by Kendra Walker 

The $120 million overhaul of the Elevation Hotel & Spa, rebranded as the Beckwith, is moving toward a fall construction start and a full closure of the hotel planned for April 1 next year to begin the major elements of the remodel. The goal is to reopen the remodeled Beckwith by the end of 2027.

Nick Klaus of WoodHouse, which acquired the Elevation in August 2022, presented an update on the renovation plans to the Mt. Crested Butte Downtown Development Authority (DDA) last week, highlighting the vision to reflect the character of Crested Butte and continue adding vibrancy to the base area.

Klaus noted the investments over the last several years to revamp the hotel’s food and beverage spaces with the Matchstick Lounge at Jose and the billy barr lounge. “I think we turned it into a destination in the base area and a place for people to stay and hang out,” he said. “We’re going to take that to a whole other level, and we’ll remain the anchor in the base area and create a whole ecosystem of activity. And I think there are other people waiting to see how this goes, and hopefully if we’re successful, then it will inspire some others to invest in the base area as well.”

Under the redevelopment plans, roughly 150 of the hotel’s existing 262 hotel rooms will be replatted into 49 private residences ranging from one to four bedrooms.

The space will maintain 96 traditional hotel rooms, with 18 dedicated workforce housing units within the main building and an additional four workforce apartments attached to the parking garage.

Klaus estimates 80-90% of the condo owners will put their units back into the hotel’s rental pool. “I think occupancy is going to be much better because we lose a lot of business to other Airbnbs. When people come skiing or in the summer, they want to stay in a two- or three-bedroom with their family, and we don’t have that product right now.”

The project will also revamp the hotel’s private club, spa and fitness and restaurants. Klaus reiterated that while the Beckwith is selling a high-end product for condo owners, club members and hotel guests, the remodel is intended to serve the entire community with its public amenities as well.

Klaus said billy barr will stay largely the same, and Jose will be re-concepted into Telly’s, an alpine bistro. “Jose has been great, but when people come stay for four or five days, they want a broader menu than just Mexican.” The Telly’s patio will also include a dedicated music stage and better climate control so people can dine outside longer. Klaus said the goal is to host larger concerts in the summer, along with pop-ups and farmer’s markets. “Throughout the year, we want to partner with more local entities, do pop-ups for shops, do events for nonprofits, etc. I think we’ll have the facilities to do more interesting events throughout the year.”

The project will also update the guest arrival experience, relocating check-in downstairs to streamline operations into an all-valet system for owners, hotel guests and club members. “Driving up and looking into Elevation today, it’s kind of a dark hole. It’s hard to see what’s actually going on or what it is,” he said. “So we’re opening that up. It will make it a much better and less confusing arrival experience.”

The current lobby space will become an adventure concierge paired with the hotel’s retail and rentals. “That will be for anyone, from hotel guests to condo owners to the public, to come in and get a guided experience or do-it-yourself recommendation on where to go for a bike ride, hike, and then they can rent the bike or equipment that they need for that adventure,” said Klaus.

Klaus said the new club space, featuring a courtyard and patio area, is designed to attract more group business. “That’ll be a big attraction for groups, weddings, some higher-end groups and demographics that just haven’t come to Crested Butte in the past,” he said.

Klaus emphasized that the design will focus heavily on Crested Butte’s local skiing and mining roots. He noted the team fired the initial designers on the project, which set them back in the design timeline. “We brought them to town, we went to the museum, showed them around and they designed something that could have been in Dallas or any other place,” Klaus said. “We are really leaning into what makes Crested Butte unique,” he said, noting ski murals and dedications to ski patrol, and textures and colors that will complement the area’s mining history.

Klaus estimates the project to cost $120 million, having already invested $5 million. He said financing is secured, construction drawings are 100% complete and the general contractor contract is ready to sign pending pre-sales targets. Four condos are under contract and Klaus is aiming to have 10 under contract by the end of August. Klaus told the DDA board that he plans to return to them with a formal request for grant funding, noting the ask will only be for elements that benefit the public and provide more activity in the base area.

As far as timeline, Klaus said phase one is slated to start in late October or November with construction beginning on the lower-level space where the current ski club is located, which will become the new spa and fitness area. “That would be what we plan to do from November through April,” he said, noting that construction won’t disrupt operations for this upcoming winter ski season. “We then plan to shut down the hotel April 1, and reopen the hotel, condos and public spaces December of 2027.”