A petition calling for more robust discount prices for locals at Durango Hot Springs made the rounds last week, garnering nearly 3,000 signatures within three days of going live.
The petition was created by Durango resident Hunter Stafford in response to rising prices at the resort that made visits “increasingly out of reach” for him and his wife.
According to Durango Hot Springs’ website, an adult three-hour soak pass sells for $59, and a three-hour child pass for $29. An annual pass, which allows the pass holder unlimited two-hour soaks for a year, goes for $899.
The resort’s two-hour adult pass recently jumped from $39 to $49.
In an email to Strafford, Durango Hot Springs said its pricing reflects the costs associated with caring for the springs and paying employees.
Stafford told The Durango Herald that he and his wife have lived near the hot springs for three years, and that they used to frequent the resort as often as twice a month. With the recent increases, the couple can realistically visit once or twice per year, he said.
“Durango Hot Springs is an amazing place, and I think that they've done incredible things with their renovations,” Stafford said. “But I’m a teacher and my wife works for a nonprofit, and it’s really challenging for us to be able to go have a date night and spend $100 total just for a couple hours.”
Stafford said he understands the resort needs to maintain enough revenue to keep operations running and pay staff reasonable wages – but he feels a compromise between locals and the resort is achievable, and that more robust discounts for residents would benefit the resort by increasing foot traffic in the off season.
“My biggest ask is for Durango Hot Springs to just be willing to have a conversation about this,” he said.
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Potential solutions presented by Stafford in the petition included designating one day per week as a discount “locals day,” creating a more affordable locals-only season pass, or offering tiered pricing based on residency status.
Durango Hot Springs Executive Ken Stone told the Herald the resort cares about its local customers, and that several discount options exist at the resort of which locals can take advantage.
Some of these include a $69 Frequency Card, which offers 20% off of each visit, and a $399 10 Soak Card – a transferable and reloadable card valid for 10 general admission entries. It costs an additional $20 annually to renew the Frequency Card.
The resort also offers seasonal promotions, discounts for seniors and veterans, and a corporate wellness program offering 20% off for employees, Stone said.
The discount options have been impacted by the recent base rate increase, meaning a 20% discount is now applied to a $49 two-hour rate, rather than the previous $39.
The discount packages are not exclusive to locals, meaning tourists can also purchase them, Stone said – but most visitors aren’t in town long enough to benefit from them, he said.
Stone said cost has increased along with improvements at the resort since 2019.
“Who doesn’t feel bad when prices go up?” he said. “But sometimes we get people comparing us to the past, when we had one soaking pool here, and you could get in for $30. And I go, ‘Well, there was one pool. There's 41 pools now.”
The Durango Hot Springs – previously called Trimble Hot Springs – sees hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Numbers skyrocketed from about 12,000 visitors in 2018 to 168,000 in 2021 after the resort’s 2019 purchase and rebrand by new owners Bryan Yearout, Dan Carter and Kurt Carter. The resort celebrated its sixth anniversary in August.
The new owners made significant improvements to the property shortly after purchasing it, including adding 15 mineral pools, building a snack and drink bar, and updating the massive swimming pool.
As of 2024, the resort – which spent $14 million in capital investments at that time – boasted 40 water features, including 32 thermal mineral pools and enhanced accessibility features like an ADA-compliant cold plunge and a resort-style swimming pool with a zero-step entry for guests with mobility challenges.
The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs – which has 25 basic pools, five adult-only Relaxation Terrace Pools and 23 Wellness Pools – offers slightly higher upfront rates for a hot springs soak in exchange for far more time spent in the pools. $69 will get an adult guest an all-day pass to 20 of the soaking pools at the resort, with the same pass going for $37 for children.
A $39 per month or $424 per year package is offered for locals within 60 miles of the resort, which supplies guests with unlimited visits Sunday through Thursday and 50% off on Friday, Saturday and holidays.
Stafford is not the only local feeling fed up with the resort’s high rates.
Durango resident Frank Clarke has visited Durango Hot Springs with his wife several times per week since moving to Durango 11 years ago. They usually purchase yearly passes, he said – but their budget won’t allow for it this year.
Clarke said he understands why costs have risen, and appreciates the updates and improvements that have been made. But he also supports the petition and the idea of more robust discounts for locals.
“We're locals,” Clarke said. “It’s like, ‘We treat (the business) good, you need to treat us good.’”
Clarke said if the cost of a yearly pass were discounted by $100 or $150 for locals, he would be able to afford to visit the springs regularly again.
Some comments left on the petition by residents accused the resort of supporting a business model that focuses on maximizing revenue and catering to second-home owners and tourists.
Other commenters offered similar laments to Clarke’s – that they used to visit the hot springs often, but can no longer afford to amid rising rates.
Stafford said the support the petition has gained in only a few days illustrates how much community members care about having affordable access to the hot springs.
“I’m hopeful that the (Durango Hot Springs) will be willing to find a way to have a conversation about this, and maybe there can be a solution that will make locals happy, and that will help increase the hot springs’ bottom line, and help them run a successful business,” Stafford said. “That’s my hope.”
epond@durangoherald.com
