A Flurry of Great Ski Deals
Fact is, skiing has gotten so pricey, fewer people are picking up the sport. Last year, 52.2 million skiers and snowboarders visited skiing destinations — a measly 0.2% increase from the prior year, according to the National Ski Area Association. That's raising concerns that industry growth is stagnating. And so, in an attempt to attract new skiers, resorts are offering a blizzard of deals, along with some creative activities for nonskiers. The Keystone resort in Colorado, for instance, let's nonskiers take cooking lessons, learn to fly fish or do yoga. And at Beaver Creek you can go hot air ballooning or relax at a full-service spa.
Regardless of whether your idea of fun is bouncing off moguls or an après ski seaweed wrap, here's how to save.
Colorado
United Vacations has some great deals to the Centennial state. No surprise since Denver is a big United Airlines hub. If you can travel before Feb. 5, United has a deal to Steamboat Resort. For between $600 and $700 per person from many cities, you get five nights in a two-bedroom condo, a four-day lift ticket, a Christy Sports ski rental package discount of 25% and, of course, round-trip airfare on United Airlines to either Denver or Hayden airports. The grand total from Houston or Dallas is just $604 per person; it's $624 from Los Angeles, $634 from Chicago and $699 from Washington, D.C. Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com figures if you purchased the components separately, this vacation could cost as much as $982 per person (from Dallas). Call 1-800-377-1816 to check availability from your city.
For more Colorado deals, check out Colorado Resort Reservations. We found an offer for five nights of lodging and four days of skiing at Keystone for $369 per person. This rate is based on four people sharing a two-bedroom unit and is valid for travel starting Feb. 8. When you book your reservation you'll get a free Colorado fleece vest to boot. The site also lists packages to Copper Mountain ($269 a person for four nights of lodging and a four-day lift ticket) and Breckenridge ($349 per person for five nights of lodging and a four-day lift ticket).
Utah
If your looking for a cheap powder trip to Utah's famed Little Cottonwood Canyon, check out Delta Vacations. Four nights including airfare from Dallas, a car rental and lodging at Snowbird's luxurious Cliff Lodge is just $999 per person (based on two adults). If you are leaving from New York the same package is $1,071, and it would be $1,259 from Atlanta.
The hotel is chock-full of amenities, including a rooftop spa, a hot-tub "complex" and four restaurants. Each room has two queen-sized beds and two kids can stay for free when traveling with two adults. Travel must take place between March 1 and March 30. A reservation operator told us that the least expensive room regularly costs about $299 a night in March. For more information call 1-800-654-6559.
California
Squaw Valley Central Reservations near Lake Tahoe allows you to search its Web site for more than 50 properties in the North Lake Tahoe and Reno areas. The company books everything from four-star resorts to lodges, condos, B&Bs and private homes.
We did a search for a ski-in/ski-out deluxe hotel and found a deal for the four-star Resort at Squaw Creek. The package is for a three-night midweek stay and three days of lift tickets for $528. Regular rates for a one-night stay start at $300 a night, and adult lift tickets are $54 per day.
If you'd prefer Mammoth Mountain closer to Los Angeles, then check out the special offers at Places to Stay. We found a package for a five-day lift ticket and a five-night stay at Mammoth Mountain Inn for just $79 per person per day (double occupancy is required). Lift tickets are regularly $54 and the rooms at the Inn typically go for $125, according to the reservation desk.
Skiing in Europe
If you depart before Feb. 9, you can ski for an entire week in Europe for just $730 a person. (The price is only $699 if you depart before Feb. 2). Bennett Tours, a 150-year old Scandinavian tour company, is offering a one-week tour to Kitzbuehel, Austria, starting at $699 a person for double occupancy at a "simple guest house" or $1,290 per person at the first-class Schwarzer Adler Hotel. The package includes airfare from New York City to Munich, airport transfers, lodging, breakfast and skiing. Bennett also offers packages to Switzerland, France and Italy. For a brochure or more information for deals outside of New York, visit www.switzerland-vacations.com or call 1-212-697-1092
