Vail, a Colorado Rockies ski resort that opened during the Kennedy Administration, is flying faster than a downhill racer into a massive upgrade that is catapulting it into the rarified air of a luxury destination.
“Vail is in the midst of its billion-dollar renewal, so we have new product coming on-line almost every day,” says Michael Robinson, CEO and president of the Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau (www.visitvailvalley.com). “People forget that it’s only 40-some-odd-years old, but its philosophy is not to rest on its laurels, but to re-invent itself to provide a unique experience to the consumer.”
Besides more than $183 million spent to date to refurbish hotel rooms and upgrade facilities with spas, restaurants and retail, the destination has seen either the addition or major improvement of six major lodges and resorts, along with the $100 million One Willow Bridge Road luxury private residence development and a $10 million Vail Village Streetscape project that will provide the infrastructure for the transformation.
Eight more major hotels and resorts are planned to open in the next few years, and groups wanting to gather outside of a resort setting will soon be able to congregate at The Arrabelle at Vail Square (www.thearrabelle.com), a $250 million streetscape project that is set to open in 2008 and will include a 36-room RockResort luxury hotel, 67 condominiums, restaurant and retail space, an outdoor ice rink, and a public plaza. Vail also recently launched free Wi-Fi service throughout town.
More information about all that’s happening in Vail can be found by accessing www.newvail.com.
Apart from all the development, the destination, which also includes nearby Beaver Creek, has always offered its most pristine attraction: nature.
“The real uniqueness of Vail comes from the vast degree of natural resources that defines our experience,” Robinson says. “Whether that natural resource is the obvious wintertime mountain experience or the unique qualities people may not know about—a dude ranch experience, the amazing rafting that’s available when the snow pack melts—the natural resources that surround us and help define the beauty in our area also create a spectacular group experience. Coming to Vail is kind of like coming to a little slice of God’s heaven up here.”
According to Ashley Daidone, conference sales manager for the Vail Valley Chamber, meeting planners typically mix a half-day of meetings with a half-day of activities, which may include mountain biking, fly-fishing, golfing, hiking, river rafting, or a spa excursion. The truly adventurous can even take part in a night-rafting program.
Many groups fly into Denver International Airport and then embark on a scenic two-hour drive to Vail/Beaver Creek, but Eagle County Airport can also accommodate large jets, and is served by American, Continental, Delta, US Airways, Northwest, United, and United Express.
“We offer a unique perspective in that we’re a remote destination that’s easy to get to,” Robinson says.
While Vail offers a Bavarian village experience, Beaver Creek, located about 10 miles away, is a ski-in, ski-out, on-mountain village imparting a Colorado Lodge style and built around a village plaza.
Daidone says many groups utilize both areas, with the luxury resorts of Beaver Creek falling into a higher price tier, boasting brand-name properties such as Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and Marriott, with Four Seasons slated to begin construction soon.
“We really have something for everyone here,” Robinson says of the Vail/Beaver Creek accommodations offering. “If they want to go the brand route, we have that for them, and if they prefer to go the boutique route, we have that as well.”
And a whole lot more of everything in the pipeline.
