Big Sky Resort Project

Big RESORT PROPERTY Ownership Big sky resort is currently owned and operated by Boyne Resorts Company, but its background is a bit more interesting than that. In 1970, after his retirement and return to his home state on Montana, NBC newscaster Chet Huntley began building the resort. In December of 1973 the resort opened for the first time. Unfortunately Mr. Huntley was not able to enjoy his resort very long as he died a few short months later on March 20th, 1974 at the age of 62.In 1976, Boyne Resorts purchased the property and has managed it since then. Boyne Resort Company (BRC) owns and operates 11 resorts in the continental United States, with the highest number of resorts, 3, in the state of Michigan and one resort in British Columbia, Canada. They are self reportedly the third largest resort network in America and boast some of the â€Å"best  snow sports destinations, championship golf courses, luxurious spas and a full menu of active lifestyle amenities. The company has b een family owned and operated since it was started by Everett Kircher in 1947, employees of 7,000 people and has a goal to become the â€Å"best four-season resort company in the world by 2015,† a goal they believe they are well on the way towards. They are also partners with the Cool Earth program to help protect the world’s rainforests. Types of Lodging Big sky offers three different property types: hotels & condo hotels, cabins & homes, and condominiums with a stunning 11 out of 14 lodging buildings, equating to over 800 rooms, allowing access for ski in/ski out lodging right on the slope side.Big Sky’s White Water inn is a former Comfort Inn sitting a little further away from the slopes, about 10 miles off property, on highway 191 that Big Sky purchased and converted into their own. This hotel boasts it’s own Spa and indoor water slide. It is also located only 47 miles from the west entrance to Wyoming’s Yellow stone national park, the closest of Big Sky’s properties to Yellowstone. The Huntley Lodge is the original hotel on Big Sky’s property envisioned and named after, you guessed it, Chet Huntley.Although it’s a simple room with only two beds, a desk, bathroom and a wet bar, it is as Huntley imagined it, a slope side hotel. It also houses a spa, Chet’s bar and grill restaurant, shops, ski storage, and the Huntley dining room which is the dining room where any guests to Big Sky go for the complimentary breakfast buffet daily. Prices / packages As you may expect from a resort that offers 14 different lodging properties, there are many different prices for each hotel. Interestingly enough, however, only one package/special centers on one hotel property. /5 of the packages offered by big sky encompass all hotels, or a selection of multiple in one area. (See appendix). Normal prices on a nightly basis range from as little as $169. 00 for a one bedroom, two queen bed room in the Huntley Lodge to $ 2958. 00 for a four bedroom penthouse at the Summit at Big Sky. Most hotel rates are less than $300. 00 a night for the lower end, one bedroom or studio room. Services During the winter months big sky offers a breakfast buffet to all guests staying in any hotel on the property. Many of the lodging properties have slope-side access for to the mountain.All hotels either have a gym in them or a pool and properties that don’t allow access to adjoining properties that do. There are over 20 ski lifts bringing skiers and riders all the way to the top of lone peak. Big sky offers ski school for children as young as 4 and adults of all ages. Facilities Big sky resort is a mountain based resort and, during the winter, their primary activity is skiing and snowboarding. The mountain offers 15 ski lifts ranger from sitting doubles to a fully enclosed tram that takes you to the top of lone peak.These lifts give skiers and riders access to well over 50 individual trails and three terrain pa rks. In the summer, lifts still operate to bring you to extensive hiking trails. At the base of the mountain lies Mountain Village, the focal point of the resort. The hotel and lodging properties are located either in the village or around it. Mountain village contains Solace Spa & salon. The village center area contains the Yellowstone Conference Center. The conference center is comprised of the Missouri ballroom on the ground floor which can be divided into up to six individual rooms for meetings.On the upper floor there are four stand-alone rooms for meetings or small conferences. In the remainder of the village there are seven other meeting spaces. Snow crest lodge has a ski and snowboard rental shop in the ground floor. Big sky has 21 different dining options on property ranging from burgers and brats to a bar and grill that brew’s its own beer to upscale Italian restaurant priding itself on Tuscan cuisine. Business cycle Big Sky is a mountain based resort that caters gr eatly to the skier and snowboarder crowd as well as snow tubers in the winter, making it it’s ‘on’ season.However, Big Sky doesn’t have an ‘off’ season, just an abbreviated on season. Obviously during the summer months there isn’t much skiing to be had but there are plenty of other activities. An extensive network of hiking trails is the most obvious of the resorts summer activities on property. Among the multitude of other activities that big sky offers are some you might think of immediately, like Zip lining and a scenic lift ride. Others still might take you by surprise such a skeet shooting and a rock wall. They also offer several Paintball courses throughout the mountain.Nearby Lake Levinski and the Gallatin River offer canoeing, paddle boarding, whitewater rafting and kayaking. Furthermore, Big sky advertises itself as being the perfect basecamp from which to visit nearby Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, with the west e ntrance to the park being a mere 47 