Since opening in 2021, Denver’s Meow Wolf Convergence Station has taken visitors on an interdimensional journey. The interactive art space is themed as a subway station that transports travelers to several parallel universes. Now, Meow Wolf is providing sightseers with a brand-new themed luxury travel lounge. The Sips (with a Z) lounge opened on Oct. 13 in the Meow Wolf lobby, providing guests with a place to relax and grab a few drinks while enjoying the art gallery.
“This lounge is for our travel guests who come in, so when they are out exploring the multiverse, they will have the ability to come in here to relax for a little bit and chill out and recharge,” said General Manager Alex Bennett.
To Senior Creative Director Chadney Everett, who co-created Sips (with a Z), this project is particularly special. It was one of the final projects that Everett got to work on with longtime collaborator Matt King before his passing.
“Matt and I began working on this two and a half years ago,” Everett said. “We were really interested in expanding the aesthetic quality of Meow Wolf, and just in expanding our palette.”
Photos by Ryland Scholes.
While King passed away early into the creative process, he left an undeniable mark on the space. The name. King and Everett named Sips (with a Z) while out drinking in Denver for Everett’s birthday.
“Matt decided that the only way to name this thing was drunk, which we definitely got on my birthday in 2022,” Everett wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The group decided on the name Sips (with a Z), which ended up sticking.
“We kept riffing until someone at the table said Sips (with a Z) and we laughed till wine shot out of our noses, which was the sign we were looking for,” Everett wrote.
Meow Wolf’s new executive travel lounge is themed. The space features velvet seats, marble tables and replicas of old Roman statues. However, the fine furnishings are juxtaposed against concrete walls and statues covered in graffiti and neon lights. The contrast between the luxury furniture and graffiti was no mere coincidence. Everett thought of a very creative backstory to justify the two very different styles.
“The Quantum Department of Transportation has opened this executive travel lounge. They learned that if they were going to have a successful transportation hub in the city of Denver, they needed to build an executive travel lounge because earthlings love to lounge. They brought in a designer who unfortunately only had an associate degree in earth studies. That meant that this designer made some unexpected assumptions about what [earthlings] like, such as [graffiti],” Everett said.
Denver on Oct. 12.
With Sips (with a Z), Meow Wolf is leaning further into the adult crowd. The lounge has a full bar with several creative Meow Wolf-themed cocktails, as well as classic bar food like pizza and cheese boards. Meow Wolf is hoping to turn it into a versatile space that can hold a variety of adult-centric events. But for now, it’s only for ticket holders.
“I like to call this space our multipurpose romper room because we plan on doing anything and everything we can with the space. From open mics to burlesque shows, to comedy things, to things that we can’t even possibly dream up,” said Director of Operations Melissa Gassien.
