Holidays (ARE) on Us” THIS WINTER FROM VAIL RESORTS AND ROCKRESORTS
Vail Resorts unveils the ultimate lodging deal for the 2008-2009 winter season with a free night of lodging on the busiest holidays at top-rated Colorado ski resorts
The “Holidays On Us” package is valid at all of its owned and managed properties, including nine of the Company’s RockResort properties located in iconic areas such as Vail, St. Lucia, Santa Fe, Jackson Hole, Aspen and Beaver Creek
Reservations must be made by October 15, 2008
Sept. 3, 2008 – Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN) is giving travelers a reason to celebrate the holidays this winter on the slopes at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone and at the Company’s nine RockResorts with a new “Holidays on Us” lodging deal that offers a free night of lodging on the season’s busiest holidays.
Today, the Company announced the “Holidays on Us” ultimate lodging deal for the 2008-2009 season that provides guests a free night of lodging on the six most popular holidays during the winter season – Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day and Easter Sunday – when they purchase four consecutive holiday nights of lodging. The package is restricted Dec. 27-30, must be booked by Oct. 15, 2008 and the guest must stay five consecutive nights to receive the holiday night free.
The “Holidays on Us” package is also valid at Vail Resorts’ managed condominiums, townhouses and other properties at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, as well as the Company’s RockResort properties, including the Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Hotel Jerome in Aspen, La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in New Mexico and the beachside resort of The Landings St. Lucia in the West Indies, among others. For a complete listing of participating properties, visit www.rockresorts.com, www.keystoneresort.com, www.vbcrp.com and www.breckenridgehospitality.com.
“Vail Resorts is offering our guests the gift of time during the holidays this winter,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “We know how important it is for families and friends to gather for the holidays and we want to make a vacation to one of our resorts a reality for folks this season.”
Prices start as low as $169 per person for five nights for a Thanksgiving “Holidays on Us” package at Keystone’s Forest condominiums, based on quad occupancy. Stay at Breckenridge Mountain Lodge for $218 per person; at The Pines Lodge, A RockResort, in Beaver Creek for $309 per person; or the Lodge at Vail, A RockResort, for $458 per person; all based on double occupancy for five nights. Other restrictions apply. Call 800-239-9290 or visit www.HolidaysOnUs.com. Or, spend the Thanksgiving holiday at The Arrabelle at Vail Square, A RockResort, located just steps from the legendary slopes of Vail and enjoy the attentive guest service provided by your very own ski butler and ski nanny. Thanksgiving “Holidays on Us” packages at The Arrabelle start at $590 per person per night and are based on double occupancy. Call 800-239-9290 or visit www.HolidaysOnUs.com.
According to Stan Brown, executive vice president and chief operating officer of RockResorts & Vail Resorts Hospitality, the Company’s “Holidays on Us” package offers a truly extraordinary value for guests during the most popular times of the winter season. “This is the ultimate lodging deal for anyone looking to vacation during the holidays this year and wants a exceptional experience at any of our top-rated ski resorts or for those craving some sun and sand on the beaches of St. Lucia at our new property, The Landings,” Brown said.
For additional value on the ski slopes this winter, Katz recommends skiers and snowboarders book the “Holidays on Us” package in conjunction with purchasing the Epic Season Pass, a revolutionary ski season pass product that was launched earlier this year, and offers unlimited and unrestricted skiing all season long, including all of the busiest holidays, for six great resorts - Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Heavenly – at the price point of just $579 for adults and $279 for kids. The Epic Season Pass must be purchased by Nov. 15 at www.epicpass.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc. is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company’s subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties at the Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company’s subsidiary RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
About RockResorts
RockResorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, owns and operates luxury resort hotels that offer casually elegant accommodations, lavish RockResorts Spas™, renowned golf courses, award-winning dining and a variety of exciting outdoor adventures. The RockResorts collection includes The Arrabelle at Vail Square in Vail, Colo., Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.; The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo.; Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colo.; The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.; La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, N.M.; Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and The Landings St. Lucia, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Future RockResorts include; The Osprey at Beaver Creek (renovation to be complete in fall 2008); Tempo Miami in Miami, Fla. (scheduled to open in 2009); One Ski Hill Place in Breckenridge, Colo. (scheduled to open in winter 2009/2010); Rum Cay Resort Marina, The Bahamas (scheduled to open in 2010); and the Third Turtle Club & Spa, Turks and Caicos (scheduled to open in 2011).
# # #
WHAT’S NEW at VAIL RESORTS
Winter 2008-2009
AN EPIC WAY TO SAVE ON SKIING THIS WINTER – THE NEW EPIC SEASON PASS FOR $579
Skiers are looking for the best, most EPIC deals this ski season and Vail Resorts is stepping up with a new product, the Epic Season Pass that stunned many in the travel industry when it was launched in March 2008 with the incredible price point of $579. The pass gives skiers unrestricted, unlimited skiing on more than 700 ski trails on 18,000 acres at six ski resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Heavenly Mountain Resort that straddles Nevada and California – for the entire 2008-2009 ski season. The only catch is that you must buy the pass by Nov. 15. (non-refundable and non-transferable, too). Visit www.epicpass.com.
