Why I built Sun Mountain Stays.

A note from the founder

I have run short-term rentals. Not watched them from a dashboard. Run them.

I came to Colorado Springs after six years as a firefighter with the US Forest Service: five on a hotshot crew stationed on the North Coast, the mountainous northwestern California coast near Oregon, and one on a helitack crew stationed in Durango, Colorado. Before that, I worked as an EMT for a hospital.

This is where I learned the business, from four sets of mentors I met here, one after another. A bed and breakfast owner in Manitou Springs first taught me how to play the STR game, and what it means to be hospitable. Two former US Army Special Forces soldiers taught me to run several markets at once on the same written systems and checklists, and to build and lead a team. A couple who built a 37-acre mountain wilderness glamping resort and event venue taught me to see the whole place as one stay, run unusual structures, and handle events and groups. A real estate investor who renovates and redesigns properties taught me which homes work as rentals, and the design guests actually book for.

Since then I've run seven short-term rental operations companies and nearly 300 properties, with more than 17,000 reservations across 31 markets in 10 states. Colorado Springs is where it started, and I've worked with the property care teams here for more than six years.

The 11am back-to-back with a cleaner still inside. The lock that dies before a late arrival. The vendor who does not show. The guest who needs an answer now.

After hundreds of rentals, I'm convinced the hard part of this business is paying attention. That's why Sun Mountain Stays stays small, works closely on the physical side of every stay, and makes one person accountable for the outcome.

I want to know the homes we manage well enough to notice when something changes.