Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver [In-Depth Review]

I stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver with my family of 5 in mid-October 2023. It was a great stay and delivered exactly what we expected and then some. It was a great home base for exploring the perfect fall weather and colors of Denver and surrounding areas in Colorado.

Hampton Inn and Suites locations tend to be solid choices for us while traveling as a family. We appreciate the complimentary breakfast, spacious rooms, lobby market, and always available coffee downstairs. I usually expect to be comfortable for a relatively low per-night rate, but this particular Hampton Inn had some features we liked more than most, including free parking and a great room layout. It also had an indoor pool, which was great for swimming when temperatures outside were too cold to take a dip.

We felt right at home in this hotel, with warm welcomes from staff, always available coffee and hot chocolate, and a comfortable room with a layout that worked well for our family — all at a great nightly rate.

Hotel Location

I mainly chose the Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver for its location. It was fairly convenient to the places we wanted to visit and pretty close to the airport. We had an early flight out of Denver on a Monday morning, and I didn’t want to roll the dice on rush-hour traffic to get to the airport on time.

The hotel is just 24 minutes from Denver International Airport (DEN) by car and only about 20 minutes from the rental car return center with very little freeway time, so it was easy for us to arrive and depart from the airport. Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver is a little too far from the airport to offer a shuttle, though many hotels near I-70 and Pena Boulevard have airport shuttles.

I looked at other locations, including downtown Denver, where we could have taken the A-Line Commuter Train from the airport to Union Station, which takes 37 minutes each way and costs $10.50 per person per day — $105 round trip for my family of 5. We would have saved on rental car costs by picking up and dropping off a rental car downtown instead of paying airport prices and not needing a car on our arrival or departure days, but we would have had to pay for hotel parking.

The costs were about even considering the train fare and downtown parking fees compared to rental car savings. It wasn’t that important to stay downtown, and I decided I didn’t need the stress of returning a car before the rental car location closed at 6 p.m. on a Sunday, then getting my family to Union Station and on a train to the airport before 7 a.m.

All things considered, Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver offered a good balance of location convenience for the airport and the places we wanted to visit since our plans sprawled from Rocky Mountain National Park northwest of Denver to Colorado Springs south of the city.

Booking

We stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver for 5 nights and paid a total of $747.01, including the room rate and taxes — just under $150 per night. I booked a 1 King One Bedroom Suite because it offered a king-size bed and a sofa bed. We could have booked a room with 2 queen beds instead, but we like having the sofa available in the daytime, and the king suite offered a lot more space.

Spend a Night on Us Certificate

Aside from the location, I’d chosen a Hampton Inn and Suites hotel in particular because I had a $200 Spend a Night on Us certificate from a Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare presentation I attended earlier this year. The certificate was only good for 6 months from the date it was issued — mine expired in late November.

The certificate would have knocked about $130 off my total — applicable to the room rate only — but it required a mail-in rebate to redeem the certificate. I forgot to get a printed receipt copy and didn’t mail the rebate within 30 days of our stay. Whoops. While I blew it on this one, I did sneak in another Hampton stay just under the wire, so I should still get that rebate.

Even paying full price with no rebate, Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver was a great value. We got a free breakfast each day, which for a family of 5 dining out could easily get to half or more of the value of the room rate we paid. And we didn’t have to pay any resort or parking fees.

I was happy to pay cash prices for this stay and bank some points for a more high-end redemption another day. This stay earned me 19,948 points as a Hilton Honors Diamond member, plus another 6,723 points on Hilton spending with my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.

Hot Tip:

I usually pay cash to book cheap Hilton properties such as Hampton, Tru by Hilton, and Homewood Suites by Hilton to earn points while not spending a lot. Then, I use my Hilton Honors points to get free stays at more expensive properties with resort fees. Resort fees are waived when you pay for your entire stay with points.

Checking In

Once we got our rental car, we were at the hotel and up to our room within a half hour. A large drive-up covered entrance was convenient for unloading bags and passengers before parking.

The sliding glass doors at the entrance were locked late at night and were only accessible by key card or waving at the front desk for entry.

Just inside the doors were luggage carts. These weren’t plentiful, but I always saw at least 1 or 2 available.

We were greeted upon arrival at the front desk, which was decorated for Halloween during our mid-October stay.

