Summer rentals business on the mend in Estes Park

Lee Machin’s family has been renting out cottages since their first one opened in 1946. Machin’s Cottages in the Pines doesn’t have a heated pool, indoor recreation center, aroma-therapy package or miniature-golf course. But Machin’s cottages do offer something no others can give their guests: They are the only ones located within the boundaries of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Machin thinks that’s why Machin’s Cottages continued to do well even during the teeth of the recession. “No, the recession didn’t affect us at all,” he said. “And this year’s been fine. We’re about booked up for the summer.”

That’s not true for all. This year is shaping up to be the second straight year of recovery after 2009 and 2010 hit many summer rental businesses hard. But business is still off for many of the cottage, cabin, resort and condo owners throughout the bucolic Estes Park environs.

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“If there’s something unique about your place, you don’t have to lower prices,” said Steve Vest, co-owner with Annie Boston of Annie’s Mountain Retreat. “We’ve held the line, and July is almost all booked up here. We are literally turning down reservations now.”

On the other hand, Vest said the recession’s sting can still be felt. “Usually July would have been booked up solid by January. This year’s been slower, but still much better than the last couple years.”

Condo and rental homeowners, meanwhile, are still cutting prices to attract customers.

Vest said he knows some of “the big guys in town” who manage dozens of summer getaway properties have been cutting prices to try to attract business. “In the end, when they run prices down to almost nothing, it hurts them,” he said.

One of Annie’s four rentals, the Carriage House, lies just down the slope from Machin’s. Although the Carriage House isn’t within RMNP boundaries, “it’s just a few minutes’ walk away and our guests take advantage of that to just stroll to the park,” Vest said.

Further down the slope, one encounters Valhalla — not the mythical land of the dead, but Estes Park’s summer rental version. Valhalla (so named on a whim by the original owners in the 1940s) targets families. With a miniature-golf course and heated swimming pool, it’s a lively scene in the summer compared to the calm and solitude one finds at Machin’s.

Jeannine Swatzki, one of four owners of Valhalla, clicks through her computer when asked how business has varied since 2009. She reports that, as of June 8, 2009, 39 percent of available August dates were reserved. On June 8, 2012, that number is up to 46 percent.

“This year is looking real good. We’re already getting reservations for 2013,” she said.

Valhalla also promotes the proximity to RMNP, “but our main selling points are the heated pool, golf course, and the fact that we’re away from things here and offer families a lot of solitude.”

Rates at Valhalla, Machin’s and Annie’s are competitive, all in the $175-$250 ranges per night, with discounts for weekly guests.

It’s easy to find a more expensive place to stay, though.

One of the priciest: the Majestic Retreat, where you can rent a 5,000-square-foot palatial “cabin” complete with indoor sports court and eight-person outdoor hot tub for $675 a night.

The blurb for the rental that says “no details overlooked” is no idle boast. And forget about relaxing there this summer: the Majestic is already 99 percent booked for the season.

For those who want the taste of luxury without the oil prince’s going rate, options include Mary’s Lake Getaway. Owner Anne Goetz and her husband, who’ve been operating the unit for 13 years, live upstairs from the rental unit. It’s a full 2,000 square feet of lavish living space just minutes from scenic Mary’s Lake. The price tag: just $175 a night.

“We’re fully booked already for July and for half of August,” reported Goetz. “We’ve kept rates competitive and we get a wonderful response.”

While phone calls to several of the “big guys” weren’t returned, two iconic destination resorts in Estes Park reported that the recession motivated them to make changes designed to build business up.

The historic Stanley Hotel spent more than $1 million in the last year on renovations and amenities to add to the allure of that signature property. The investment included:

• Renovation of the century-old lodge adjacent to the hotel.

• Addition of a new whiskey bar boasting the largest assortment of single malt Scotch whiskey in the state.

• Development of a series of new tours of the property exploring its history, architecture and the many ghost stories bandied about by former guests and old timers.

• A newly commissioned collection of large bronze sculptures created by Colorado sculptors.

“Our records show that we began to recover from the recession last year,” said regional general manager Michael Carsch. “With all the improvement we’ve made for this season, we’re anticipating a very exciting summer.”

So is the YMCA of the Rockies, which offers the largest array of lodging options of any single Estes Park rental property, has added three lodges since 2010 and continues to make improvements to its sprawling vacation and conference complex. In order to fill as many of the cabins, yurts and lodge rooms as possible, two years ago the YMCA began to offer a “three-tier value rate system” which includes “super value rates,” said Laura Field, director of marketing and communications. Those packages remain in effect.

She reports that the YMCA’s 220 cabins are in “high demand” and that mild weather and an early opening of Rocky Mountain National Park both seem to have led to more vacationers booking rooms earlier this year than last year.