Durango Telegraph - A glance at the ski area improvement game
A glance at the ski area improvement game

The upgrade race is on at Colorado ski resorts. Tens of millions of dollars are being invested in improvements for the 2006-07 season. Much of that money is being spent on extensive village renovations.

• Vail Resorts recently began development of The Peaks of Breckenridge, a master-planned ski-in/ski-out community. The Peaks of Breckenridge will feature approximately 450 residential units and 75,000 square feet of commercail space as well as skier services, lodging, a spa and dining.

• Crested Butte Mountain Resort plans to complete the first phase of the $200 million Mountaineer Square, a

new town center including shopping and lodging, in the spring of 2007. Plans are now under way for the next phases of the new town center, and the ski area’s central Gothic Building will be leveled and reconstructed. The new building will house the ticket office, rental, retail, food and beverage outlets and premier resort residences. 

• The Keystone Lodge is currently renovating its spa. The new facility will feature 10 treatment rooms, including a relaxation room, couples’ treatment room and a hydro-tub treatment room.

• Improvements valued at more than $7 million will be made to the Steamboat Ski Area, all aimed at improv

ing the overall resort experience. In addition to new trails and lifts, the cafeterias at the Thunderhead and Rendezvous Saddle lodges are being renovated.

• Vail takes top honors in the resort upgrade race. The resort is spending a whopping $183 million to refurbish hotel rooms and upgrade facilities including spas, dining and shops, and community facilities. More than 100 new lodge units and 9,250 square feet of retail space will open this season. In addition, another 130 lodge units and 40,000 square feet of new retail space are in the works for the next two years.

– Will Sands

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