Photo: JRM353

November 16, 2011 – Vail, CO – “Lighten up” takes on a whole new meaning during spring snow season, when Vail Resort’s 193 trails are uncrowded, lift lines are short, skiers and boarders shed heavy outerwear for lightweight vests and turtlenecks (or for some hardy souls, shorts), and a lighthearted joie de vivre abounds.

“Spring is absolutely one of the best times to experience Vail,” says Antlers at Vail hotel General Manager Rob LeVine, a Vail local for three decades. “April is actually Colorado’s second-snowiest month, and we often have magnificent snow days with plenty of sunshine late in the season.” The conveniently-located Antlers Vail offers its popular ‘Design Your Own Ski Package’ from April 8 to May 20 in 2012. Pay for three nights and the fourth, fifth – and even sixth night is free. A one-bedroom bunkroom that sleeps four people starts at just $355 per night for the first three nights, with up to three additional nights free. Coupled with Vail Resorts’ deeply discounted spring lift tickets and passes, late-season values can’t be beat.

Along with reduced rates, Vail Resorts’ “Spring Back to Vail” promotion features plenty of end-of-the-season activities including on-mountain snow events and street parties. The best party of the year is held at the top of Vail Mountain on closing day – tentatively scheduled for April 15 this year – when many revelers arrive in costume to celebrate another great season. Other attractions include end-of-season concerts, Vintage SkiFest at Beaver Creek, and the World Pond Skimming Championships.

Since 1972, the Antlers has offered a unique Vail lodging experience in a relaxed mountain setting. The Antlers Vail condominiums – named Green Business of the Year by the Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards – is also proud to be a Green Star rated property. With condominiums ranging from studio suites up to four bedrooms and plenty of space to spread out, each room at the Antlers offers all the comforts of home including fully-equipped kitchens, fireplaces, outdoor balconies, free Internet access and free parking in a heated indoor garage. The Antlers Vail is conveniently located in the Lionshead area of Vail with numerous restaurants, galleries and shops within walking distance, and the free Vail town shuttle stops just footsteps away. For more information, call 1-800-843-8245 or visit the Antlers web site at www.antlersvail.com.

Media Contacts: Rob LeVine, General Manager, Antlers at Vail, RLeVine@antlersvail.com, 970.476.2471; or Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, darla@wordenpr.com, 307.734.5335

 ###

Vail, Colorado — June 30, 2011— The Antlers at Vail hotel’s new Early Tracks Package (November 18 – December 15, 2011) offers a four-night, four-day stay-and-ski deal with the fourth night free. The Antlers offers a variety of room sizes/prices starting at $599 per person for 4 people in a 2-bedroom condo – and the price includes four-day lift tickets for each person! Colorado skiers and boarders know that the early season brings great snow deals without the crowds. Need more convincing?

Top 5 Reasons Why Vail’s Early Snow Season Rocks

1. Be among the first to lay tracks on the pristine new snow (like in this video).

2. Enjoy early season deals on lift tickets, equipment rental and lodging.

3. Fewer crowds = shorter lift lines = more runs.

4. Preview the season’s latest ski equipment when it’s brand spankin’ new.

5. Enjoy the bragging rights that come with being one of the first to experience Vail Mountain!

Since 1972, the Antlers has offered a unique Vail lodging experience in a relaxed mountain setting. The Antlers Vail condominiums – named the ‘Green Business of the Year’ by the Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards – is also proud to be a Green Star rated business. With condominiums ranging from studio suites up to four bedrooms and plenty of space to spread out, each room at the Antlers offers all the comforts of home including fully-equipped kitchens, fireplaces, outdoor balconies, free Internet access and free parking in a heated indoor garage. The Antlers Vail is conveniently located in the Lionshead area of Vail with numerous restaurants, galleries and shops within walking distance, and the free Vail town shuttle stops just footsteps away. For more information, call 1-800-843-8245 or visit the Antlers web site at www.antlersvail.com.

Media Contacts: Rob LeVine, General Manager, Antlers at Vail, RLeVine@antlersvail.com, 970.476.2471; or Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, darla@wordenpr.com, 307.734.5335

Photo by Jack Affleck

July 27, 2010 – Vail, CO – What’s a traveling skier to do?  Most major airlines now charge hefty fees for checked baggage, but a pair of skis will hardly fit in a carry-on bag.  At the Antlers at Vail hotel, the staff continually thinks of ways to add value to their guests’ vacation experiences.  The most recent enticement?  Free ski and snowboard storage for guests.

“We recognize that it’s increasingly expensive to travel with skis and snowboards,” says General Manager Rob LeVine.  ”So when you stay with us we’ll gladly store as much of your equipment here as you want until you return, even from year to year.”  The complimentary storage program is just one of many value-oriented amenities the hotel offers its guests, from free parking in the property’s heated indoor garage to free Internet access and day passes to the Vail Athletic Club.

