In October, we introduced some wonderful success stories/highlights that our clients have reported since the launch of The Global Bundle. Around the world, homeowners, property managers, resorts, developers and fractional owners have found The Global Bundle to be the perfect solution for their online marketing efforts.
The testimonials keep coming in, and below is a recap of November and December including success stories and some select new properties we’ve added in the past two months.
Success Stories: Paradise Valley, AZ: This $10 million estate received its first qualified inquiry within 24 hours of listing. Little over a month later, Bramasole booked for an entire month for $30,000. On top of that, the owner was contacted via another Global Bundle inquiry for the home to be used as the site for the next “Go-Daddy” commercial starring Indy-Car celebrity and Go-Daddy spokeswoman, Danica Patrick. A nice $5,000 booking for a quick, 4-hour commercial shoot. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23829
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Villa Las Palmas, a 13,000 square foot paradise, arguably one of the finest luxury villas in all of Cabo was brought to us for help in November. The home was still available for Christmas/New Year’s, and it was specifically urgent to get a qualified holiday booking. Within the 1st week on listing, Villa Las Palmas was booked for New Year’s, a $20,000+ booking. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/24009
Breckenridge, CO: This property located on Main Street was not seeing results from previous online marketing strategies. The home was listed through our Global Bundle back in mid August. To date (December 11th), this home has been booked for 59 nights through Global Bundle inquiries. See the home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23906
Selected New Properties Added to The Global Bundle in October:
Let us help you drive qualified inquiries and bookings efficiently and cost-effectively. View more information and sign-up for more information on our Global Bundle at: http://thesociety.com/gb
Colorado has been a feature on the national news as heavy early snow blanketed the state. The abundant snow has allowed Keystone Resort to open early for the season. For our readers who are unfamiliar with Keystone, this is truly a resort. Guests within the Keystone Resort have the luxury of “charging privileges” throughout the resort area.
We usually suggest Keystone for families due to the resort atmosphere, family-oriented base area and terrain. In addition, Keystone is one of the most cost-effective resorts in Colorado, an important consideration for families on a budget.
Of note, for the snowboarders in the family, A51 Terrain Park has been ranked #2 in North America by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. Also, for the children that cannot get enough skiing and boarding in during the daylight hours, Keystone offers night skiing. Mom and Dad, enjoy the Alpenglow Stube or the Keystone Ranch while the kids are on the slopes of the tubing hill.
For those seeking the most upscale accommodations in Keystone this winter, take a look at the Prospector Home.
We understand the ski chalet or flat rental is one of the most important aspects of your winter mountain vacation. While our management partners at The Society will insure your mountain lodging offers the superior value only available via a vacation rental, we wanted to provide our readers with additional information concerning lift pass deals at the most popular mountain resorts:
Lift Passes: In Ski Country, many options and great deals are available for skiers/boarders. If you plan to ski/board in more than of 6 days this season, consider a season pass as follows:
Colorado:
Epic Pass: The Epic Pass is the “granddaddy” of bargains. For $599, skiers and boarders have unlimited access to the slopes of Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge and Keystone. The pass pays for itself after approximately 6 days of skiing. NOTE, THERE ARE NO BLACKOUT DATES! In Vail, may we suggest a lovely 3 bedroom/ 3 bathroom flat, sleeps 16 in West Vail, just minutes to the slopes and with the luxury of a wood burning fireplace.
Summit Pass: For those who plan to ski mostly in Summit County, the Summit Pass is a great deal. For $399, you get unlimited access to the slopes of Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin. To go with your pass, we suggest The Chateau at Trappers Glen, a luxury 6 bedroom private home which sleeps 18 offering private seclusion above the snowflake lift in Breckenridge. In the evening, apres ski in the private hot tub and walk to dinner along Main Street.
Rocky Mountain Super Pass: For $399, The Rocky Mountain Super Pass is the best product for unlimited access to Winter Park / Mary Jane and Copper Mountain throughout the 09/10 ski season.
Telluride: Located in the southwestern part of the state, Telluride is one of Colorado’s Premier Ski Resorts. You can secure an adult Season Pass to Telluride for $1198. They do have a great College Season Pass for only $299 through Oct 30th, $725 after Oct 30th. Our Tramontana #5, a luxury 3 Bedroom Luxury Condo which sleeps 11 is located in Telluride Mountain Village is an excellent choice for the visitor to Telluride
Steamboat Springs: Buyers of all Steamboat season passes are eligible for a Winter Park and Copper add-on for only $60! Plus, for every adult Steamboat Season Pass (full or upgraded), a parent or legal guardian will receive one child (12 and under) pass FREE. An excellent affordable family retreat is our 3 bedroom penthouse located at Storm Meadows at Christie Base, ski-in/out, sleeps 8, graded “A” by central reservations, perfect for families and friends.
