Sundance is coming to Boulder, and our weird in the best way college town, equal parts CU Buffs, climbers, founders, and Pearl Street poets, is about to host one of the most influential film festivals anywhere. For ten days in January, your living room becomes someone else’s office. Hosting can pull three to five times your normal nightly rate, but festival guests aren’t ordinary travelers. They’re producers taking 6 a.m. calls with L.A., journalists filing copy at midnight, and talent expecting a boutique hotel experience.
Safety and systems first.
Tackle deferred repairs, test smoke and CO detectors, swap batteries, and verify your fire extinguisher hasn’t expired. Install a smart lock with rotating codes, add a video doorbell, and consider a NoiseAware sensor. Confirm your homeowner’s insurance has a short term rental rider, and secure a City of Boulder hosting license before you list.
Lock it off.
Designate off limits spaces (garage, owner’s closet, home office) and install keyed locks. Set digital boundaries too: sign out of streaming services, pull personal files from shared computers, and switch smart home accounts to a guest profile.
Depersonalize, room by room.
Sort everything into leave, store, or donate. Clear shelves of knick knacks, take down family photos, and if losing it would ruin your week, pack it. Empty the pantry but leave oils, salt, pepper, and a fresh bag of locally roasted coffee from Boxcar, Ozo, or Unseen.
Invest in touchpoints.
White hotel grade sheets, two pillow firmnesses, blackout curtains, plush towels, a real coffee setup, sharp knives, and a reading lamp per nightstand. Add a curated card with Pearl Street picks, Flatirons trails, and where to find great green chile.
Deep clean top to bottom.
Steam grout, descale showerheads, replace the HVAC filter. Light a candle and welcome Sundance to Boulder.
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