Free cookie consent management tool by TermsFeed

Hostel Fish, Denver

1217 20th St, Denver, CO 80202, USA (show on map)

Located in Denver’s historic Ballpark neighborhood, Hostel Fish is a high-end, boutique hostel that completely flips the script on budget travel. It occupies the upper two floors of the iconic, red-brick Airedale Building. Built in 1889 by architect Fredrick Carl Eberley, this landmark originally opened as Kopper’s Hotel & Saloon and is a rare commercial example of ornate Queen Anne architecture.

The building itself has a wild and storied past, at various points functioning as a saloon, a beer bottling plant, and even a notorious brothel. Today, the street level directly beneath the hostel is home to Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox—a popular, multi-story live music venue and restaurant.

Inside, the hostel feels like a contemporary art gallery, featuring custom murals and quirky design elements like a massive, golden fish-scale ornament reflecting light from a third-story skylight. Each of the eleven rooms is styled after a distinct theme; guests can stay in the Aspen Room, which pays homage to Colorado’s mountain culture with antique skis and a snowboard bench, or the nostalgia-heavy, 1940s-inspired Paris Room.

The location is ideal for sports and culture lovers, sitting just a short blocks-long walk from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, and the National Ballpark Museum. Other legendary Lower Downtown (LoDo) attractions, including the historic Larimer Square, the 16th Street Mall, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, are all within easy striking distance.

Expert reviews

Lonely Planet review:

“This swanked-out hostel is an oasis for budget travelers. Stylish, modern and squeaky clean, dorms have themes – Aspen, Graffiti, Vintage Biker – and sleep five to 10 people in bunks. Mattresses are thick and duvets plush.”

Guest rating

4.4 out of 5.0

Ranked 9th in Denver


This an aggregated guest review rating of Hostel Fish, Denver. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a guest review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0


What guests liked


Value for Money

89.85 %

Ranked 7th in Denver


We use a smart algorithm to determine the value for money each hotel offers. The score is based on a combination of aggregated guest review ratings and the average nightly rate. The higher the percentage, the better the overall value you receive for the price you pay.


Location

Recent guest reviews

4.5
Fenny

10 July 2025

Good place to stay within budget

Location is prime. Close to larimer square, denver central market, 16th street mall and they are within walking distance. Restaurants also nearby. Close to union station

None

3.5
Sofia

30 June 2025

Great location and hostel!

Super flexible with check-in which I really appreciated (my flight landed at 1am!). Also stored my bags after check-out.

I loved the women-only / male-only bathroom concept and felt safe as a solo female traveller

Had everything I needed and looked stylish! Also liked the fact they gave you complimentary ear buds when requested.

Reception desk was rarely manned and had to ask staff at the bar to assist on several occasions.

Wish there was more ventilation in the rooms as guest odours lingered and made it hard to sleep at times.

Was fine for a few nights, but I stayed for 4 and I think for me that was too much. Of course a lot of that is down to who you’re sharing with and not the hostel itself

4.5
Tony

29 June 2025

Great place to stay, but bring ear plugs:)

Love the location, decor, cleanliness and cost.

Wish the other travelers would think about the others in the dorms because they seem to think they're at home at all manner of the night and don't take into consideration other people sleeping. This is in no way the fault of the hostel, just inconsiderate people.

4.0
Ryan

30 May 2025

A relaxed stay in an excellent location

Clean room, bathrooms, and helpful staff. There’re some negative sentiments related to the noise of music etc., but with some headphones I didn’t think this was an issue, even in a room close to the entrance/bar. Might be a problem for extra light sleepers. Overall excellent stay, excellent location.

4.5
Yolanda

29 April 2025

If you like character and a solid cool vibe then this hostel is for you.

I enjoy that this hostel is located downtown and everything is within walking distance. The beds are pretty comfortable and the set up is nice. This hostel has it's own vibe and I like the room with all the globes and the old wallpaper from the original brothel.