This winter, the Antlers will again offer its popular “Value Vail” package at the height of ski season.  From January 8 to February 16, 2011 guests can enjoy 30% savings off regular prices.  Rates for the five-night package start at just $220 per person per night for four people in a two-bedroom condo – including four-day lift tickets for all four skiers! LeVine recommends booking early to secure a package.  “Despite last year’s rocky economy we were at near capacity levels for much of the ski season,” he says.  “We’re anticipating more skiers and snowboarders this winter, so we recommend that travelers lock in dates and packages as soon as possible.”

The Antlers Vail offers condominiums ranging from studio suites up to four bedrooms with fully-equipped kitchens, fireplaces, outdoor balconies, free Internet access and free heated indoor parking.   Every room provides plenty of space to spread out and all the comforts of home, and the Antlers’ Vail-insider staff is on call to answer questions big or small.  Conveniently located 200 yards from the Vail Gondola, numerous restaurants, galleries and shops are within walking distance and the free Vail town shuttle stops just footsteps away.  Named the ‘Green Business of the Year’ in 2009 by the Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards, the Antlers Vail condominiums is also proud to be a Green Star-rated business.  For more information, call 1-800-843-8245 or visit www.antlersvail.com.

Media Contacts: Rob LeVine, General Manager, The Antlers at Vail, (970) 476-2471, RLeVine@antlersvail.com or Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, (307) 734-5335, darla@wordenpr.com.

###

I just returned from a vacation to Disneyland, and while we were in Anaheim we stayed at a hotel owned by a large, well-known chain. I was curious about this corporate hotel’s eco-friendly initiatives – both from a personal standpoint and professionally, as I do public relations work for the Antlers at Vail. The Green Star-rated Antlers has been committed to environmentally conscious practices long before ‘green’ was cool, and was named the 2009 ‘Green Business of the Year’ by the Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of being an Important Undercover Corporate Spy, I donned my disguise (in this case, dark glasses and Mickey Mouse ears) and informally conducted my own eco-research. The first green evidence I discovered in our hotel room was a typical card in the bathroom affirming the hotel’s dedication to saving water; it instructed us to re-hang towels if we wanted to reuse them. Another card by the bed advised us that the hotel only changes sheets every third day, unless we set the card on the pillow indicating that we wanted the sheets changed. I also discovered Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) in some of the light fixtures and a low-consumption toilet (which, unfortunately, catapulted water out of the bowl when it flushed – but that’s another story) in the bathroom. In seeming conflict with the alleged dedication to water saving, the shower was fitted with a regular flow showerhead and I noticed that housekeeping ran the dishwasher when they cleaned our room even though it only contained four items.

At the hotel’s breakfast buffet, Styrofoam was in use everywhere – dishes, bowls and cups. Boy, was it tough to drink coffee from a Styrofoam cup knowing the dangers – but such is the depth of my caffeine addiction. There were no recycling bins in the breakfast area, and I didn’t see any in the room, lobby or public areas; in fact, each afternoon the housekeepers stacked up so many huge bags of trash along one of the outdoor paths we had to walk a different route.

Like the Wendy’s commercial says, “You know when it’s real.” If you’re trying to live in a more environmentally conscious way, your radar can pretty quickly pick up when a business is mainly adopting eco-friendly practices that happen to save money. Visiting this chain hotel made me even prouder of the Antlers’ authentic and long-standing green practices, because many of its eco-friendly programs actually cost the company money and additional staff time.

For instance, the Antlers recycles 15 tons of waste annually. Along with an in-office recycling system, the property makes it easy for guests to recycle by putting different colored trash bags in the rooms for glass, plastic and aluminum recyclables as well as collection bins on each floor of the hotel. Since 1988, the Antlers staff has adopted a two-mile stretch along the I-70 corridor near the top of Vail Pass, volunteering their time to pick up trash from the area.

The Antlers Vail covers the entire cost of bus passes for its employees who opt to take the bus rather than driving to work. The company also made a significant capital investment in environmentally friendly in-house laundry equipment in 2007. The ozone washing machine allows the hotel to use cooler water temperatures and save energy, while the phosphate-free detergent is biodegradable and far less polluting than typical phosphoric acid-based cleaning products.

If you’d like to know more about the Antlers green programs, click here. Meanwhile, rest assured that I’ll continue to be ever watchful and vigilant in my corporate eco-espionage; my new secret code name is Antlers Agent 99.

Eliza Cross, WordenGroup Public Relations

P.S. Leave a comment if you’re old enough to remember which television show featured Agent 99!