Public Gets First Look Inside The New Westin Hotel At DIA
By Mark Taylor
DENVER (CBS4) - From the outside we've been looking at it for months. Its shape intended to look like the wings of a bird in flight, much like the ones a pilot wears. Now for the first time the public is getting a look inside the Westin Hotel, just days before its grand opening.
"I think it's a beautiful building, I think they've done a great job," Coloradan Larry Martin said, who was just one person who came to see the hotel early. "I think it's impressive, a nice feature for the city."
The 519-room hotel and conference center features sleek modern design, two ballrooms, restaurants, a fitness center and heated pool. It also has an 82,000 square-foot open air plaza where organizers hope to hold annual events like art shows and concerts.
PHOTO GALLERY: The New Westin Hotel At DIA
"We are loving the view from the pool, if you haven't seen it, it's gorgeous," said Lisa, who brought her 8-year-old daughter Summer.
"I like the pool," Summer added.
"Around 90 percent of the all the companies that worked on this project are local," Program Manager Stu Williams said.
Williams said from the building and materials to the artwork, the hotel is Colorado inspired. The windows are all triple pane glass.
"You don't hear aircraft taking off," Williams added.
Creators hope the hotel, particularly its plaza area, becomes a draw for all those in Colorado, drawing those all across the Front Range to Denver International Airport not just to fly.
"We think that this complex truly is unique and makes DIA even a greater airport," Williams said.
Mark Taylor is a weekend morning anchor and reporter with CBS4 news covering a wide variety of stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkTaylor_TV.