Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Beal.
Hi Nathan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been doing small-scale development in Denver since 2007. Early on it was mostly residential: buying older homes, rehabbing them, and figuring out how to make them work for the people living in them now. Over time I got pulled toward the historic side of things. I like the buildings other people pass over, the ones that need the most work, because there’s usually a good story under all that wear. About two-thirds of my projects have been residential, and the rest commercial, but nearly all of them have involved restoring something rather than starting from scratch. That background shaped how I approached La Vista.
I bought La Vista in 2022 as my first hotel project, so it pushed me into territory I’d never worked in. The building went up in 1956, back when motor lodges lined this stretch of Colfax and were the way people traveled. That era is gone, and La Vista felt like a chance to bring a piece of it back. We restored the exterior to its original form with Sopher Sparn Architects; Morry’s Neon brought the original sign back to life, and Melissa Friday at Xan Creative designed the rooms and El Piñon with a lot of salvaged pieces from antique shops around Denver. We also got the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which meant a lot to me after years of working on old buildings.
Today we have 23 rooms with self-check-in, plus El Piñon, our coffee shop and bar with Gram’s Basement downstairs. We like to say La Vista is a little bit motel and a whole lot of mood.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not a smooth road, but I don’t think any renovation is. Once we opened up the walls, we found decades of quick fixes to the building. It was like peeling off old bandaids and finding out the wounds never healed right. Every one of those discoveries added time and cost.
Restoring a historic building also means you can’t take shortcuts. Working toward the historic designation meant being careful about what we kept, what we rebuilt, and how. The bigger ongoing challenge is perception. East Colfax isn’t the first place many visitors, or even Denver locals, think of when planning a night out or a stay. We’ve had to give people a reason to come this way, which is a big part of why we put so much into events and into El Piñon being open to everyone, not just guests. Having the new Bus Rapid Transit arch go up right in front of the motel has helped. It feels like the corridor is getting real momentum.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Future Plans
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
Mostly, I want La Vista to keep growing into a true neighborhood gathering spot. The rooftop and patio opened this spring, changing how people use the property. We’ll keep building on that with more community events like the Cinco de Mayo parking lot party and our Continental Breakfast Party, and more partnerships with the small businesses around us on East Colfax.
We’re also leaning into Gram’s Basement and the rest of the space for private events, meetings, and gatherings. And as the Colfax BRT line comes together, I think more people will discover this part of town. We want to be one of the reasons they stay a while, whether that’s a night in one of our rooms or a staycation for locals who want something different without leaving the city.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lavistadenver.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavistadenver/
