What are the requirements of a hotel license?

The purpose of the Hotel License is to ensure that the unique requirements to operate this type of business are met. A  Hotel is a transient lodging establishment renting individual rooms for temporary occupancy and typically not including facilities for cooking. The term “hotel" includes establishments also known as "motels."  For the purposes of the Ordinance, it does not include the short-term rental of private homes or rooms by private homeowners. To operate a hotel, the business must obtain a hotel license and meet the following requirements:

  1. The applicant shall have achieved and maintained a call for service (CFS) rate of 1.8 within twelve (12) months of obtaining a hotel license. This rate must be decreased to 1.5 by January 1, 2023. The City may, in its sole discretion, permit extensions of the twelve (12) month period, not to exceed a total of an additional six (6) months during which time the hotel license shall be deemed extended.
  2. The applicant shall demonstrate participation in the City’s certified crime free hotel/motel program by contacting the City’s Crime Prevention Team at 303-235-2910 prior to the application submittal (initial deadline, January 1, 2022).
  3. The applicant shall have made all necessary corrective actions in response to the City’s most recent annual hotel/motel inspection program report for the subject location. This program is enforced through the City's police and community development departments, in cooperation with applicable fire protection districts.
  4. The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with the City's landscape inspection program, as applicable and as certified by the Community Development Department.
  5. The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with the applicable series of adopted international building and property codes applicable to the subject property, including the International Property Maintenance Code, as demonstrated by certification from the City's chief building official.
  6. The applicant shall establish and maintain an approved security plan, including crime prevention through environmental design, video surveillance, security guards, fencing, and lighting, as approved by the City's police department. To schedule a review of the security plan, contact Crime Prevention at 303-235-2910. Each establishment will be reviewed based on the current crime issues and trends and be required to adjust, if necessary, based on that review. Officers from the Wheat Ridge Police Department will conduct outreach to ensure that the requirements are understood and to assist with the development of the plan.

Show All Answers

1. What is the purpose of these regulations?
2. How do I obtain a hotel license?
3. What are the requirements of a hotel license?
4. How is the Call for Service rate determined?
5. How were the new CFS compliance numbers determined?
6. What is the Hotel License Addendum for Extended Stay Operations?
7. What would a sufficient guest book or guest log record look like?
8. What are examples of acceptable forms of identification that a hotel or motel could use when checking in a guest?