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The Oxford Hotel in Denver guts its outdated boilers and water heaters in favor of modern technology — can they keep the historic character of the hotel while also improving total performance and helping achieve sustainability goals?
Nestled in the heart of downtown Denver stands the iconic Oxford Hotel, a living testament to the city's rich history and architectural legacy. Since its opening in October 1891, the Oxford has welcomed travelers from far and wide, offering a glimpse into Denver's storied past and a taste of its vibrant present. As the oldest hotel in downtown Denver, the Oxford holds a special place in the city's history. Its grand architecture and timeless charm serve as a reminder of Denver's frontier past and its evolution into a modern metropolis.
Today, as the city evolves, The Oxford Hotel remains a hospitality destination, blending historic charm with modern amenities to provide guests with an unforgettable experience.
“It was the height of the silver and gold boom, so plenty of people were coming west to stake their fortune and they needed somewhere to stay,” said Julie Dunn, public relations representative for The Oxford Hotel. “When the hotel was built, it was the tallest building in downtown Denver at five stories tall. We have some fun old newspaper clips that people used to come down here to enjoy the bird's eye view of the city from the fifth-floor windows.”
As Denver grew, so did The Oxford Hotel. Over the years, the hotel has undergone numerous renovations and updates to ensure that it remains a premier destination for travelers.
"While we cherish our historic roots, we also strive to provide our guests with all the modern comforts and conveniences they expect," says Dunn.
One of the most significant updates to The Oxford Hotel came in the form of replacing an aging boiler system with a new heating and hot water system. The hotel chose HBC Mechanical out of Frisco, Colorado to install an entirely new setup. HBC Mechanical worked along with Priest-Zimmerman and the Navien commercial sales team to spec out an installation that included a series of nine Navien NFB-399C high efficiency condensing heating boilers and 14 Navien NPE-240A2 tankless water heaters.
Mike Michna, the chief engineer at The Oxford Hotel, was focused on maintaining the charm and integrity of a historic building while meeting the demands of contemporary hospitality.
"Preserving the integrity of the Oxford Hotel's infrastructure while upgrading its mechanical systems requires a delicate balance between tradition and innovation,” says Michna. “The Navien system offered us the perfect solution to modernize our heating and hot water capabilities without compromising the hotel's historic character."
The size and space requirements of both the boilers and the tankless water heaters, and the ability to sequence them together for optimal performance in serving a large commercial property, proved to be extremely beneficial.
"The Navien NFB-399C boilers and NPE-240A2 tankless water heaters [gave us] a flexible and efficient solution to its heating and hot water needs,” says Michna. “By combining multiple units in a modular configuration, we were able to tailor the system to the hotel's specific requirements while maximizing energy efficiency."
The installation process, although complex due to the building's historic architecture, was streamlined by the compact design of the units and the unique way the manifold system is constructed.
"Navigating the narrow stairways and confined spaces in order to get down to the boiler room presented logistical challenges, but the compact size and modular nature of the Navien equipment made it feasible,” says Joe Jensen of HBC Mechanical. “The Ready-Link manifold system simplified the installation process and minimized disruption to hotel operations."
“The heating boilers and the domestic water boilers, we were able to carry downstairs and put them in place. The racking system that came with the boilers was also modular and very easy to carry down the stairs and build right in place on the cement floor. Instead of tearing down a boiler and rebuilding it in the basement, the boilers were already built. They also came with a manifold straight from Navien where all the piping was prefabbed for us. And so all we had to do was unbox the piping, put it in, attach it to the racking system, and there you go. It was kind of plug and play and it made what we thought would be a difficult installation into a pretty simple installation.”
The Navien system's energy efficiency and reliability have had a tangible impact on the Oxford Hotel's operational costs, environmental footprint and sustainability efforts in historic preservation. They are also helping meet the goals of the Energized Denver Initiative, which provides incentives and benchmarks for commercial buildings to reduce their total carbon footprint with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2040.
"As stewards of this historic landmark, we have a responsibility to minimize our environmental impact while maintaining the highest standards of hospitality,” says Michna. “The Navien system has allowed us to achieve significant energy savings without sacrificing guest comfort."
"Since its installation, we've seen significant improvements in energy efficiency and reliability,” says Michna. “I knew it would save money — I didn't know how much. It started immediately saving us 30 percent right off the get-go. And that was right before winter hit. Now during mid-winter, we hit some 42 percent savings on our gas usage, which was amazing. It only took us five months before seeing the savings every single month [reach into the] thirties and forties.”
“The Navien boilers and water heaters have exceeded our expectations, providing consistent heating and hot water to our guests."
“It's really important to The Oxford,” Dunn explained. “The hotel is very busy. We are sold out on a very regular basis. We've got 80 guest rooms, a bar, a restaurant, a spa, a fitness center, and we also have two ballrooms and multiple meeting space options. So, when we're firing on all cylinders, we need to have hot water that is easily accessible and ready for everyone. Installing the Navien system [helped] us be able to maintain that and elevate those offerings and have it be seamless in our historic space.”
“We are thrilled with the results of the Navien system. Not only has it improved the guest experience, but it has also helped us reduce our environmental footprint."
The Oxford Hotel represents a triumph of both tradition and technology, showcasing the transformative power of innovative solutions in historic preservation. As cities grapple with the dual challenges of preserving their architectural legacy and adapting to modern demands, projects like The Oxford Hotel serve as inspiration for sustainable development.