WAYS TO SAVE GREEN AND TRAVEL GREEN
MPGs are hot. Sustainable is sizzling. And, carpooling is cool. Just about everyone is looking for ways to save some green and still be green. Here are tips on “doing the right thing” for your pocketbook and for the environment this winter: 1. Bring your own water bottle. It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re above 8,000 feet, but save some money and lots of plastic by reusing your own water bottle. 2. Take advantage of FREE environmental education programs with Beaver Creek’s Ski with a Ranger program or Keystone’s hands-on science learning or Vail’s fireside Nature at Night. 2. Leave the driving to someone else. Book a shuttle as part of your vacation package to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. You’ll reduce carbon emissions, enjoy a relaxing drive to the mountains and save up to 30 percent by bundling the key elements of your ski vacation into one package through our central reservations (www.snow.com or 800-404-3535). For Colorado residents, check out skicarpool.com to organize rides to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone all winter long.
REDEFINING LUXURY IN VAIL WITH SKI BUTLERS AND SKI NANNIES
The renaissance of Vail continues. And with new properties, restaurants and amenities comes a new definition of luxury. January 2008 marked the grand opening of the ski-in, ski-out RockResort property, The Arrabelle at Vail Square, that sets the bar even higher for guest service in Vail with ski valets, ski nannies and personal concierge attention. Work continues on the Four Seasons Residence Club scheduled to open late 2009 and the Ritz Carlton Residences in 2010. Manor Vail, located at Golden Peak, is set to complete a state-of-the-art renovation and anticipates opening in July 2008. On the snow, guest feedback of the on-mountain staff, programs, facilities and especially service continues to receive top scores among the industry and is an important focus year round.
SKImmersion- Changing the Way Skiers Learn on the Slopes
As the largest and one of the highest ranked schools in the ski industry, Vail Snowsports School is offering a new Focused Learning Program called SKImmersion that provides guests with the opportunity to be coached like top ski athletes by utilizing sports psychologists and top-notch methods to develop skiing skills and tactics. Over the course of the program, participants consult with a boot fitting and alignment specialist, learn from daily video sessions and in-depth reviews, and participate in both specialized indoor and outdoor training on Vail Mountain. After six days, attendees should expect to be mentally and physically stronger, tactically smarter, and ski longer through life.
YEEHAW! THE RANCH OPENS FOR BEAVER CREEK’S LITTLEST GUESTS
BEAVER CREEK’S NEW CHILDREN’S SKI/SNOWBOARD SCHOOL, “THE RANCH,” DEBUTS
Beaver Creek will debut The Ranch, a state-of-the-art children’s ski and snowboard school located at the top of the new Buckaroo Express Gondola (a children’s gondola that opened last year) this season. The 4,000 square foot, on-mountain center will be designed specifically to give Beaver Creek’s littlest guests the most attention and best experience with high-tech food ordering capabilities that allow ski instructors to spend their time focused on the kids and less on the logistics at lunchtime. The same attention to detail is evident in the custom-designed slopes that will facilitate correct body movements for the littlest skier and snowboarder.
SOARING INTO NEW HEIGHTS OF LUXURY AT BEAVER CREEK WITH THE OSPREY, A ROCKRESORT
THE OSPREY, A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, DEBUTS JUST A FEW STEPS AWAY FROM THE CHAIRLIFT
The Osprey at Beaver Creek, A RockResort, formerly known as the Inn at Beaver Creek, is undergoing a $7-million transformation this summer and will be re-launched as RockResorts’ newest addition for the 2008-2009 ski and snowboard season with a mountain chic theme and decor. The 41-room hotel, owned by RockResorts, is situated in the heart of Beaver Creek Village and is the closest hotel to a chairlift in North America.�
www.breckenridge.com
NEW BASE AREA + NEW LODGING + NEW RESTAURANT
The last time Breckenridge Ski Resort launched a new base area was in 1971. Fast forward to this ski season as Breckenridge, the most popular ski resort in the U.S., welcomes a new era and a new level of luxury and service with the debut of Peak 7, a base area featuring high-end lodging at Crystal Peak Lodge, a new ski school, ticket sales and ski rentals, a new sit-down dining experience at Sevens and a new connection between the town and mountain with a first-class, innovative mass transit system via the BreckConnect gondola.
AND MORE TO COME … ONE SKI HILL PLACE, A ROCKRESORT, SET TO DEBUT 2010
The Breckenridge renaissance is set to continue with the development of Breckenridge’s most environmentally-friendly and luxurious lodging properties at the base of Peak 8. One Ski Hill Place, A RockResort, scheduled to open in 2010 with 88 ski-in, ski-out units and 75,000 square feet of skier services will be part of Breckenridge’s newest master-planned development at Peaks 7 and 8 and will be built green using the Green Globes rating system (recycling materials, low energy windows, water-saving devices and more).
