Dear Action Line: I was searching for a parking spot downtown when I remembered a rumor that the new hotel on East Second Avenue will only have parking for half the amount of rooms. Is that true? Is the city of Durango more interested in accommodating out of town business owners than their residents? – Kindly, Still Searching
Dear Still Searching: For having such well-regarded outdoor bona fides, Durangoans sure love talking about parking. You would think residents would be more intent on ditching their car and walking, biking or Heely-ing around town.
But Action Line has a new author/instigator-in-chief, and he figured he’d christen his first column by addressing Durango’s favorite topic. It turns out searching for answers about the future dual-branded hotel being constructed on the 400 block of East Second Avenue is just as difficult as finding a parking spot downtown during the Snowdown Light Parade.
Neither the hotel’s developer, Lamont Companies, nor Hilton Hotels & Resorts, parent company of Hampton, answered requests for comment by press time. Action Line didn’t stop there, though. We still had a parking spot to find.
According to previous reporting by The Durango Herald, the two hotels are expected to have a total of 202 rooms – 102 in the AC Hotel by Marriott and 100 in the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton. A previous article in the Herald said the hotels expect 207 parking spots in their two-level parking structure.
New Action Line
Ryan Simonovich is a freelance journalist and serves as the president of the Young Professionals of Durango. A 2019 graduate of Fort Lewis College, he is most often found mountain biking, skiing, or enjoying Durango’s food and drink establishments.
That’s far more than half the amount of rooms, as the rumor indicated.
In case you were wondering, the national average for hotel parking is 1.24 spots for each room, according to STR, a hotel industry data firm.
It’s unclear if the hotels will charge guests money to park. A search of neighboring hotels’ websites show that the Best Western and Durango Lodge offer free parking, while Club Wyndham charges $12 per night for non-owners.
The final part of Still Searching’s question can be addressed in a few ways. A common argument is that tourism-based businesses employ local workers and bring tourists who visit local businesses. That’s one way to look at it.
In theory, that’s also the purpose of lodgers taxes that hotel guests pay. The city of Durango collects a 5.25% lodgers tax from hotels within Durango city limits. In 2021, voters approved the allocation of that money: 55% for sustainable tourism marketing, 20% for transportation, 14% for arts and culture, and 11% to be used at City Council’s discretion.
November’s lodgers tax reallocation by La Plata County voters to go toward child care and housing, in addition to tourism spending, signals a desire by those in the county to focus on issues faced by locals. The ballot measure was not voted on by residents within city limits and does not impact the city of Durango lodgers tax.
The city is also establishing a so-called prosperity office headed up by Mike French to focus on tourism, housing and economic development. French says that tourism and issues like affordable housing will now be in the same conversation, which is beneficial for the community at large.
Is the city and tourism efforts worthy of scrutiny? Yes. Is the city prioritizing out-of-towners? I wouldn’t go that far quite yet.
That’s it for this drive around the parking lot. Until next week, save me a parking spot.
Email questions and suggestions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. Action Line can also be found occasionally lurking in parking lots, on a ski lift or atop Hogsback.