Crested Butte so expensive
 

So my wife and I have been going to the Rocky Mountains during the summer for about 5 years now. We have been to Breckenridge, Steamboat, and Big Sky Montana. This year is our 1 year anniversary so we decided to take a trip to Crested Butte July 12th - 16th. We got direct plane tickets from Houston for $500 so not all that bad.

However, I have found that the lodging in Crested Butte is outrageously expensive. We got very nice 1x1 condos and cabins in my aforementioned mountain towns for under $150 a night. To get a crappy 1x1 condo in CB they are all around $200 - $250+ a night. Now VRBO adds a "service fee" which doesn't help either. I do know it happens to be the wildflower festival the week that we are in CB, but does it really affect prices by that much?

While I was looking at Vail and Beaver Creek as options this summer I also noticed their lodging prices were through the roof. Maybe it is just a Colorado thing right now.

I think it may be a combination. Yes, festivals really do effect prices that much. Check weeks prior and after to see if that's a factor.

But it's also a Colorado thing. I don't do vrbo, but lodging in all of the popular Colorado towns was absurdly expensive when I was looking. To get anything under $200/nt, I had to look in the surrounding areas- out in the boonies or ina less desirable town.

CB is somewhat isolated and smallish so festival weekend can mean a big difference in price but it is the same everywhere - called supply and demand. Vail pushes very hard summer sports camps and programs so they tend to busy most of the summer and can maintain higher prices. B Creek is small, very limited and tends to be pricy. Personally don't think BC has much to offer. Did you check Avon at the base of B Creek?

We have already decided on Crested Butte and have booked our tickets. We are just looking at lodging now. I am lucky that I am someone who is young and makes decent money (though I work alot). But these prices are bit ridiculous for what you get. $250 is fine if I am getting a new hotel room with daily maid service etc. Too many damn people in the world pushing demand which in turn is pushing prices.

Is there anything in Gunnison? I've only been once for an event in which I was hosted in a private ranch. But Gunny is close and a gateway.

>>But these prices are bit ridiculous for what you get. <<

You can't compare hotels in different places. They charge what they can get and that is the going rate. That $250 room in Crested Butte would be maybe $110 in Omaha . . . and $500 in Yosemite Valley.

So no, they aren't 'ridiculous'. They reflect the desirability of the destination.

<Too many damn people in the world pushing demand which in turn is pushing prices.>
People like yourself, you mean?

<<I'm sure the OP feels privileged to be schooled by the likes of JansJ.. Could you be any more bellitleing?>>

She could correct your spelling.

Fact is, VRBO and airbnb owners work on the same principle as lyft and Uber - maximize when you can. We saw prices double (and then some) for lodging in Seward, Alaska because the weekend we initially wanted to go was when the Seward Marathon (or whatever it's called) was on. We didn't care about a random race in a tiny town, so we chose a different time to go. If OP wanted to wait a week, he could have obtained the same lodging for less or better lodging for the same price. But he chose to be tied to specific dates that overlap with a demand surge. It happens.

I am fine with her "response", but I am also perfectly aware of the classic economic system of supply and demand. But it my own opinion I can't quite see how mountain towns in the same state with mostly similar landscapes, lodging, etc can vary so largely in price. Obviously Jackson Hole prices are driven by the wealth and famous who have taken over that town. But it was more or less shocking that CB was so expensive considering it is a little harder to get to and doesn't have the glitz of Aspen, etc.

Also, after speaking with a few CB owners on VRBO they said that the festival really does not impact that prices all that much. They claim the prices are just higher in CB. It could also be due to a lack of lodging supply. Who knows and who really cares in the end. It still stands in "my opinion" that CB seems a bit overprices compared to comps in the same state. We can all stop arguing now.

I also guess that fodors doesn't allow editing of posts for grammatical anymore. I miss that feature when I am on my mobile or typing fast.

Supply, meet Demand.

>> also guess that fodors doesn't allow editing of posts for grammatical anymore.<<

Editing has never been a feature on Fodors -- the problem now is that the Preview function isn't working. So we are ALL making more mistakes ;)

ooh (!) . . . what did I miss?

Years ago, we'd stay in Gunnison to ski at Crested Butte. It used to be much cheaper.

The comment that was removed is in my previous post, janis.

Oh - I can just guess ;)

Bizaaarrro

Supply and demand ??? Anyone done any pricing on hotels in the penumbra ares of the upcoming solar eclipses? We have had reservations for over 18 months before the Hampton Inn tripped to what was happening.

BTW, Gunnison is very different than Crested Butte.

It still stands in "my opinion" that CB seems a bit overprices compared to comps in the same state.

But Mr. Tide, they are NOT comparable!! CB is SMALL. Vail is LARGE. CB is SMALL. othe place are large.

It is also called "what the market will bear". And while Colorado may be a prime ski destination, it is also a prime summer destination with lots to do. I would guess that is why you keep coming back?