We quickly checked in and were informed of the breakfast hours, checkout time, how to access Wi-Fi, and how to get to the elevators just past the lobby.

Seeing my family, the check-in agent questioned whether I really wanted a room with 1 king studio instead of a 2 queen room. I confirmed that we were good with that as long as it had a sofa bed, which it did.

That turned out to be a wise choice as it was the largest room I saw available online, and we loved the layout; while a 2 queen room looked like a pretty standard hotel room, we probably would have felt a little cramped in. It was only about $10 more per night to get the king studio — and I wasn’t holding my breath on getting a Hilton Honors Diamond upgrade since I’ve yet to get one in 2023.

I was offered a welcome gift with our choice of water, soda, and a snack and given a welcome letter.

The welcome letter had a note including some frequently asked questions. The front desk covered most of these verbally, but it was nice to have a reference when we invariably forgot what time breakfast was over.

Elite Benefits

As a Hilton Honors Diamond member staying at a Hampton Inn and Suites property, I can choose whether I want a bottle of water and snack or 250 Hilton Honors bonus points. I have the points selected in my account preferences because we usually travel pretty snack-heavy, but we got a few drinks and a snack at check-in anyway.

The Lobby

The lobby was large and inviting, with gold-toned lighting fixtures, rustic wood, and a mix of gray and pink tones. A few TVs were throughout the seating area, usually tuned to sports or local news.

The seating in the lobby doubled as breakfast seating with plenty of tables of various sizes to accommodate groups large and small.

There were also a few nooks off to the side, like this one near the elevators that was a semi-private dining area for us one morning.

There was also lounge seating, like this corner bench that looked out the front window.

Hot Tip:

If breakfast seating is too full, check out the seating in the hallway.

Amenities

The hotel’s amenities were on the first floor, most near or just past the breakfast room. Amenities included a small business center, fitness center, laundry, meeting room, and pool. The lobby and amenities area also featured restrooms and water fountains.

Pool

The pool was indoors, which we appreciated because it wasn’t pool weather when we visited. It looked a lot larger online. In reality, the pool room was large, but the pool was pretty small. It had a maximum occupancy of 30. Pool hours were 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.

When we visited, we had the whole pool to ourselves, so it was large enough for us.

Tons of towels were stacked by the pool door with separate bins for trash and towel return.

There was an accessible restroom available, so we didn’t have to go to the lobby or our room for a bathroom break.

Near the restroom was a water fountain, which was convenient.

Patio

One side of the pool room was bordered by sliding glass doors, which were locked but led to an outdoor patio.

A small enclosed patio with tables and chairs was on the other side of the doors.

Wi-Fi

We used this hotel’s Wi-Fi, which was adequate for gaming and working at download speeds of 30.39 Mbps.

Fitness Center

Next to the pool was the fitness center, which was open the same hours as the pool: 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. Just inside the door were fitness center rules and hooks for bags or towels.

There were various cardio machines, including treadmills, an elliptical, a Peloton bike, and another stationary bike.

The room had a TV available, but it wasn’t turned on.

In a corner was a weight bench and some free weights.

In another corner was a rack for towels with bins for trash and towels, flanked by disinfecting wipes and a water dispenser.

Just outside the fitness room was a water fountain that featured a bottle refiller.

Market

Next to the front desk was the Suite Shop market. It had cold drinks, packaged snacks, ice cream, and microwaveable items, including frozen meals and ramen. It also had laundry detergent for use in the guest laundry room.

We could have used the microwave, plates, napkins, and utensils in this room, but our suite featured a microwave — a pleasant surprise.

Laundry

Between the lobby and fitness center was a hallway with restrooms and the guest laundry room. The laundry had the same hours as the pool and fitness center: 6 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Inside the laundry room were 2 washers and 2 dryers.

All of the washers and dryers were coin-operated for $3 each. A sign indicated that change was available at the front desk, and detergent was in the lobby market.

Someone left behind an extra detergent, and a folding table and phone were available.

Business Center

In the hallway around the corner from the lobby was a business center — just a printer, power outlets, and phone. You’d probably have better luck working at the lobby tables on the other side of the divider and then popping over to grab printed items as needed. There was no desk or other working area here.

Parking

Parking was free and plentiful, and we always found a spot along the front walkway, usually right in front of the pool. The parking lot featured a covered seating area.