The kitchen was a hot mess. Though this is collective living the staff could have done better about keeping everything clean. There is also no stove and the plug in burner takes a hot minute to heat up. I wish they offered free breakfast.

4.5
Shandi

6 April 2025

Stay here over a hotel !

It was very nice that we were able to check our bags in before real check-in at 3 PM so that way we did not have to leave our luggage in the car or hold around downtown as we walked. The staff were very nice and accommodating and the facilities were not only very cute and stylish, but very clean and comfortable. Also, this is the PERFECT
location to stay

Other than the parking situation, I do not have complaints.

3.5
Ebo

12 February 2025

Was cool but they can improve

The trash can in my room was full for 2days and not emptied.
Was disappointed as the management seemed to be on top of things

4.0
Jessica

12 January 2025

Good for one night

The common area was set up well, though there was never really anyone there. The room was decent and good for a one night stay. Nice and quiet. Short walk to main attractions.

There were a few times we needed something from reception but there was never anyone there. There were no towels or hairdryer in the private room but we asked reception and they accommodated. Few stains on the sheets.

4.5
Victoria

11 January 2025

Great spot in Denver!

I'm a thick human- and they had me on a top bunk, I felt secure getting up there/down the ladder. The bed space has a railing so you don't fall out, a curtain for privacy/light elimination, it has an outlet + a fan and heavy blankets. All in all it's a great place. The bathrooms are code locked, clean, bright, and spacious.

They are a Hostel/Bar so be mindful that there will be music playing on the lower levels. They don't have a designated parking place but there's on street parking and pay-for-parking lots nearby.

4.5
Matías

23 December 2024

will definitely comeback again

best value for money spent
friendly and welcoming vibe
it has a bar that plays very good music, a must for me

the floor underneath my bed was not clean, everything else was nice

4.0
Berenice

15 October 2024

Great, fun place - wish I could have stayed longer... I may be back! Sooo close to Coors Field ;)

Staff were great - very helpful. Rooms were good - privacy curtains a must in hostels!! The bar was very busy (and got busier) but TBH you couldn't really hear any exterior noise when the door was closed (must have good insulation).

I had a big case with me and it wasn't that easy to navigate the streets to the hostel.

4.0
Wang

7 October 2024

I sleep well

Location

Pillow sheets too dirty and also I prefer to take the cotton material.

4.0
Piyawadee

30 September 2024

Pleasant to stay except the loud noise from bar.

Location, cleanliness, thick comfortable mattress and it’s curtain, quality of tissue paper, provide shampoos, conditioner and soap

The very loud noise of bar upto 3 am. Hard to sleep and woke me up from joyful screaming

4.5
Evelyn

17 September 2024

Will come back!

This hostel has the comfiest beds I have ever slept in, I wish I could've stayed more nights! The staff was friendly although not always easy to find. I loved the atmosphere with the bar & common area.

The area had a lot of homeless people which can be scary to some. I didn't mind them but if you do, choose a different stay.

4.5
Dorottya

15 August 2024

The vibes were really great during my stay and I actually made friends. It was awesome :)

It was a commercial hostel experience where you really could make friends with fellow backpackers along the way. I also loves that there were take it or leave it boxes. The bathrooms were super clean!

I got a bit scared when we arrived at the location, but there was no problem during my stay. The ventilation in the rooms wasn't the best, but it wasn't unbearable.

4.0
Shamsa

8 August 2024

Good for a solo trip with a comfy bed top lay if you’re just there to sleep!

Solid unique spot with a friendly staff and great company from other visitors!

People kept leaving the bedroom door open. A man tried getting into my bed and I had to yell at him waking up the other bunkers for him to stop getting in my bed. Homeless population was pretty gnarly and even if it’s not the hostels fault it was a little sketchy every time I left the building.

4.0
Noble

1 July 2024

Glad i stayed, nice helpful staff

Cool decor, and nice spacious rooms

Showing signs of being an old building, to be expected

4.0
Robert

1 July 2024

Decent hostel with a great bar in a good location. Rooms comfortable, bathrooms could be cleaner.

Nice hostel close to downtown. Great social bar and kitchen attached. Rooms quite clean and beds fairly comfortable.

Loud music played through the hostel until after midnight. Bathroom, especially showers, were not very clean.

3.5
Michelle

22 June 2024

Enjoyed the Hostel very clean restroom / shower area. Common area was great.

I loved the location of the Hostel it was located in the city However chose your journey cautiously.
Paid $5. for a 1:00 pm checkout.
4 Blocks from Coors Field (Rockies). 👍🏼👍🏼🫶🏼

Female room bed of 6 the others guest arriving very late not so Quite nor considerate.
Preparing to leave I pulled on the bed sheet uncovering the mattress cover and it had dried blood stains! Made me feel sick that I slept on that. SMH YUCK 🤮. Bed quilt reused after other guest checked out. Male staff cleaning All Female room while guest in their private area. Not good. BUT worth the $$ if you don’t mined certain things. Need a small table to place clean clothes when showering. 👍🏼✌🏼

4.5
Ira

26 May 2024

Good stay in Denver.

Free Wi-Fi with good connection. Good breakfast. Very nice staff and answered my questions before my travel. Close to Union Station where 24 hrs good connection to the airport. Good bus connections to the Oriental Theater. Clean room, bed and toilets. I will stay here again if will visit Denver.

Everything was good.

4.0
Anup

26 May 2024

Overall a great stay, except the toilet issue

Great location, amazing staff, bar on site, comfy bed.

The shower was great, but the water didn't drain for the duration of the shower. My last day had puddles of water in both the shower cubicals and water flowing out.

4.5
April

11 May 2024

Unbelievable value and thoughtful staff.

Staff was pleasant and the shared bathrooms were well kept. They continually checked to ensure needs were being met. Located in the heart of downtown without being in the middle of the chaos that can happen. Even better priced than expected.

An option for good coffee would be nice.

4.5
Hema

25 April 2024

Great location, clean room and space to work

The check-in and checkout process was smooth and simple. We got the King room and it was spacious, with a large bed, two bedside tables and a chair. The bathroom was stocked with towels, soap, shampoo and body wash. Everything was quite clean. Also at the bar there are seats and space to work if you need to.

It would have been helpful to have a table or something in the room where we could put our backpacks, clothes and other items, rather than the floor or the chair in the corner. Also, sound travels quite well through the hostel, it was quite loud until late at night due to the bar, but a good tradeoff for the location & price!

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Bar
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)

Outdoors

  • - Terrace

General

  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Lift
  • - Heating
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning
  • - Designated smoking area
  • - Vending machine (drinks)
  • - Vending machine (snacks)
  • - Shared lounge/TV area
  • - Adults only

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Activities

  • - Skiing
  • - Games room
  • - Table tennis
  • - Darts
  • - Hiking
  • - Nightclub/DJ (additional charge)
  • - Evening entertainment (additional charge)
  • - Temporary art galleries
  • - Pub crawls (additional charge)
  • - Movie nights
  • - Walking tours
  • - Happy hour
  • - Live music/performance
  • - Live sport events (broadcast)

Reception services

  • - Tour desk
  • - Luggage storage
  • - Concierge service
  • - Lockers

Ski

  • - Ski storage

Kitchen

  • - Shared kitchen

Entertainment & family services

  • - Board games/puzzles

Parking

  • - Street parking

Miscellaneous

  • - 24-hour security
  • - Key card access
  • - Smoke alarms
  • - CCTV in common areas
  • - Fire extinguishers
  • - Delivered food is securely covered
Check availability 33£29$41¥4346C$31A$31HK$321S$54SFr38¥260kr338kr247kr319