Recession be damned: The price for a "superior room" at downtown Denver's new Four Seasons Hotel [2] is $335 under standard rates. An introductory offer [3] from the swanky hotel, however, allows you to grab one for a mere $180. The ribbon-cutting for the 239-room lodging—with 102 private residences, a spa, a pool deck with a bar, and a steakhouse—at 1111 14th St. was held yesterday, with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper taking part in the hoopla. Thierry Kennel, general manager of the hotel, tells  9News [4], "Denver's been very, very good at embracing us and welcoming us, and so we're just proud to be here."

Westword [5] offers a historical walking tour of sorts, pointing out that the new hotel is a mere jaunt from the old buildings of Larimer Square, which survived the city’s wrecking-ball-happy phase a generation ago thanks to the efforts of preservationists like Dana Crawford.