Combined sales and lodging tax: approximately 11.7 percent in Mountain Village
Short-term lodging in Mountain Village carries a combined tax of approximately 11.7 percent: 2.9 percent Colorado state sales tax, 4.5 percent San Miguel County sales tax, 2.5 percent Mountain Village sales tax, and 1.8 percent Mountain Village lodging tax. The Town of Telluride runs a similar combined rate of approximately 10.8 percent. The line is itemized on the operator invoice. On a $120,000 weekly Christmas headline in Mountain Village, the tax line is roughly $14,000.
CUVÉE chef-and-host package: in the headline on trophy bookings
The CUVÉE Telluride model bundles a full chef-and-host package in the headline on the Russell Drive trophy band: chef on three to five nights, house manager (front-of-house and dining service), daily housekeeping, driver for in-resort transfers, in some cases a dedicated ski concierge. Daily breakfast and afternoon tea are served. The included dinner program runs five courses with wine pairing from the house cellar; supplements apply for the reserve wines. The owner-direct rentals on SilverStar, Curate, and Exceptional Stays bundle daily housekeeping and basic concierge only; the chef line runs separately at $1,400 to $2,000 per service.
Independent chef: $1,400 to $2,000 per service plus food
An independent chef in Telluride runs $1,400 to $1,800 per dinner service in the mid-season; the Christmas Week and Film Festival rate runs $1,800 to $2,000. The chef bench is smaller than Aspen and is concentrated among alumni of Allred’s, La Marmotte, 221 South Oak, The View Bar and Grill, and the Element 47 satellite kitchens. Food cost for a group of 10 runs $90 to $180 per person depending on protein (Colorado wagyu, river-trout, elk on advance request); wine pairing adds $70 to $160 per person.
Telluride Ski Resort lift passes: $980 to $1,140 per adult six-day
The Telluride Ski Resort six-day adult lift pass runs $980 to $1,140 at the Christmas Week peak, $780 to $880 mid-season. Children six to twelve pay 60 percent of adult; children under six pay $50 for the season pass. The Epic Pass does not include Telluride. The Mountain Collective and Ikon Pass partial-day inclusions reduce the rate for those pass holders. The Telluride season pass at $2,400 for the 2026-27 winter band is the contrarian buy for any family returning to Telluride within the season.
Telluride Ski and Snowboard School: $1,000 to $1,400 per day
Telluride Ski and Snowboard School private instruction runs $1,000 to $1,250 per day for a single private guide, $1,250 to $1,400 for an off-piste or backcountry-rated guide. The Christmas Week and February school-holiday lead time runs 12 to 16 weeks. The Telluride school carries a smaller English-speaking-instructor problem than the European resorts (the entire staff is North American), reducing the booking constraint.
MTJ and TEX transfers: $480 to $1,180 each way
MTJ (Montrose Regional, 5,759 feet) is 70 miles north of Telluride with a 90-minute ground transfer over the Dallas Divide. A chauffeured Suburban from MTJ runs $720 to $1,180 each way at the Christmas peak. TEX (Telluride Regional, 9,070 feet) sits 6 miles from town with seasonal regional service to DEN, PHX, and DFW; the high-altitude operating constraints close TEX in heavy snow 8 to 12 percent of the winter season. The MTJ routing is the more reliable holiday plan. ASE-to-Telluride is a 4-hour drive on Highway 92 over the Black Canyon; the route is reliably clear in winter but adds an additional 2 hours over the MTJ option.
SUV rental: $480 to $920 per day
A Suburban or Yukon from MTJ runs $480 to $720 per day in the winter peak; the Christmas Week rate runs $720 to $920. Telluride town and Mountain Village are gondola-connected and walkable within each, so an SUV is not required for the in-resort routine. The SUV is the airport-transfer vehicle and the box-canyon-exit vehicle. For a family using the gondola and staying inside the resort footprint, a single SUV rather than two is typical.
Festival-week premium: 60 to 140 percent above the matched summer week
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival (third weekend of June), the Telluride Jazz Festival (first weekend of August), the Telluride Mushroom Festival (third week of August), and the Telluride Film Festival (Labor Day weekend) carry premium rates 60 to 140 percent above the matched non-festival summer week, with 7-night minimums standard. The Film Festival is the highest premium and the most over-subscribed week of the summer; the fall colors window (third week of September through mid-October) is the contrarian peak with prices roughly 35 percent below the matched festival rate.
Restaurant economy: Allred’s, La Marmotte, 221 South Oak, Hotel Madeline, Cosmopolitan
The Telluride restaurant cluster runs $140 to $240 per person at dinner before wine, $220 to $380 with wine pairing on the upper tier. Allred’s (gondola mid-station at San Sophia Station) is the Telluride signature; La Marmotte and 221 South Oak are the town pattern; the Cosmopolitan and the View Restaurant at the Mountain Village Conference Center cover the higher-end tier. The New Sheridan Chop House is the historic Pacific Avenue room. Pre-book Allred’s and La Marmotte 6 to 10 weeks ahead of Christmas Week.
Staff gratuities: $200 to $500 per staff member per week
The Telluride norm is $200 to $500 per staff member for the week, in cash on departure. The CUVÉE booking handles gratuities through the operator pool; the owner-direct rentals require the cash discipline. Plan for $1,200 to $2,800 in gratuities on a Christmas Week booking with five staff. The chef typically receives the upper end of the band; the house manager is the second-largest line.