Ski country hotels hope for rebound from subpar season

After last ski season's disappointing snowfall across the USA, many skiers who skipped the slopes are already booking hotel rooms for this coming season.

"We're seeing people booking early this year," says Linda Warren, chief marketing officer of Talisker, parent company of Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah.

"People who decided not to come last year really missed skiing," she says. "They're eager to get their reservations on the books and start planning."

Snow and visitation were down by about 10% last season in Utah, she notes.

Warren says hotels' strategies will differ by property, but in general, don't expect drastic discounts.

"Everybody's looking to get as much business on the books as they can and fill in throughout the rest of the season, so you'll see a combination of good offers and (hotels) that hold rates as we progress into the season," she says.

The Canyons runs five properties, excluding the nearby, ski-in/ski-out Hyatt Escala Lodge at Park City and the Waldorf-Astoria. The resort - which in the last two years has added a heated, covered chairlift and gourmet restaurants - is currently promoting early booking packages that apply to its hotels - the Silverado Lodge, Grand Summit Hotel, Sundial Lodge and Vintage on the Strand.

A short drive away from the Canyons, Los Angeles-based luxury travel agent Stacy Small says she's already seeing plenty of her wealthy clients "locking in space" for peak February and March holiday dates at the Montage Deer Valley.

"They expect there will be plenty of snow by then," says Small, president of Elite Travel International.

All 14 Utah resorts received a trace of snow this week.

Aspen

The luxury Little Nell hotel - a ski-in/ski-out property in Aspen - wasn't particularly hurt last year, because so many customers come from overseas and didn't cancel their long-planned trips, says hotel spokeswoman Sally Spaulding.

Still, the hotel - part of Preferred Hotels' boutique collection - isn't taking chances "because of how gun-shy people were last season," she says.

The hotel's promoting an unusually generous early booking package that starts at around $900 per night - the typical starting rate for rooms during season (as of January).

By booking Little Nell's "Ultimate Ski Season" package now, big-budget skiers can get premium rentals for skis and snowboards, a full day of private lessons for up to five guests, two lift tickets per day, and exclusive early morning mountain access so you get first tracks. That adds up to about $1,700 worth of value, she says.

"It's a very compelling offer to book early," she says. Bookings are pacing ahead of last year, she adds.

Forecasters are predicting at least average snowfall this year in Aspen, she says. A three-day storm already passed by, delivering welcome snow.

At the luxury Gant condominium property, part of Destinations Hotels & Resorts, bookings are up 17% through the network's "Countdown to Winter" promotion, general manager Donnie Lee tells me.

"There's pent-up demand since last year's conditions weren't great," says Lee, who's been running the hotel since 2006. "So we're seeing some of our best offers that we put out in Countdown being well received with domestic travelers."

The international market, which for the last three years has been providing record business for the property, has been slightly slower so far probably due to flat exchange rates, but Lee's not worried and doesn't plan to offer steep discounts.

"We've seen these types of things before. We're not overreacting," he says.

Stowe, Vt.

At Stowe Mountain Resort, pent-up demand is also help drive bookings this coming season.

"Our reservations team is busy with people calling every day to book for Christmas and beyond," says Stowe spokeswoman Leslie Kilgore. "In the skiing world, people really do think season to season and past seasons do not affect their decisions to ski," says Kilgore.

Should you expect better discounts than last year? No.

Even though Stowe closed early last season, Kilgore explains that the resort actually had a "very good year last season with skier guests and hotel guests at a comparable number to other more snowy years." The numbers were lower for spring skiing since the snow melted quickly in mid-March due to extremely warm temperatures.

As a result, Stowe is offering many of the same packages and sales that it did last year. The most popular package is the "Countdown to Winter" package that lets skiers save up to 25% off peak rates. Stowe also rolled out a new, luxury package called "Spring for the Mountains" that includes spa services and farm-to-table dinner in private penthouse residence.