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?

And here is a special. Have you looked on booking.com, etc.

https://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-bk-...9e5_0_20170516

Gretchen is right about its small size.
It's also at the end of the road, so people don't just pass through there. They need lodging for the most part. It's limited.
I think it's one of the more special towns in Colorado.
If you can afford it.

Well, I was just about to ask fmpden about the eclipse and went to a site instead. Our first beach day (the 21st) is on the SC coast for the last place it crosses the US continent--it is our little town!! How cool.
We were at the beach for a lunar eclipse a few years ago and as the sun rises on the ocean, it can't be more perfect to see it all. Have spectacular pics.
Sorry to hijack!! LOL

There is a jewel of a hotel in Crested Butte called the Old Town Inn. It runs around 140 in peak summer season. This May, they offered a Groupon deal for 99 a night. I can't say enough wonderful things about this hotel- it is located in the town of Crested Butte where you can ride your bikes to restaurants and attractions as opposed to Mount Crested Butte. They have a really nice continental breakfast, beautiful flowers, and a hot tub. And there's really no comparison between Breckenridge and Crested Butte; if you are a nature enthusiast Crested Butte wins hands-down. We loved it so much we are going back this summer for a second time!

jmunger2, welcome to Fodors.

In the last month people I know have paid $250 night for Missoula MT and Duluth MN, both for Hampton Inns. So not so strange.

I've been to Vail and Aspen and Telluride in the summer and Crested Butte really is much smaller than all those places. Where did you end up booking? There's no deals through the ski resort? They have some condos they rent.

We love Crested Butte. Town is busier and busier every summer. You might want to think about advance dinner reservations if there's any restaurants you really want to go to. And if you have kids and you are planning on putting them in Camp CB, you should make reservations for that too.

Simply put, it is what it is. You can pay the price or go elsewhere. In short, they are charging " what the market will bear " as Gretchen said. Tourism has increased enormously almost every where in the world and the owners know they can charge more. Crested Butte is one of the smaller resorts but has been growing in popularity in the past years.

I'm not sure what your idea of a " crappy " condo is, but I am very familiar with Colorado's ski resorts and there are very few crappy condos. i t may be that your room will be smaller, there'll be no hot tub or patio overlooking the mountains and the furniture may not be out of Colorado Design, but it will be functional and clean.

For jmunger, how soon did you book your rooms. It looks very nice

https://www.google.com/#q=old+town+inn+crested+butte+co

fwiw, perhaps because the continuous growth of breckenridge, there seems to be pretty good prices there, at least in the summer. several years ago I remember staying in a small KS town (Colby?) on the way to Breck in a simple business class hotel, and that hotel in Colby was more expensive than a 1 BR condo in Breck.

I don't know about that, Breckenridge seems very expensive to me but I haven't been there in July.

Crested Butte isn't that expensive, you can get a room there for less than $200 on those dates. I think the problem is wanting a condo and expecting to get it for less than $200 in a resort area like that.

RTHouston - we may have been in CB st the same time. We LOVED it - I now think it's most scenic area we've been to in colo. The wildflowers in riotous bloom sure added to that opinion!

We did a loop Durango, MV, Telluride, CB and Ouray and we found lodging to be quite expensive overall. Our motel in Ouray was $200/night on a Monday.

It's a great, great area.