UPLIFTING KEYSTONE WITH A NEW RIVER RUN GONDOLA
A new state-of-the-art eight-passenger gondola replaces the current six-passenger River Run Gondola with a new bottom terminal located closer to the village shops, lodging and parking areas and with a new mid-station, giving skiers and snowboarders more options to access just the upper trails and to download at the end of the day.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS AT KEYSTONE – NIGHT SKIING + MUSIC
Keystone is celebrating the return of winter in the Rocky Mountains with a free concert series next to the new River Run Gondola on Nov. 21, 28 and Dec. 5. Ski into the night and listen to music under the lights for a truly exceptional experience. During Friday Night Lights guests can book ski and stay packages from $102 per person/per night at the Inn at Keystone.
NEW THRILLS AT HEAVENLY WITH LONGEST ZIP LINE IN THE LOWER 48
There’s a new way to get downhill at Heavenly Mountain Resort that involves a harness, a 3,300-foot-long zip line and one of the most scenic views in the country (of Lake Tahoe). As the longest zip line in the continental U.S. (and the most scenic in the world), the year-round Heavenly Flyer has been delighting guests with a 525-foot vertical drop, at speeds up to 50 mph since opening last ski season.
MAKING MORE TRACKS AND MORE SNOW AT HEAVENLY
Skiers and snowboarders are rejoicing at the improvements at Heavenly this season – three new trails and snowmaking upgrades. Two new trails are set to open in Ski Ways Glades, a popular tree-skiing area located on the border of California and Nevada, and one new trail in Powderbowl Woods on the California side. Also, the West Coast’s largest snowmaking system is expanding onto Stagecoach run, increasing the amount of terrain Heavenly can cover with snowmaking to 75 percent.
www.rockresorts.com
VACATION PACKAGES at BEAVER CREEK, KEYSTONE AND VAIL
Nestled at the bases of some of the best ski resorts in the world, RockResorts combine unbeatable skiing with luxurious AAA Four-Diamond award-winning service. Whether you are looking to ski or snowboard the legendary Back Bowls of Vail, enjoy a fun-filled family vacation at Keystone Resort or enjoy a romantic escape to Beaver Creek with your loved one, RockResorts has the ideal winter getaway for you.
This season, visit a RockResort and experience an incredible offer with a Ski Free Stay Free package at:
The Osprey at Beaver Creek, Colo. - from $788 per person for four nights (opening Dec., 2008)
The Pines Lodge. Beaver Creek, Colo. - from $374 per person for three nights
Keystone Lodge & Spa, Colo. – from $391 per person for four nights
The Lodge at Vail, Colo. - from $455 per person for three nights
�
FINALLY! A SEASON PASS FOR SKI AND SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT
(The Rentskis.com Unlimited Rental Pass available at all Vail Resorts this season)
Denver, Colo., Sept. 3, 2008—Rentskis.com, the largest provider of ski and snowboard rental equipment in the U.S. has just added a new equipment rental option that will deliver a triple threat for avid skiers and riders—convenience, value, and variety. For $359, frequent skiers and riders can get an unlimited number of days of rental equipment (skis/board, poles, and boots if desired) for the 2008-09 season at all Vail Resorts—Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Heavenly in Lake Tahoe, California. The price is good for Sport (beginner and novice) and Performance (intermediate and advanced) packages. For premium gear (demo equipment for advanced to experts), the Unlimited Demo Rental Pass is available for $459. The Junior Rental Pass is only $199 for youth 13 and under. For frequent visitors to the slopes, the savings can be significant over daily rates or the purchase of new equipment. Plus, pass holders can try many different models and avoid lugging around their own equipment. Rental gear can be picked up at Vail Sports, Beaver Creek Sports, Keystone Sports, Breckenridge Sports, and Heavenly Sports.
The Unlimited Rental Pass can be purchased online in conjunction with season pass products at any Vail resort and at all Front Range Colorado Ski & Golf stores and Boulder Ski Deals. Passes are also available at the upcoming Ski & Snowboard Expo Nov. 7-9 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The pass, like a traditional lift ticket season pass, will include a photo and bar code. Purchasers will receive information for reserving their equipment online for wherever they are planning to ski or ride as well as directions to their selected shop to pick up equipment. After the first rental, their information and preferences will be on the computer to make subsequent rentals quick and easy.
The new program allows skiers and riders to eliminate the hassles of purchasing, storing, and carrying equipment to and from the slopes. Equipment can be kept for up to seven days at a time. The Unlimited Rental Pass means that skiers and riders can be in Breckenridge one day, Keystone the next, and Vail the next day….and get different equipment each day that suits conditions or simply keep the same gear for up to seven days… or even exchange their gear on the same day if conditions or the mood changes. After seven days, equipment must be returned and a new reservation made.
“The enormous growth in our Rentskis.com program for destination visitors over the past five years made it a pretty natural step to create a similar program that would be fun and convenient for Colorado and California skiers and riders,” said Ken Gart, president and CEO of Specialty Sports Venture. “We know people like sampling different equipment and we know that carrying a lot of gear from parking lots to the lifts can be a hassle so this program was designed to make getting to the slopes even easier,” he added.
�
