Peak Performance: How WaterGuru Helps Crestwood Inn Stay Crystal Clear at 8,500 Feet

In the thin mountain air of Snowmass Village, Colorado, maintaining perfect pool chemistry isn't  just a matter of adding the right chemicals—it's a complex balance of science, timing, and precision. At  8,500 feet elevation, where water behaves differently and conditions can change in an instant,  Crestwood Inn has mastered this delicate dance, thanks to an innovative partnership with WaterGuru. 

Initiating this partnership was Tim Lankins, Facilities Director at the Crestwood Inn in Snowmass, CO.  Originally from Silicon Valley, he made the migration to the Rocky Mountains early in his career where  his deep appreciation for the transformative power of technology took root. 

“I originally came to the Aspen, Colorado area 28 years ago, applying for a maintenance position at the  prestigious Aspen Meadows Resort, home to the Aspen Ideas Institute, where I was fortunate to  broaden my facilities management experience. A decade later I was recruited by the Crestwood Inn  where I’ve built and developed an amazing staff of professionals working year-round, five in  maintenance roles and the remainder in janitorial, custodial, and landscape work. I’m fortunate to  have assembled the best facilities team in the Snowmass Valley, which says a lot given our highly  competitive lodging market”. 

The High-Altitude Challenge 

At this elevation, where the air is thin and the sun intense, managing water chemistry presents unique  challenges. For Crestwood Inn, a prestigious slope-side, ski-in, 137-unit condominium hotel featuring  one swimming pool and three hot tubs on cascading elevations, these challenges are magnified by  unpredictable guest usage patterns that can shift as quickly as the mountain weather.

On the quiet side, a few guests sip drinks in one of the hot tubs entertained by skiers gliding down the  mountain. In contrast, the main pool quickly fills with a party of guests stressing the chemical balance;  a steep challenge for maintenance staff. Lankins explains, “Before installing WaterGuru our staff  members were constantly performing manual tests—a repetitive task all too visible to alarmed guests. Guest responses were ‘Oh, what’s wrong? With staff then having to offer reassurances that all was  good - not a conversation we want to be having.”  

Further, the property's natural looking dark-bottom pool is particularly susceptible to algae growth at  high altitude, added another layer of complexity. For a premium property where every detail matters,  even the slightest water quality issue is a potential guest dissatisfier.

From Tim Lankins perspective, continuing to perform maintenance the old-fashioned way was  treacherous, like navigating an icy slope; leaving him to search for a smarter way of managing his  team’s most volatile asset. That long search led him to discover WaterGuru – where connected,  intelligent automation meets pool. 

Smart Technology Meets Mountain Expertise 

The installation of four WaterGuru SENSE units revolutionized Crestwood Inn's approach to high altitude pool maintenance. Now, Lankins and his team monitor water conditions 24/7 through their  smartphones, receiving real-time alerts and AI-driven recommendations that help them stay ahead of  potential issues—a crucial advantage in the unpredictable mountain environment. 

“I have two certified pool operators, myself being one of them, and one staff member who manages  the pool and hot tubs on a daily basis. Using Waterguru’s technology has turned a complex task into a  maintenance breeze. All maintenance staff have the WaterGuru app on their phones so regardless of  whatever work is being attended to or where, on property or off, we stay informed of the ever changing pool conditions," says Lankins. He adds, "In the app we see the whole story not just current health conditions but history as well which removes the mystery.” 

Lankins continues. “When the pools are actively used, rather than waiting for the next scheduled test, I  initiate an on-demand chemistry test with the push of an in-app button, typically spotting chlorine low  or pH high conditions, and that immediately sends the data to my pool guy as well.”  

The system's proactive monitoring has proven particularly valuable for pump maintenance at altitude.  "WaterGuru's ability to continuously monitor pump flow and detect faltering pumps has been  instrumental in helping us avoid asset downtime," Lankins notes. "When WaterGuru reports a faltering  pump condition, we do a quick swap maximizing asset uptime." 

Reaching New Heights in Pool Management 

The impact of WaterGuru's technology has been transformative, on operations and guests. especially  considering the unique challenges of mountain operations: 

"By responding quickly we're able to maintain pristine water conditions, avoiding the unpleasant  downsides like ruining people's swim wear or hearing guests complain about bad chemistry smell," 

says Lankins. "With WaterGuru's technology we stay a step ahead, being proactive instead of reacting  to problems that have already occurred." 

What once took 20 minutes to perform chemical tests manually and then rebalance the water now  takes just five, allowing staff to reallocate time to other priorities. The property has eliminated costly  algae outbreaks entirely—a remarkable achievement at high altitude—and guests now enjoy  swimming without interruption or distraction from maintenance activities. 

"Following installation of our WaterGuru SENSE units, monitoring pool conditions became unintrusive and invisible to guests," says Facilities Director Tim Lankins. "Having maintenance functions operating  in the background is the ideal." For the maintenance team, WaterGuru has become an invaluable  training tool in mastering high-altitude pool care. "I've got two guys that are pool novices, and our  Waterguru app’s AI-dispensed advice accelerates their education. For our fully trained and pool  certified staff it’s a reaffirmation of their knowledge," Lankins explains.  

A Partnership That Rises Above 

What stands out for Lankins isn't just the technology—it's the comprehensive support his team  receives. "The support from WaterGuru's support team has been phenomenal. When needed, we get  immediate answers. Given that the SENSE has become such a crucial operational tool for us, having  world-class support is of the utmost importance for our business."

At Crestwood Inn, where mountain excellence is the standard and guest satisfaction paramount,  WaterGuru has become more than just a monitoring system—it's an essential partner in delivering the  premium experience their guests expect. Through smart technology, proactive monitoring, and  exceptional support, WaterGuru has helped Crestwood Inn master the unique challenges of high altitude pool maintenance. Lankins reflects, “We’re fortunate to have such a highly qualified facilities  staff including pool maintenance certifications.  

For us, it wasn’t a knowledge gap being filling, but rather, providing staff the state-of-the-art tools  needed to succeed in their job with great efficiency, making SENSE our essential maintenance tool,"  concludes Lankins. In the demanding world of mountain resort operations, that kind of confidence is as  valuable as the pristine Rocky Mountain air itself.