  My favorite part of Broomfield is right on highway 36, as you reach the crest of the last hill before descending into the Boulder valley.  You’re treated to a beautiful vista of snow capped mountains above the famous Flatiron rocks.   In fact the westbound “viewing area” exit off highway 36 still remains for tourists to look down at the geographic beauty of the well known college town.

The Denver Business Journal reports construction will begin in 2008 on the new “Loft Hotel,” one of the first three to open including Plano (Dallas,) Texas and Providence, Rhode Island.  They plan to have 50 hotels by 2010 around the U.S.

For business travelers on Denver’s northwest side this is sure to be a nice change from the usual sterile corporate hotels that are plunked down near the office parks.   For tourists visiting Boulder, especially students at C.U.,  it may draw those looking for a high end designer appeal.  By local standards I consider Broomfield a hike from downtown Denver, however if the popular RTD “B” bus line stops near the Loft Hotel, and if a Fastracks commuter rail station is located nearby, (some years away,)  that will certainly add to the accessibility factor.

NYLO hotels feature red brick and glass construction, 11-foot ceilings, extra-large windows and custom furnishings. They also will have flat-screen TVs, free high-speed Internet connections as well as CD and DVD players.   The heart of each hotel will be “The Loft” common area, where guests can have cocktails, check e-mail, read the paper and relax. Other hotel amenities range from gym with steam rooms and business center to restaurant/bar and game room.   Started in 2005, NYLO offers what it calls a new class of hotel with spacious 300-square-foot, loft-type rooms at affordable rates of $115 to $135 per night, according to Hospitality Net. The company initially said its hotels would cost $90,000 a room to build, putting the Broomfield property at roughly $16 million.