While most ski and mountain resorts market themselves as “perfect for all visitors”, those of us in the travel community know the unique attributes of each resort area. Subsequently we are able to advise which resorts are most appropriate for which traveler. At The Society, we recently received the following question:
My wife and I plan to take our adult children and our grandchildren for a skiing vacation. A few of the adults do not ski or snowboard. We would like the grandchildren to be affiliated with a family-oriented ski-school. We all enjoy fine food and service but realize with young children, this may not be possible. We would love ski-in/out yet walking distance to a commercial area with shops, restaurants, spa and so forth. Any suggestions?
We called the client, asked a few more questions and suggested Beaver Creek, Colorado and specifically two homes, our “Ski Safari” with 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms (sleeps 10) and “Beaver Creek Shangri-La”, with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms (sleeps 14). Both houses offer the opulence associated with a luxury ski-chalet, yet are also comfortable and inviting to all who reside in the homes. Mountain chic is the most apt description for these two unique vacation residences, which we consider among the finest in the Vail Valley.
Beaver Creek the resort is the perfect destination for the multi-generational family vacation. The base area is by many resort standards, quite small, yet is so family friendly with an outdoor skating rink, many shops, restaurants, gelato, spas and our favorite heated walkways and escalators to the lifts. Mornings may begin with a Starbucks coffee and taking the kids to ski school. When descending the last run of the day, warm cookies waiting at the base area.
With an excellent selection of dining options, one will never be bored during vacation. From the casual fare at The Dusty Boot to the fine dining at Splendido to subs and pizza at Blue Moose, Beaver Creek offers a variety of family-friendly restaurants. We would also suggest a night at Beano’s Cabin. For the children, consider the 5:30PM seating with the horse-drawn sleigh from the stables to the on-mountain restaurant.
It has been a tradition of Ski Magazine to list their top ski resorts annually. The ranking criteria consider many variations from terrain to nightlife to readership ratings. Last week we provided “opening dates” for a few resorts, this week, the top 30. Below is the list with a few comments added by our “winter sports specialists” here at The Society.com:
Deer Valley, Utah – no snowboarders allowed on mountain & limited # of passes sold per day.
Yes, it has been all over the news last week, the mountains west of Denver received their first official dump of snow generating buzz for the upcoming 2009/10 ski season. The vast majority of resorts are open by Thanksgiving Weekend with a few resorts holding off until early December. At present, excellent lodging rates are available from opening day to December 25th (see “early bird deals). Thus, consider a pre-holiday ski outing, avoid the crowds and get those quads in shape.
While Lake Tahoe is home to multiple ski resorts, few rival the diversity of terrain (Tahoe’s largest ski resort), access (most high-speed lifts, most vertical, highest elevation, extensive grooming, tree-skiing) and views which Heavenly Valley offers its visitors. While we would be remiss not to advise of the many beautiful vacation home rentals offered by TheSociety.com (which we will), we suggest checking out the 2009/2010 Heavenly Pass-The Best Deal in Tahoe.
The Heavenly Pass is a bargain at $349/season. Yes, there are a few restrictions as noted below; however, you also have the option of skiing/boarding some of the finest resorts including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin at HALF PRICE.
Skiing and riding seven days a week at Lake Tahoe’s largest ski and snowboard resort (blackout days apply 11/27&28, 12/27-31 and 2/13&14)).
Unlimited half-priced lift tickets at any of Vail Resorts’ four Colorado resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone No blackout dates. One lift ticket per day, for pass-holder use only. For the 2009/10 Season Only.
$20 discount on regularly priced Heavenly lift tickets on 2009-10 blackout dates.
Exclusive pass-holder e-mail offers allowing you to save on resort purchases, including ski and snowboard school, food and beverage, retail and more!
2009 summer Gondola access.
When visiting Heavenly, may we suggest a charming 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom ski cabin literally within minutes of the Heavenly Resort. This cabin is rustic yet comfortable attracting those who wish for expansive accommodations close to the resort at a value price-point (under $500/night). The densely wooded, forest setting gives a secluded feeling, yet is close to everything. Very comfortable, with deck & hot tub, fireplace, two-car garage and just minutes to the nightlife of the area including casinos & the Lake! Spend a day on the mountain then come back and relax in the hot tub.
