Chris Chiari and the 420 Hotels:

A Leader in Cannabis Hospitality

By Denny Patterson

After being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition in his mid-20s, Chris Chiari was told by doctors to not make any long-term plans. Fortunately, 10 years after his prognosis, the cards shifted in his favor, and he made a full recovery.

With a new lease on life, Chiari wanted to pursue something that he was truly passionate about. As a staunch advocate for cannabis, he founded The 420 Hotels, the nation’s first hotel chain where guests can consume cannabis on-site in a legally licensed lounge adding one of the most unique and exciting amenities in hospitality today.

Its first property, also known as the keystone location is Denver’s very own Patterson Inn, a stately and distinguished national landmark situated on a quarter acre in the heart of the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Fittingly, it is located at 420 E. 11 Ave.

Historically intriguing, yet complete with all the comforts of modern amenities, the Patterson Inn offers a luxurious reprieve from the stresses of everyday life. This unique boutique hotel features nine luxurious suites with furnishings reflecting the personality of each room, as well as the history and elegance of the building. From the decadence of the Antoinette, to the old world feel of the Prague, each distinctive room promises its own special experience.

Chiari took some time to talk more about The 420 Hotels, the burgeoning cannabis hospitality industry, and his journey from consumer to connoisseur with OFM.

Can you begin by telling us what inspired you to create the 420 Hotels brand?

I was diagnosed with melanoma when I was 27 and was told not to make long-term plans. I was doing marketing and messaging for startup companies, had a pretty good run, but realized there were more important things in life. So, I helped a family member who had gotten themselves stuck in a bad business, ran for office unsuccessfully a couple of times, and got a clean bill of health 10 years later. This was January 2011, and the doctor said to go and make some long-term plans. I flew out to Denver a couple weeks later after hearing that with an intention.

I had always been a cannabis consumer, but it was the thing I hid, especially when I was engaged in politics in South Florida. So, I decided that I was going to focus this next chapter of my life on the thing that I hid. If I started a new business, did consulting, did politics or policy work, or tried to make a movie, it was going to be about cannabis. I was selling my house in Fort Lauderdale, and this Denver property, the Patterson Inn, caught my eye. It had a fortuitous address, 420, had presence and curb appeal, and it looked like a castle sitting on a hill. It had been abandoned for eight years.

I said, “One day, I want to turn you into a marijuana bed and breakfast.” That was the intention. Unfortunately, I missed by two weeks, and someone else bought it. So, I ended up on a road trip wanting to learn more about cannabis. I had always been a consumer, but I didn’t know markets or culture communities, so I set out on this

115,000-mile trip crisscrossing the country. From one cannabis event to another, I had a chance to almost bodysurf that experience and build a practical knowledge based around something I had done for a long time but hadn’t truly learned about.

You finally obtained the Patterson Inn in 2018?

Yes, the Patterson Inn went back on the market in January 2018, and I swooped in and purchased it. Thinking back to a couple things, cannabis wasn't legal in 2011 when I first looked at it. When I bought it in 2018, cannabis hospitality still wasn't legal. The legislature hadn't even moved onto that topic yet. I caught the final mile of legalization for a reason because we're still here waiting for this reality. We’re closer than ever before, but still not there.

The Patterson Inn is currently the only hotel part of the 420 Hotels brand?

Yes, it is the only hotel right now in our portfolio. I call it our keystone, and it’s our first space where we are starting to tell the story. The 420 Hotels is literally a separate company, but it’s designed to live and exist as a tenant of the property in a very small 950 square foot space. The Patterson Inn is a 10-year-old award winning boutique hotel, which also includes a tavern opened to the public called 12 Spirits.

Have you always been such a strong advocate for cannabis? When I tell you that this has been my life’s work, I mean it. When I was diagnosed with melanoma, I smoked cannabis as opposed to cigarettes. Was there a benefit to it? I'd be another anecdote if I said there was, but it certainly played a role in my longevity because it kept me off of tobacco, nicotine, and cigarettes. Once I leaned into it, there was no holding back. Yes, I talked about it, especially when I was running for office, but it wasn't my core issue.

My thought, especially going back a dozen years, was that the strongest advocates for legalization at the time were people who didn't smoke. Those who saw the rationale and we're pushing it for good policy. Unfortunately, the stigma around cannabis consumption has not dissipated. It's still there. People still roll their eyes if they're not a consumer or hold an older viewpoint on what this product substance plant is.

So, it wasn't something that I leaned into as a consumer because we lacked credibility as consumers then, and even in some jurisdictions today, we still get burdened with this continued stigma. It's what my goal is with the hotel. The normalization and destigmatization of cannabis possession and use. We figured out and legalized production and distribution, and we're over cultivating with these indoor grows in many jurisdictions now because of the way we've set up these markets.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest news, visit the420hotels.com.