Deer Valley gets skiers' nod -- again

Reader survey » Seven Utah resorts among top 30; Alta's powder deemed best.
By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 09/18/2009 03:30:16 PM MDT

Even with recessionary forces taking a big bite out of available resources last winter, Deer Valley Resort did not skimp when it came to servicing its well-heeled clientele.
Now the Park City ski area has been rewarded for sticking to founder Edgar Stern's service-oriented principles through tough economic times: Ski magazine readers have ranked it as North America's best resort for the third consecutive year.
"Deer Valley delivers what the Ski magazine reader wants, which is consistently good snow, few crowds and exceptional service, dining and lodging," magazine Executive Editor Greg Ditrinco said Thursday. "That all adds up to a pretty solid ski vacation."
Seven Utah resorts reached the Top 30 in the magazine's annual reader survey, with Park City Mountain Resort joining Deer Valley in the Top 10 (finishing fourth). Colorado had a dozen resorts among the 30, led by Vail at No. 3.
Naturally, Utah resorts fared best in the "quality of snow" category, one of a dozen used in the evaluation. Alta finished first for its powder, followed by Solitude (fourth) and Snowbird (fifth).
But as Ditrinco noted, Ski magazine readers "are really looking for the whole resort experience. They enjoy skiing, but they also are interested in apres ski activities, fine dining, first-class lodging.
"It's not just enough to put down good snow and run the lifts," he added. "Our readers are looking to travel to a winter resort, not a ski area in the traditional sense. That's a trend the whole ski industry is skewing to. Successful resort operators realize that and are working to keep customers happy on the snow and off."
The magazine, which has a circulation of 400,000, appeals to largely male readers, with a median age of 49 and an average household income of $127,300; 29 percent are reported to have household assets of $1 million or more. Nine of 10 survey respondents said they used the magazine to choose a resort destination.
Ditrinco spoke highly of Deer Valley Resort's decision to assume responsibility for booking and maintaining accommodations from Deer Valley Lodging, which ran into major financial problems at the end of last season.
"That's classic vertical integration of the business, a good strategic long-term move," he said. "Deer Valley was built on service. Stern understood that more than anybody. But service is built on staffing and training, and I don't see any slippage on either of those fronts at Deer Valley. It may come out of the recession stronger than it went in."
Deer Valley General Manager Bob Wheaton said resort officials made a conscious decision last year to maintain its investment in its staff, calling it "the heart and soul of our organization during this tough economic time."
Calling Ski readers "well traveled, avid skiers and lifestyle enthusiasts," Wheaton said that being ranked No. 1 three years running -- and no lower than third in the last nine years -- "is an honor we can't underestimate."