Boulder Moves to Sell a Downtown Lot for a 110 Room Hotel as the Sundance Room Shortage Looms

Boulder took a concrete step toward expanding its hotel supply this week. City officials said on July 8, 2026 that they have reached a tentative agreement to sell a city owned parking lot at 2121 Broadway to Midnight Auteur LLC for $5.8 million, clearing the way for a proposed 110 room hotel about one block from the Hotel Boulderado, as first reported by BizWest.

Who is behind the project

Midnight Auteur LLC was formed by leaders of the Ramble Hotel in Denver and Death & Co, the New York born cocktail bar group with an outpost inside the Ramble. The 59 space lot they intend to buy is controlled by the Central Area General Improvement District, known as CAGID.

According to the BizWest report, the project plans include ground level commercial space, publicly accessible gathering areas, and a rooftop component, with the developer expressing interest in incorporating art and cultural events into the property.

Why it matters for Festival Season

Boulder has roughly 2,900 hotel rooms inside city limits, and the Sundance Film Festival is expected to draw crowds far beyond that capacity every January for at least the next decade. Local officials and festival representatives have repeatedly said downtown Boulder needs more rooms.

The timing is the catch. A hotel at 2121 Broadway is not expected to be ready for the first Boulder festival in January 2027. The city told BizWest the lot should remain available for parking for at least the next year while the project goes through the entitlement process. This is a bet on the festival's second act, not its debut.

What happens next

The Downtown Management Commission was scheduled to review the proposed sale agreement the week of July 13, with the deal then heading to Boulder City Council for approval in August 2026. Construction timelines remain unknown, and the city said it is too early to speculate.

One reporting note: this development has so far been covered in detail by a single outlet, BizWest, alongside statements from city officials. We will update this story as the council vote approaches.

For visitors sorting out where to stay for the 2027 festival while hotel supply catches up, our lodging guide tracks private homes and neighborhood options as they come online.