The Best Places to Sleep at Denver International Airport

The holiday season is upon us, which means stuffed birds, decked halls, and a chance to listen to your aunt overshare about her chronic rash are all just a flight away. But the “most wonderful time of the year” also happens to be the “most stressful time to fly.”

Last year more than 1.6 million people lumbered through security at Denver International Airport between November 22 and December 29. So, like a good traveler, you arrived early to the airport this holiday season. Alas, your plane, flight crew, or some other air travel essential did not. Or maybe it finally decided to snow in Denver—right when your flight was scheduled for takeoff. Either way, it’s now well past the hour you should have landed, and there’s no end to this flight-mare in sight.

We feel for you—and we’ve been there. Whether you need to catch a quick catnap during a layover or your 9 p.m. flight has turned into a 9 a.m flight, here are a few places you can catch forty winks while you wait.

Rest and Recharge Area

• Best for: Free, quality sleep
• Where: Concourse A, mezzanine level, North side
• Hours: 24/7
• Cost: Free

Highlights: Welcome, weary traveler, to DIA’s designated spot for kicking back and relaxing during a lengthy layover—or attempting to lower your blood pressure when your flight to Chicago is postponed for the third time. Here, you’ll find about two dozen padded lounge chairs with partitions separating yours from the one behind you. There are also 12 high-backed loveseats (where you could lie horizontally if you don’t mind the fetal position). Outlets abound.

Downside: Snores-McGee might be resting on the lounger next to you.

Far ends of Concourses A, B, and C

• Best for: Crowd-free snoozing
• Where: Concourse A, Gates A14–18 and A80–84; Concourse B, Gates B8–12 and B69–71; Concourse C, Gates C23–26 and C63–66
• Hours: 24/7
• Cost: Free

Highlights: If you have the time (and are willing to make the effort) to trek to the farthest end of your concourse, you’ll likely be rewarded with relative peace and quiet. These gate areas leave the hubbub of each concourse’s central food court in the rearview mirror and offer a decent chance of finding the oversize chairs and plush-enough benches (which blessedly have no armrests) vacant. Bonus: You’ll have an unobstructed view of the planes lining up to take off down the runway, which provides screenless entertainment for your younger travel companions and a surprisingly calming ambient noisemaker if your eyelids get heavy.

Downside: Airport employees seem to head to these regions to watch TikTok videos on their breaks. Don’t expect them to use headphones.

Outdoor Patios

• Best for: An afternoon catnap
• Where: Concourse A, near Gate A15; Concourse B, near Gate B7; Concourse C, near Gate C67
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, weather permitting
• Cost: Free

Highlights: If bad weather isn’t the reason for your delay, then retreat to one of DIA’s three outdoor decks for a doze. All three offer considerable seating (including loveseats), plus fire pits to fend off the chill. Don’t worry: They’re non-smoking areas, so you won’t be inhaling fumes while you try to fall asleep. Fido and Mittens can relieve themselves nearby.

Downside: While you may not be breathing in cigarette smoke, calling the air “fresh” might be an exaggeration. After all, you are surrounded by fuel-guzzling planes lining up for takeoff. You’ll also want some noise-canceling headphones.

Capital One Lounge (Plaza Premium)

• Best for: Sleep and a shower
• Where: Concourse A, near Gate A34, mezzanine level
• Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
• Cost: Starting at $90 per person for non-Capital One cardholders; discounted rates and complimentary guest entry available for Venture, Venture X, Venture X Business, and Spark Miles cardholders

Highlights: If you’re stranded in DIA, the Capital One Lounge isn’t a bad place to be. Also known as the Plaza Premium Lounge, this space features shower suites, a parent’s room, and a full bar (nightcap, anyone?).To further help your tension level descend from apoplectic to merely annoyed, head to the front desk to reserve a“relaxation room,” which features reclining Restworks Energy Pods specifically designed for sleeping.

Downside: There’s a capacity limit. If the lounge is maxed out on guests, you’ll have to join a waitlist.

Read More: 7 Things We Love About the New Capital One Lounge Inside DIA

Airline Clubs

• Best for: Airline loyalists
• Where: Delta Sky Club in Concourse A on the pedestrian bridge from Jeppesen Terminal; United Club in Concourse A, near Gate A25, level four; United Clubs in Concourse B, Near Gates B32 and B44, both on level two; American Airlines Admirals Club in Concourse C, near Gate C30, mezzanine level
• Hours: Vary by club
• Cost: Rates vary by airline and passenger status levels

Highlights: You might not feel especially fond of your go-to air carrier when delays turn your travel plans topsy-turvy, but at least you can take advantage of their complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, squishy seating, and relative calm (at least compared to the rest of the airport’s hustle and bustle). Most also offer snacks and even cocktails, though you might pay a surcharge. Other perks: The American Airlines Admirals Club has conference rooms available; the two-level United Club in Concourse A boasts a ski lodge aesthetic complete with two fireplaces and custom pieces by local artists; and the Delta Sky Club promises “fresh and healthy food options.”

Downside: You’ll need to read the fine print (and the finer print) to figure out if you’re allowed to enter (some limit visits to three hours prior to an upcoming flight) and how big a dent those “free” snacks will put in your wallet.

Read More: 6 Things We Love About the New United Clubs at DIA

USO Denver

• Best for: Those affiliated with the military
• Where: Concourse A, level four
• Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
• Cost: Free

Highlights: Reopened this past June, USO Denver now has new furniture, a chalkboard wall where children of service members can show off their creativity, and a multimedia gaming center (complete with a trio of large TV monitors, each with its own gaming console). The standard food, beverage, and seating options are available, too. Open to serving military personnel and their dependents, military retirees with valid U.S. Department of Defense ID cards, and Gold Star Families/Families of the Fallen and their guests.

Downside: Inconveniently located for those flying out of Concourses B or C.

American Express Centurion Lounge

• Best for: Bougie travelers
• Where: Concourse C, near Gate C46, mezzanine level
• Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
• Cost: Membership only for American Express Platinum Card Members, Centurion Members, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members

Highlights: Visitors might enter the American Express Centurion Lounge frustrated like the rest of us plebians, but this 14,000-square-foot private club caters to elite credit cardholders (the Centurion card, for example, carries a $5,000 annual fee and is only available by invitation). Thus, expect the lounge’s luxury amenities to include a live-action cooking station, pool tables, and a full, premium bar stocked with liquor from Mile High Spirits and local beers. As a result, you’ll leave feeling like the Roman royalty (American Express and/or Delta) you are.

Downside: Your ego might not fit through the door.

The Westin Denver International Airport

• Best for: A full night’s sleep
• Where: South end of Jeppesen Terminal
• Hours: 24/7
• Cost: Starting around $315

Highlights: With pillow-top mattresses and floor-to-ceiling, soundproof triple-pane windows in each of the 519 rooms, there’s no question that the Westin DIA is the ideal sleep solution if there’s no chance your plane is leaving tonight—at least when cost is no object. Sweat out your stress on one of the fitness studio’s Peloton bikes, unwind in the heated indoor pool, then tuck into a real bed for a good night’s sleep. No need to set your alarm extra early; Jeppesen Terminal is only steps away.

Downside: Besides costs that soar sky high when demand rises? The hotel also books up quickly when flight delays are rampant.