Colorado is an awesome place to live and it seems like everyone is starting to figure it out!
So whether you’re the long-time resident looking to capitalize on an investment property or a developer looking specifically to drive STR revenue in their portfolio, the Asher Advantage will give you short term rental design solutions that are easy to maintain while delivering exceptional experiences to your guests.
In this article, we’ll walk you through this opportunity and how our team helps investors of all sizes capitalize on it.
Short Term Rental Design Opportunity Up Front
You might just think you could slap some paint on an investment property and call it a day. And if you really want to go out on a limb, get nice towels and maybe even a few mountain bikes for guests to use.
If that’s the strategy, that’s a MISTAKE.
The truth is, professional vacation rental designers create spaces that generate up to 40% more in revenue as compared to those dives we just spoke about.
Imagine the compounding effect. That $99/night space becomes a $139/night spot that’s easier to maintain and more enjoyable for guests. This drives referrals, 5-star reviews, longer stays, and repeat visits.
Run that out over the year and your portfolio.
The numbers are awesome, right?
What Makes Guests Choose Your Property Over the Competition
Here’s what actually happens when people book vacation rentals in Colorado: they open their laptop, pull up dozens of options, and start scrolling. Your property gets maybe five seconds to make an impression before they move on.
Those five seconds aren’t about amenities lists. They’re about feeling. Does this place look amazing? Can I see myself here?
Smart short term rental design in Colorado creates that instant “yes” response. It’s the difference between someone clicking through your photos versus scrolling past to the next property.
And here’s the beautiful part, once you’ve got them booked, thoughtful design continues working for you. Guests walk in and immediately feel like they made the right choice. They start taking photos. They’re already planning to come back before they’ve even unpacked.
This is what vacation rental designers who actually understand the STR business create: spaces that convert browsers into bookers and guests into repeat customers.
Why Short Term vs. Long Term Rental Design Changes Everything
If you’ve ever been a landlord, forget everything you know. Short term vs. long term rental properties operate in completely different universes.
Long-term tenants tolerate quirks and figure things out. Your STR guests? They’re writing a review about everything. They’re comparing your property to the last three places they stayed and judging every detail.
This is exactly why short term rental design near Denver and throughout Northern Colorado requires specialized thinking. Every material needs to withstand accelerated wear from constant turnover. Every system needs to work flawlessly without explanation. Every space needs to function intuitively because guests won’t tolerate learning curves.
The Colorado Factor: What Works Here
Mountain town STR properties deal with gear. Lots of gear. Skis, snowboards, bikes, and hiking packs. Your guests arrive loaded down with toys for Colorado adventures.
Properties without proper storage become disaster zones. Muddy boots in the living room. Ski equipment propped against walls. Your beautiful design gets buried under guest chaos.
Smart vacation rental designers working in Colorado build storage solutions directly into the architecture. Mudrooms with boot benches and gear racks. Ski lockers that keep equipment organized. Bike storage that doesn’t compromise living spaces.
Then there’s our weather. That intense Colorado sun fades everything. Our temperature swings stress materials. Short term rental design that ignores these realities creates constant maintenance headaches and bad guest experiences.
When Holistic Architectural Service Makes the Difference
Most people think STR design means picking furniture and paint colors for clever staging. That’s backwards.
You’re not trying to make people think that your space is something it isn’t.
Noone likes finding out that they bought lipstick on pig. On top of that, no one likes hiring a specialist, only to discover that your specialist needs to pass you off to another specialist, who, in turn, is supported by other specialists who then call you and you have no idea who is actually working on your project (and why they’re asking you for more money).
When we talk about The Asher Advantage, we’re talking about all project trades and stakeholders being under the same roof – a desk away – so that you’re vacation rental renovation becomes streamlined.
The best vacation rental designers know that furniture can’t fix fundamental spatial problems. If your kitchen layout creates bottlenecks, no amount of beautiful cabinetry solves it. If bathrooms force guests through bedrooms, no fancy tile work makes that functional. Our team works together, to ensure all these pieces fit.
The Asher A&E Team looks at how spaces work before anyone thinks about what color the walls should be.
Can your kitchen handle a group cooking together? Are bathrooms positioned so guests aren’t awkwardly sharing? Do bedrooms offer actual privacy? Can you add that mudroom that mountain properties desperately need?
These questions require efficient, holistic architectural solutions, not decorating tricks. And solving them early creates properties that simply function better for guests.
We are your one call. That’s our advantage.
Materials and Operations That Protect Your Investment
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: STR properties get destroyed faster than you think. Not because guests are careless—simply because of volume.
Standard residential materials crack under this pressure. Professional short term rental design in Colorado specifies commercial-grade materials that maintain residential aesthetics. Flooring that handles heavy traffic. Plumbing fixtures built for hospitality use. Furniture with cleanable fabrics that don’t look institutional.
These selections cost more upfront but prevent the constant replacements that nickel-and-dime your profits while forcing you to block booking calendar for repairs.
Operational efficiency matters too. Properties generating top returns clean quickly because layouts make sense and finishes clean easily. Maintenance happens fast because systems are accessible. Guests solve their own minor questions because everything works intuitively.
This operational efficiency directly impacts your bottom line. Faster turnover means more bookable nights. Lower maintenance costs preserve margins. Happy guests leave reviews that drive future bookings at higher rates.
Navigating Colorado’s STR Regulations
Colorado’s STR regulations vary wildly by location. What’s allowed in one mountain town gets you shut down in another. Near Denver, each municipality writes its own rules.
Fire safety requirements. Parking mandates. Occupancy limits. The list goes on, and ignorance doesn’t protect you from consequences.
Most vacation rental designers have zero expertise in these regulations. They create beautiful spaces that can’t get legally permitted.
When we approach short term rental design, regulatory compliance happens from day one. Our architects know local codes. Our engineers implement required systems correctly. Your property gets approved and stays approved because we built compliance into the design.
Ready to Maximize Your Colorado STR Investment?
Whether you’re converting your first property or managing a portfolio, the difference between mediocre returns and exceptional performance often comes down to design quality.
Not just surface aesthetics (though those matter). The complete package: spaces that photograph beautifully, function flawlessly, withstand intensive use, comply with regulations, and operate efficiently.
At Asher Architects & Engineers, we bring architectural expertise, engineering capabilities, and design sophistication together under one roof. This integration creates STR properties that outperform because every element works together toward the same goal: your success.
Let’s talk about your specific property, market, and goals. Whether you’re planning conversions near Denver, developing purpose-built vacation rentals in Northern Colorado, or reimagining existing STR properties, our integrated approach can transform good investments into exceptional performers.
Your Colorado STR opportunity deserves more than generic solutions. Let’s create something guests love and that delivers the returns you’re after.