The Room

I booked a king bed suite with a sofa bed. It was somewhat of a shot in the dark because the website only had 1 photo that didn’t show much detail of the room’s space and complete layout.

When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to find the room was very large, with a desk and entertainment center dividing the bedroom area from the living room. The bathroom also had separate areas with a room for the sink and closet and another room for the toilet and shower. Walking in the door, we immediately saw a mini kitchen complete with a sink, mini fridge, and microwave, which wasn’t listed online but was great to have.

Our room was on the second floor, not far from the elevators (but not too close, either).

Bedroom

The bedroom featured a king-size bed flanked by nightstands with lamps. A desk and entertainment center combo at the foot of the bed separated the bedroom area from the living room. This separation was excellent for getting our kids to sleep before we were ready to sleep.

The king-size bed had a wood and leather headboard, all-white sheets, and plenty of pillows. We slept great here.

On each side of the bed was a small nightstand, each featuring a lamp and wall outlets. The nightstand on the left had a phone.

The nightstand on the right didn’t have a phone, but it had additional power outlets under the surface and a removable opening that we could pull charging cords through.

Living Room

Opposite the bedroom was the living room, which mainly featured a sofa bed and a small table with a lamp. The sofa bed was full size, and the room was large enough that we had no trouble setting up an inflatable bed next to the sofa. That way, we could accommodate all 3 of our kids in the living room area.

The bathroom closet had a bag for extra sheets and blankets but only had a blanket. We asked the front desk for extra sheets and a pillow, and they were delivered promptly.

Located at the entrance to the room, these wall hooks were great for backpacks and jackets.

At the center of the room was an entertainment center and desk combo. It featured storage on both sides underneath the TV, a comfy desk chair, and a lamp with an outlet. There was an outlet strip to the left side of the desk with USB plugs.

The room lacked a traditional dresser, but these shelves with a door were good for storage.

On the opposite side was more storage with 3 large drawers.

Under the TV was a power strip with 2 regular outlets and 2 USB outlets.

More storage was between the kitchen and bathroom, with this short table featuring a large drawer.

The drawer was huge, and the shelf below was a good spot for shoes as we walked through the door.

Bathroom

The bathroom was roomy, and I loved that it had 2 rooms with a door in between — perfect for multiple family members getting ready at the same time.

There was plenty of counter space in the sink area. Under the counter were 2 open shelves with toilet paper and a hair dryer, but plenty of space for our stuff, too. In front of those shelves were towel hooks.

The mirror was plenty large, and the towel rack was full.

These open shelves were deep, so we had plenty of room to store toiletries off the countertop.

The hair dryer was in the other open shelf, and both shelves featured a towel rack.

Next to the sink were wall-mounted Zero% amenities that were both eco-friendly and effective.

In one of the outlets was a nightlight, which was a nice touch.

The closet was on the wall opposite the sink, which was nice to have in the bathroom. We used this to store coats and extra bags out of the way. It featured hangers, an iron and ironing board, an extra blanket, and a luggage rack.

The toilet and shower were in a separate room beside the sink. Having this was great because 1 person could use the toilet or shower while another got ready in the sink area next door.

I liked that the shower door opened near the faucet so we could turn on the water to warm it up before entering the shower. The water always got warm quickly.

On the wall were more amenities, including shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner from the same Zero% brand as the amenities at the sink.

The shower head had multiple adjustments available so we could pick the flow we wanted.

Kitchen

At the room entrance was a mini kitchen. This was a surprise, as the room description didn’t say anything about a kitchen, and I’d expected not to have a fridge or microwave and definitely not a sink and counter space.

This kitchen made it easy to store and heat the food we brought back to our room.

The under-sink area featured storage we used for extra drinks.

The fridge was pretty roomy for a mini fridge and had a rack for cans.

Food and Beverage

Free Breakfast

Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver offers free breakfast daily from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. It was a relatively standard free hotel breakfast, though I liked that the hot egg dishes often featured omelets rather than plain scrambled eggs like we frequently see.

The service was excellent in the breakfast room. I never saw anything get low on supplies, though my kids tried their absolute best to deplete the yogurt and cereal each morning.

The breakfast attendant doted on us each day, and she kindly brought us glasses and a carafe of water as soon as we sat down at our table. We didn’t ask for water; she just did it. She always checked in with us and asked if we found everything we wanted. It was a nice mix of self-service with an attendant ready to help with anything we needed, but she was so on top of it that we had zero requests during our entire stay.

