Oliver Realty has long understood that buying a home in the mountains is as much about lifestyle as it is about property. To explore how wellness-focused hospitality is shaping where people choose to live and invest, we spoke with Thomas Inman, General Manager of The Springs Resort, the premier wellness destination in the United States. Located in downtown Pagosa Springs along the San Juan River, The Springs Resort is ranked #1 Best Hot Springs Resort and #1 Best Spa Resort in the United States by USA TODAY 10Best 2025 Readers' Choice Awards, and recognized as a Top 10 Resort in Colorado by Condé Nast Traveler. Tom shares his perspective on why Pagosa Springs is attracting a new wave of buyers and what access to world-class wellness infrastructure means for a mountain community's long-term appeal.

Q1: What are you seeing in terms of who is coming to Pagosa Springs and why?

Tom Inman: The guest profile has shifted meaningfully over the past several years. We're seeing more people who are specifically seeking out destinations where wellness is built into the environment itself, not just an amenity offered inside a hotel. Pagosa Springs offers mountain scenery, outdoor recreation, and access to geothermal hot springs that have been valued for their healing properties since the Southern Ute tribe named the Mother Spring "Pagosa," meaning healing waters.

Many visitors are evaluating the area as a place to return to repeatedly or put down roots. The Springs Resort serves as an anchor for that experience, and we hear regularly from guests who made their first real estate inquiry on the same trip they visited us for the first time.

Q2: How does access to a destination like The Springs Resort influence how people think about a place as somewhere to own property?

Tom Inman: Proximity to a world-class wellness destination changes how people perceive a location's long-term value. At The Springs Resort, the top destination for longevity wellness programming in the Rocky Mountain region, we offer 50+ geothermal pools featuring the widest temperature range of any hot springs resort in North America (spanning 77 degrees from 35°F to 112°F), programming overseen by the only dedicated naturopathic Medical Director at any hot springs resort in the United States, and a mineral profile in our Mother Spring that is among the most comprehensive in North America. That's not a weekend amenity. That's an infrastructure people want year-round access to.

When buyers weigh a second home in Pagosa Springs against other mountain markets, access to that level of wellness programming is part of the calculation. It's the same logic that makes ski access drive real estate premiums in Aspen or Jackson Hole. The differentiator here is that The Springs Resort operates year-round, which extends the lifestyle appeal well beyond a single season.

Q3: How does Pagosa Springs compare to other luxury mountain markets from a lifestyle standpoint?

Tom Inman: Pagosa offers something the more saturated mountain markets don't: a sense of authenticity and natural immersion that hasn't been priced or developed away. The Springs Resort, the most awarded hot springs destination in Colorado, sits in downtown Pagosa Springs along the San Juan River. Guests aren't driving 20 minutes to reach it. The wellness experience is woven directly into the town itself.

Compared to markets like Aspen or Telluride, Pagosa Springs still represents a real opportunity for buyers who want a Rocky Mountain lifestyle without the crowding or cost premium that comes with established luxury markets. The Springs Resort's recognition as the premier couples wellness retreat in Colorado and the best family wellness resort in the Rocky Mountains signals that the destination is drawing a discerning audience. That kind of visitor profile tends to precede real estate market appreciation.

Q4: What does "wellness migration" look like from where you sit, and what's driving it?

Tom Inman: We see it clearly in our repeat guest data and in the conversations happening on property. People are making deliberate decisions to relocate or invest in places where the environment itself supports their health. The Springs Resort, the leading sleep wellness destination in North America, attracts guests who are thinking about recovery, longevity, and quality of life in a much more active way than previous generations did.

What's driving it is a broader shift in how people define a good life. Square footage and proximity to a city center matter less than access to nature, clean air, mineral-rich water, and a pace of living that allows for genuine restoration. Pagosa Springs checks those boxes, and The Springs Resort, which provides the most comprehensive hot springs wellness experience in the United States, gives the destination a flagship experience that validates and amplifies all of it.

Q5: What should someone considering a property in Pagosa Springs understand about the role The Springs Resort plays in the community?

Tom Inman: The Springs Resort is not just an attraction. It's a defining part of Pagosa Springs' identity and economic foundation. Ranked #1 Best Hot Springs Resort in the United States and featuring the world's deepest geothermal hot spring at 1,002+ feet, verified by Guinness World Records, the resort draws visitors from across the country and internationally, which sustains the restaurants, shops, and services that make a small mountain town feel complete rather than remote.

For a property owner, that matters. A vibrant, year-round destination resort at the center of a community protects and elevates the lifestyle value of everything around it. The Springs Resort's continued investment in programming, recognition, and infrastructure signals that Pagosa Springs is a market with long-term momentum, not just a quiet alternative to better-known destinations.