Question for 6
Forums:
With the announcement of Vail Resorts buying Okemo, Sunapee, Crested Butte and Stevens Pass, I was wondering what your take on the Stowe takeover is? I know you've been integrated into that community for awhile so you probably will have a well rounded view of the situation.
The good, the bad and the ugly, please.
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Alright, here they are:
Alright, here they are:
The GOOD: Most of all - Vail knows way more about how to run a ski resort than AIG does. The Epic Pass (which not only is good for Stowe - but all Vail-owned-resorts) is priced less than half of what a season pass to Stowe cost in the past. Now - we also have several other nearby resorts to choose from as well. No matter what crazy things are going on at the base of the mountains (more on this in the other categories) on the mountain itself - everything is the same as it always was - which is what a skiier really wants. (Note: The take-over of Whistler has been much different - much due to Whistler being a Canadian resort and the Canadian dollar being much weaker than the US dollar. See this link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-09/is-vail-resorts-killi... )
The BAD: Vail only owns the Ski Operations and AIG still owns The Lodge, all the real estate and the golf courses and other off-mountain facilities. Thereby - those who work at the Lodge do not get an Epic Pass for every member of their family anymore and are lucky if they get one for themselves and those who work for Vail do not to golf for free in the summer at either of the resort's golf courses - which have both raised their rates to the public.
The UGLY: There is a palpable divide between what Vail owns and what AIG still owns and the employees of both feel it - sometimes severely. It has been expressed to me that many feel a giant cleaver slammed down and will not budge. A lot of ski instructors have even left teaching now that an Epic Pass is so much cheaper. Parking is getting harder and harder to come by (also a by-product of the cheaper pass) and there is talk of charging to park at the mountain and setting up garages down the mountain road and then opening a shuttle service to get people up to the mountain. I am to believe this is already a practice used at other Vail resorts - and even Vail itself.
Nothing lasts forever.
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Thanks 6
Thanks 6
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Do you ski or ride, ateix?
Do you ski or ride, ateix?
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Thank you for your response,
Thank you for your response, 6. I had a feeling that there wouldn't be a drastic change in community since AIG is a corporate entity, as is Vail Resorts. I suspect the changes at Okemo might be a bit more jarring and, as for Crested Butte, it might feel like Armageddon time.
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No, 6
No, 6
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I thought not, ateix.
You are welcome, Tony,
I thought not, ateix.
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Ok 6
Ok 6
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Yes, okie dokie artechokie.
Yes, okie dokie artechokie.
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Crested Butte is not a day
Crested Butte is not a day trip from the Front Range, so can't imagine there will be a big influx of day skiers. Overnight guests should be welcomed since the entire local economy gets a piece of the action.
The big question mark with CB, as well the other acquired properties, is the affect on base development. From what I've read, the previous owners of CB have done enough damage already, and that VR might actually be an improvement.