In the breakfast room, a center island had fresh fruits, cereal dispensers, and milk on tap.

The cereal and milk dispensers made it easy for my kids to get their own plates so I could get my breakfast without worrying about theirs.

Behind the milk dispensers was a metal tub of yogurt on ice featuring fruit flavors. This tub stayed full every time I saw it.

In the corner of the breakfast room was a juice dispenser featuring orange, apple, cranberry juices, and strawberry-flavored water. This was also convenient for the kids to self-serve.

These 3 hot dishes featured an egg, potato, and breakfast meat every morning. These were always hot and refilled quickly. I liked what we got each day, especially the cheesy omelets and potatoes with peppers and onions.

Next to the hot dish was a selection of bread, including muffins, lemon pound cake, sliced bread, bagels, and English muffins.

Next to the bread was a conveyor belt toaster and spreads, including peanut butter, jelly, and cream cheese.

Another hot option was the waffle station, which featured a choice of red velvet or vanilla waffle batter.

There was also hot oatmeal with toppings, including nuts, dried fruits, and honey. And if anything wasn’t quite hot enough, there was a microwave next to the oatmeal.

Seating was plentiful in the breakfast area, with a mix of large and small tables. The only day this area was a little too full, we found room in a nook near the elevators for semi-private dining.

Coffee Station

Another food and beverage feature I appreciated was the always-available coffee and hot water station. It was between the front desk and elevators, so we could grab a cup of coffee whether we were coming or going.

We could choose from a light roast or decaf coffee or use hot water to make tea or hot chocolate. The creamer selection was always full, including regular half-and-half or flavored creamers, including hazelnut and French vanilla.

There was a great selection of caffeinated and herbal teas and at least a few packets of hot chocolate. My kids were delighted to make hot chocolate and loved choosing their mustache cups.

Service

We felt well taken care of at this hotel. At a Hampton hotel, I expect pretty hands-off service, and the real markers of good service are whether everything is in good working order, including supplies and cleanliness. This hotel did a great job of that. I didn’t notice anything broken or worn down; everything was immaculate, and we had no issues getting what we needed, whether it was extra bedding or breakfast each morning.

We received excellent hands-on service from the front desk that explained everything we needed to know — and sent us along with a nicely printed note in case we forgot. Delivery of extra bedding was prompt and courteous. The breakfast service was excellent, with a kind attendant keeping everything full while still finding time to check in and bring us water.

Surrounding Area

Denver

Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver was perfect for visiting Cherry Creek State Park, about 10 minutes away. It was great to visit this park that I’ve stayed near many times but hadn’t visited until this trip, and it took us just minutes to get to from suburban Denver.

Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park

I also considered hotels near Boulder and Broomfield because we planned to visit Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park, but room rates were about double what was available in Denver during our stay. Getting to the airport on a Monday morning all the way across Denver to the east side, where the airport is, made me nervous, too.

Still, this property wasn’t perfect for visiting Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park, as the hotel is on the east side of Denver, and both Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park are northwest of Denver.

It took about an hour and a half to get to Rocky Mountain National Park, still a day trip distance but not ideal. I’d thought about staying a couple of nights in Estes Park, just outside the national park, but decided it was better to sleep at a lower elevation. We live close to sea level, and Estes Park has an elevation of 7,500+ feet. I didn’t want a repeat of the altitude sickness one of my kids experienced when we slept overnight at a similar elevation at the Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park.

Colorado Springs

The hotel location on the south side of Denver was good for visiting the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. It only took about an hour to get down I-25. While we didn’t visit it on this trip, Pikes Peak is near the Garden of the Gods, and you can see the peak from the park.

Final Thoughts

The Hampton Inn and Suites Aurora South Denver was one of the best Hamptons we’ve visited and a great place for our family to rest as we explored Denver and the surrounding areas. I was pleasantly surprised by the size and features of our room, and the service was excellent. The location offered a good balance of proximity to the airport and other areas we wanted to visit. And at just about $150 per night with no parking or additional fees other than taxes, it was an exceptional value for a family of 5. I’ll still shop around next time we visit Denver, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find us back at this hotel, knowing we’ll get a spacious room, good breakfast, and great service for a low price.