The chalet has been completely remodeled and updated - everything is new! There is a wrap-around deck with a gas grill. The master bedroom has a balcony (excellent for morning coffee). Bring the whole family because there’s plenty of room! The lower level bedroom has two double beds, the upstairs bedroom 2 queen beds, and the master bedroom, 1 king bed and a full size futon. Plasma TV with cable, wireless internet, granite counters. TVs in all bedrooms as well! Sofa in the living room is a sleeper so you can utilize this area as well.
Fall in the Colorado High Country is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. As locals, we know the first dusting of snow will appear on mountain peaks by Labor Day weekend. Yet, before the slopes open, attractions from the fall foliage, golf against snow-capped peaks and late-season fly-fishing are just some of the attractions available for the fall visitor to Colorado.
While all the mountain communities are inviting during the fall season, one of our favorites is Summit County, located just 90 minutes west of Denver. For those unfamiliar with Summit County, the area is home to multiple resorts including Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain as well as charming towns including Frisco, and Dillon (with its beautiful marina, boats available for hourly rental).
September and October are active months in Summit County beyond the preparation for ski season which traditionally begins in November unless abundant early snowfall is received (which is possible due to the El Nino patter for winter 2009/2010). Some of our favorite events include:
September 2: 21st Annual Taste of Keystone: Bring a hearty appetite and prepare your taste buds for the best culinary event of the summer! The Taste of Keystone is a perfect way to experience Keystone’s finest cuisine, while supporting Summit County’s Mountain Mentors, all in one day! Here’s an opportunity to sample a wide variety of cuisine from Keystone’s best restaurants including: Alpenglow Stube, Ski Tip Lodge, Keystone Ranch, and The Bighorn Steakhouse. Top it all off with the finest sweet treats from acclaimed pastry chef Ned Archibald.
September 14-19: 24th Annual Breckenridge Festival of Film, this world -renowned festival features premier films, documentaries, independents, children’s features, a screenwriter’s competition and international celebrities.
September 15: Dillon Marina Lobsterfest: We may be a land-locked state, however, we still know our Lobster.
September 16: Frisco Oktoberfest: The celebration takes place on Main Street, with various venders tempting you with food and drink. There will be lots of music and dancing – of course German style! Come and celebrate German heritage with Oompah music and beer and sausage.
September 22-24: Annual Ski Swap: An event anticipated by locals and visitor alike. Be sure to check out the many bargains and prepare for the 2009/10 winter season. The Rossignol XXX Bandit’s were the bargain of the season in 2008.
September 15 & 22: The Dillon Farmers Market, fresh produce and home-baked goodies.
Yes….For those who may not be familiar with the Epic Pass, the pass is a unrestricted season pass valid for the ski resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin and Heavenly. The pass is a bargain, especially for those who may be skiing/boarding in excess of 5-6 days. Many of our clients secured Epic passes and booked multiple visits throughout the ski season. If I may quote one client as follows:
Our vacation home rental in Summit County was perfect. We were in close proximity of Breckenridge which is one of our favorite resorts yet the kids loved Keystone for the night-skiing. We took your reservationists advice and skied Vail and Beaver Creek as well. The 40 minute drive was easy, and we skied on weekdays, no lift-lines at all. The Epic Pass was a true money-saver and we look forward to multiple visits during the 2009-2010 ski season…..FWA, Milwaukee, WI
Yes….if you desire a specific property, it is best to book as soon as possible. The properties in highest demand including ski-in/out, walking distance to the lifts and most recently renovated always book early. The majority of our management partners in “ski country” usually will take a deposit and require full payment 45-60 days prior to arrival. Ski homes are each uniquely individual from charming flats and condominiums to chalet’s including indoor pools, outdoor hot tubs and ski-in/out locations. Our inventory of vacation ski rentals is very diverse with lodging options and resorts for all tastes and budgets. Avoid disappointment and book now knowing your ski vacation is secured. Hint, consider booking your air and rental car now as well, while demand is still light.
Press RSS feed.
Yes, it has been all over the news last week, the mountains west of Denver received their first official dump of snow generating buzz for the upcoming 2009/10 ski season. The vast majority of resorts are open by Thanksgiving Weekend with a few resorts holding off until early December. At present, excellent lodging rates are available from opening day to December 25th (see “early bird deals). Thus, consider a pre-holiday ski outing, avoid the crowds and get those quads in shape.
