There are advantages—and some caveats—to consider when booking mountain resorts during one of the best seasons to experience them: summer. Magnificent scenery, abundant recreation, a laid-back atmosphere, and value-season discounts are just some of the reasons why mountain resorts are so appealing for summer meetings.
However, there can also be drawbacks such as big crowds in popular destinations and fewer flights from gateway cities such as Denver. To build attendance, planners may need to provide for kids and spouses. The selection of a resort locale may go a long way toward attracting attendees wishing to combine a business trip with a family vacation.
Splendid Isolation
Neil Hastings, director of sales and marketing for the 90-unit Mountain Lodge at Telluride in Colorado’s stunning southwest corner, says July and August are real value months for Telluride because they are traditionally soft months for local meetings.
“Booking group business with us offers meeting planners the opportunity to negotiate ‘rock bottom’ prices for large blocks of rooms,” he says. “And the bonus is that they will be in the mountains when the weather is ideal for temps in the mid-70s and no humidity. The last two weeks in July are especially wonderful for the height of the Rocky Mountain wild flower season.”
The Mountain Lodge at Telluride, a member of the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, is one of several properties high above the historic mining town in the contemporary Mountain Village community. The Mountain Lodge has 90 guest units, including lodge rooms, studios and one- to three- bedroom condos. It also has 10 log and stone cabins, ranging from three to six bedrooms.
Function space totals about 4,500 square feet, including executive board rooms and an outdoor area around the pool with riveting views of the San Juan Mountains. The Telluride Conference Center is just steps away from the property, offering an additional 9,500 square feet of tech-equipped space.
The beauty of Telluride is a big draw for visitors. Just ask musician B. B. King, who once said, “Out of the 90 different countries I’ve been to, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than what you have here.”
King isn’t alone in his admiration of Telluride’s considerable attributes. Tom Cruise and Oprah are also among the destination’s celebrity fans.
For any summer visitor, there’s an abundance of activities, festivals and free concerts amid towering peaks that harbor stories of Colorado’s rough-and-tumble mining era. Everyone gets free lifts on the gondola system from Telluride to Mountain Village up top, so there’s no need for in-town transportation provision, unless road access is preferred.
Warm-weather access is one caveat that comes with booking Telluride, but therein lies much of the draw, because splendid isolation is part of what makes the destination so appealing.
“Although Telluride is not easy to get to, it’s worth the effort,” Hastings says. “In summer months, nearby Montrose airport receives a limited number of flights, which can pose a challenge for planners who need to book flights from some destinations. So Telluride is really an ideal option for small groups that are flying in and can use smaller passenger planes that connect from Denver.”
Flexibility Needed
While relative isolation may make the summer months a good bargain in Telluride, booking resorts in more- crowded central Colorado destinations such as Aspen and Vail in summer can be almost as challenging as during ski season.
Matthew Martinucci, regional director of sales and marketing for Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, says Vail’s summer season brims with festivals, concerts and outdoor recreational activities that draw visitors from far and wide. Balmy summer temperatures and the town’s impressive lineup of restaurants, shops and theaters are magnets as well, he adds.
“Though it’s not yet as popular as ski season, summer is becoming another peak time for us.” Martinucci says. “Vail’s best value months now are May, October and November.”
So how can planners intent on summertime dates in popular Rockies resorts get what they want?
In a top spot like Aspen, a destination of choice for Hollywood glitterati and other beautiful people, those who are flexible on dates stand the best chance of getting in.
Lex Tarumianz, director of sales and marketing for The Gant Condominiums in Aspen, says planners can encounter challenges in securing budget-friendly bookings in warmer months. But the choice of midweek dates can help buy Aspen properties like The Gant, a mountainside complex of one- to three-bedroom units, will have a $7 million landscape and conference center renovation completed in July.
“Sunday and Monday arrivals, with check-outs by Thursday or Friday, can help with both availability and rates,” Tarumianz says. “If you include weekends, you increase the nightly rate significantly.”
Another way to make Aspen more affordable is to tap its local speaker resources.
“Planners who want motivational speakers to participate in their conferences and meetings but don’t want to pay for them to fly in can consider Tom Crum, a well-known speaker who is also a master in the martial art of Aikido,” Tarumianz says. “Tom resides right across the street from The Gant.”
In Lake Tahoe, Calif., the popularity of the Resort at Squaw Creek also calls for a strategic approach to booking summer dates, according to Cheri Sprenger, marketing manager, adding that a recent $1.5 million spa renovation is heightening demand for the 405-room resort with nearly 48,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event facilities.
“For us, leisure and business travel are pretty much on par with each other,” Sprenger says. “There is no ‘ideal’ time to book a meeting—it all depends on space and availability. I advise planners to avoid summer weekends, plus the July 4th, Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.”
Affordable Alternatives
Summertime access is not difficult for visitors to Estes Park, Colo., says Holly Collingwood, associate director of communication for the nonprofit YMCA of the Rockies. Located near Rocky Mountain National Park, and only 80 miles from Denver, the “Y Camp” can sleep up to 4,000 people.
It has been popular for decades as a family resort, and operates off a 30-year calendar because some families return every year. Children’s day camps, a rolling skating rink, organized outdoor recreation, and arts programs are among the organized options groups can tap into at the resort.
“We have lodge rooms which sleep up to six people and are similar to moderate-priced hotel rooms,” Collingwood says, adding that the property’s reunion lodges, which offer spacious living rooms and modern kitchens, accommodate up to 32 people and are an option for small business groups.
Two conference facilities are nearby, including Estes Park Center, which has meeting space accommodating up to 3,000 people. Religious group conferences are a specialty for the center, says Collingwood. Last year’s North American Baptist Conference drew 2,000 adults and children to the center.
The adjunct Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park has meeting space for up to 1,500 people. Both sites offer buffet meals and catering, plus recreational programs.
So whether it’s a large budget-conscious group looking for a way to combine both business and a family vacation in the same location, or an executive board in search of inspiration from peaks that reach to the clouds, mountain resorts can fill the bill. As with any successful meeting or event, it’s all about being strategic to find the right fit.
