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Perfect Couples
Local hotels, property management company partner with big names, but retain their authentic ‘Telluride feel’
BY EMILY SHOFF
Is it possible for a local hotel or property management company to keep that “Telluride feel” while partnering with an international brand? Absolutely yes, say those members of Telluride’s lodging community who have connected in recent years with big names, forming partnerships designed to heighten their profiles and enhance marketability, while also maintaining their authenticity and attention to detail.
Take for instance, Telluride’s Exceptional Stays. Twenty years ago, owner Christina Casas ran a simple operation renting her condo and a few friends’ places. As her list of available properties expanded, so did her clients’ needs. Explains Casas, “People want the experience of being in a home, but the luxury of a hotel.” By partnering with Marriott International, Casas and her team have enhanced both the quality and the consistency of guests’ stays. “We use the same linens that five-star uses. And there’s a standard set of kitchen utensils to eliminate the hodge-podge feel of entering another’s house and wondering what they might have. We’ve taken out the guesswork.”
As to the question of retaining a flavor of Telluride, Casas is quick to reassure clients that while certain things are shared among locations, every house still preserves its unique mountain style.
The same goes for Mountain Village’s Lumière, which announced a partnership with luxury property rental company Inspirato in 2019. “There’s a certain level of quality that all of our 18 residences share,” Clare Afman, managing partner of Lumière, says, pointing out that units boast kitchens kitted out with Wolf ranges, as well as balconies, in-unit washers and driers and hotel-like amenities such as a 24-hour concierge and Black Tie Ski Rental valets, who provide in-room boot fitting and equipment delivery. Afman adds that she, co-owner Susie Schaefer-Russell, and their staff have worked hard to align Inspirato’s style with the modern-mountain language of the Lumière’s units, ensuring that style elements such as historic photos, locally made furniture and decorative mining artifacts stay. “Partnering with Inspirato gives us a certain level of clout. It’s a natural fit.”
Similarly, Callie Stanton, director of communications of Auberge Resorts Collection, says that Auberge’s partnership with the Madeline Hotel and Residences in Mountain Village and Element 52 in the town of Telluride has worked to showcase the beauty of the mountains, while also offering a certain elegance: “Each Auberge property possesses a unique individuality and crafted approach to luxury that is expressed through captivating design that reflects the location.”
Auberge’s director of marketing and sales, Dana Cooper, notes that this sensibility is perhaps best demonstrated by the extensive remodel the Madeline has recently undergone. “Our aim was to create a center point for Mountain Village, a place that feels special and interesting, mixing familiar alpine details with eclectic, modern elements that feel like a nod to the individualistic nature of Telluride,” Cooper says, describing how they redesigned the lobby so that it would feel like a mountain chalet. Staying true to the locale, she adds, is in line with all Auberge properties whether in Telluride, Napa, Mexico or Greece.
All agree that these new unions make for better business for Telluride, while still ensuring locally owned or operated accommodations retain what made them special in the first place. Notes Exceptional Stays’ Casas: “It’s silly that we haven’t had major hotels here before. Guests will discover Telluride through these larger corporate websites. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
