Copious snowfall helped Colorado ski resorts record their best Thanksgiving weekend in at least three years.
Vail, Steamboat and Breckenridge topped the 100-inch seasonal snowfall level over the weekend. Visitors responded by pushing up lift-ticket sales and hotel bookings.
“It’s been a tremendous early season,” said Rob Perlman, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Steamboat.
While much of the Thanksgiving weekend resort business is reserved weeks or months in advance, Steamboat saw a surge in last- minute bookings.
“When you get the great early-season snowfall, it gets people excited about spontaneously breaking away from their normal weekend patterns,” Perlman said.
Steamboat’s November snow total of 81 inches was the second most on record, exceeded only by 83 inches in 2005.
Hotel bookings at Winter Park Resort were up 9.2 percent for the holiday weekend compared with the same period last year.
“Snowfall and weather are absolutely driving visitation,” said Winter Park spokeswoman Mistalynn Lee. “There seems to have been a pent-up demand for early-season skiing and riding. Guests are enthusiastic about conditions.”
A forecast earlier this month showed that Thanksgiving- weekend bookings at Breckenridge were running 2 to 4 percent higher than last year.
Reservations for the remainder of the ski season are up, and people are booking earlier than they have the past two years, said Rachel Zerowin of Breckenridge Central Reservations.
Aspen and Snowmass had the deepest base-snow depths since 1996. The resorts got a big marketing boost from international TV broadcasts of the World Cup ski races over the weekend, said spokesman Jeff Hanle.
The Mountain Travel Research Program recently reported that ski-resort hotel bookings for December are running 13.7 percent higher than last year.
“Many lodging destinations are getting their best deals out early to encourage consumer bookings,” said travel analyst Ralf Garrison. “The pattern suggests an ongoing buyers’ market.”
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com
