Telluride Real Estate News: Epic Pass for Epic Resort

07 Feb Telluride Real Estate News: Epic Pass for Epic Resort

In his regular column, (narratives and video), Telluride Real Estate News, Robert Stenhammer leverages his extensive knowledge of market factors (global, national, and regional) and the Telluride lifestyle to bring readers fresh, informative – and insider – real estate news to use today, for example, the nearly hot-off-the-presses announcement about a new alliance between Telluride Ski Resort with Vail Resorts that’s nothing but good news for skiers and boarders. Robert also offers a video snapshot of current retail market conditions.

Robert Stenhammer

Consolidation and alliances are nothing new in the ski resort industry. In fact, I started my career in 1996 at Keystone Resort; the same year that Vail Resorts acquired Breckenridge and Keystone resorts in Colorado. That same year, Intrawest and American Skiing Company along with Vail Resorts took their companies public in order to raise acquisition capital.

What followed the consolidation phase of the 1990’s and on the heels of yield management strategies and database marketing tactics was a season pass pricing war. The resulting Buddy Pass season pass product sent the industry into a frenzy and was the true catalyst of the passes we see offered today.

All of this has been great for snow enthusiast by the way, albeit a bit confusing, with many options in play after the Buddy Pass including the Rocky Mountain Super Pass, The Mountain Collective, MAX Pass, Powder Alliance and the Epic Pass.

The biggest effects on the Season Pass options came as Vail Resorts has over the years purchased or partnered with 45 resorts worldwide and included all of them on their Epic Pass.

In 2017, the game changer was the Crown Family from Aspen Skiing Company and KSL Capital Partners came together to acquire the remaining Intrawest Resorts and Mammoth Resort to form a new ski resort consolidation entity: Alterra Mountain Company.

In January of 2018, Alterra announced its 2018/2019 Ikon season pass which will include the 12 Altera owned resorts plus a handful of stout Independent Resorts such as Jackson Hole to make a 23-resort season pass offering, a new and worthy competitor to the Epic Pass.

For the last two seasons Telluride Ski Resort has belonged to previous rival to the Epic Pass; the Mountain Collective – of which several currently included resorts have defected now to the Ikon Pass starting next season. The Collective currently offers 2 days of skiing at 16 of its collective all non-vail owned resorts.

With the new Ikon Pass, and the future of the strength of the Mountain Collective Pass uncertain, Telluride Ski Resort recently announced the exciting news to form a long-term alliance with Vail Resorts and join its Epic Pass program as a partner resort. After 2017/2018, Telluride Ski Resort will no longer participate in the Mountain Collective.

Telluride Ski Resort has made it very clear that it intends to continue to be independently and privately owned and operated…

Continue reading details here.

Go here for Robert’s year-end marketing report for 2017.

More about Robert Stenhammer:

Daughters Sammy (18), Mackenna (16), Robert and Wife Heidi.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Robert Stenhammer holds a BA in business and an MBA in hospitality and tourism. He has enjoyed a 20+-year career in luxury resort management and been a licensed real estate broker since 2009. Specifically, his expertise encompasses real estate, hotels, vacation rentals, resort management, community relations, government affairs, and destination marketing.

Robert began his resort management career in the ski resorts of Colorado, where he directly oversaw the management of over 2,600 vacation rental properties, 40 homeowner associations, retail, food and beverage, real estate, hotels, and resort operations during his stints with Vail Resorts and Intrawest.

Robert went on to work on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for seven years, serving on the Board of Directors for the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB. He chaired the Accommodation Tax Committee for the Town of Hilton Head Island, got his brokerage license, and was a regular hospitality, tourism, and real estate columnist for the Island Packet newspaper and Hilton Head Monthly magazine.

In his former duties as executive vice-president for Telluride Ski & Golf Resort, Robert Stenhammer was responsible for hotel and vacation rental resort lodging, Mountain Village retail operations, golf course operations, the Telluride Conference Center, Telluride Concierge Luxury Transport, and the exclusive Telluride Ski and Golf private members club.

Telluride Real Estate News twins with Robert Stenhammer, now an associate broker with Telluride Real Estate Corp./Christie’s International Real Estate. His TellurideRealEstates.com offers a fresh, fun, informative way to search for properties in the Telluride region: mobile search awesomeness, lifestyle search, luxury search, new listing, and hot deals.

Daughter Sammy (18), Robert, Daughter Mackenna (16) and wife Heidi.

In his new job for Telski, Office of the CEO (Bill Jensen), Robert is charged with helping to make Telluride the #1 resort in the world by working in government affairs and on strategic partnerships and new initiatives for the resort, including housing, access, and sustainable development for a better (read “greener’) future.

As a broker, Robert understands how to leverage his intimate knowledge of the market and executive-level communication skills and service experience to exceed his clients’ real estate objectives.

Off-hours, Robert takes advantage of the active Telluride lifestyle His home is in Mountain Village, where he lives with his wife Heidi and daughters Samantha (18) and Mackenna (16).

Again, feel free to contact Robert Stenhammer if you want additional information about the Telluride Ski & Golf Club and/or if you are interested in buying property in the Telluride region. To stay informed about the Telluride lifestyle and real estate opportunities, go here, like his Facebook page, Telluride Real Estate News, or call 970-708-7771.