miles away. The combination of Yellowstone national park and the summertime mountain based activities have the potential to attract a plethora of summer guests to Big sky resort. Seasonality Big Sky experiences cold winters with temperatures getting as low as 8 degrees on average but rarely higher than freezing, with a high of 34 degrees on average.Visitors can expect between 3 and 7 inches of snow monthly starting as early as late October in some cases. Summer weather is quite drastically different. Temperatures can rise to the mid 80s on average with lows in the 50’s during the day and colder at night even as low as upper 40’s. The cold and snowy winters will be attractive to skiers and rider’s alike, seeking fresh snow or temperatures sufficient to make artificial snow. The warmer summers will be attractive for visitors looking to partake in outdoor activities or visit Yellowstone.The cool nights could be a welcome refreshe r or an unattractive nuisance depending on how low they get; However, I do not believe cooler nights will have a large impact on guest’s opinions of the resort. MARKETING Target Markets 1. Experienced skiers and riders is who big sky markets to the most. With slogans like â€Å"The BIGGEST skiing in America† and multiple double diamond runs, as well as back country access with no cleaned runs. In all likelihood, this segment does not produce the highest revenue, since they may travel alone or in small groups (2-3), but big sky markets themselves to appeal to those advanced level groups.This segment could be drawn to Big Sky from around the world because of their intricate and advanced slope structure. 2. Big sky’s second largest market segment is medium sized families (3-5 guests) or extended families for a reunion type vacation (7+guests) in the middle or higher class. Families with children aged 4 and older can sign their kids up for mini ski camp. This group will fill a majority of the rooms on property and many of the people in this market segment have taken up skiing or riding in recent years. This market segment might be drawn to Big Sky from around the country.Especially since the airport in the city of Bozeman has flights that come in directly from major metropolitan areas such as New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Seattle 25 times daily. During the off peak summer season, this group might make up an even larger majority of Big Sky’s Guests due to 3. Group Travel is another large market at Big Sky. They have rooms available to accommodate large groups. More specifically, groups will be comprised of older teenagers and college students(17-21) and young working professionals(22-30). Having everything you might want to do on a vacation to a mountain based resort, ncluding pools, shopping, of course skiing and riding on property Big sky is trying to get these groups and keep them on property. Not to mention Yellow stone National pa rk being less than an hour away, Big Sky really has everything any member of your group would want to do in the North West. This segment will most likely be drawn from a region. It is not very likely groups New England, for instance, will travel to big sky when there are closer skiing options and if they do their return business is even less likely due to expensive travel costs. 4. Empty nesters (45+) may come to Big Sky to enjoy skiing and summer recreation.This segment can potentially be drawn from an international market. The spa at Big Sky would be icing on the cake for this group. It may offer a relaxing, slower paced day of fun and relaxation. The resort can appeal particularly to those individuals interested in the nation’s first national park, Yellowstone. The offer a cross country ski or snowmobile tours into the park to and from Big Sky. 5. Young couples (24-30) or even couple trips who are two or more years into their working lives and have enough vacation time to come for an extended weekend in the begging or end of the ski season or potentially even during the summer.Even couples where one or both individuals are not experienced skiers or riders, Big Sky’s adult lesson programs can bring them up to speed. Furthermore, these couples who have skied or need refresher courses, or wish to take on more challenging runs can enlist in the advanced programs, like Master the Moguls; a course for skiers â€Å"level 7 and higher’ who want to learn to â€Å"negotiate the bumps with style†. How Big Sky Markets Big Sky markets itself as a year round resort although their primary season is the ski season.Their favorite slogan and possibly even motto is â€Å"The biggest skiing in America. † Much of their marketing uses the word ‘Big’, for example â€Å"BIG Happiness† is sprawled across an advertisement on their website’s home screen with the ‘big’ being shown in their own calligraphy (See appendix). During off season summer month’s Big Sky markets it’s ‘Basecamp’ as â€Å"The perfect headquarters for mountain adventures. † Their brochure for summer activities explains over 10 of the summer attractions they have.Big Sky offers an eighteen hole golf course designed by Arnold Palmer in the 1970’s and updated multiple times. Surprisingly, Big sky does not advertise their golf course almost at all. There is only one, small picture in their brochure of the course and a very limited page online. It’s safe to say golf isn’t a big attraction to Big Sky in the summer and it definitely is â€Å"nice to have’ not â€Å"need to have†. You can tell winter is bigger at Big Sky just from the brochure. The winter activity brochure is twice the size of the summer one and it focuses on the mountain.Although Lone Peak and Flat Iron and Andesite mountains around it host almost all of the summer activities, they are th e primary attraction in the winter. They advertise over 5500 acres of skiable runs, over 4000 vertical feet, 26 lifts, 230 plus trails, ad over 400 inches of snowfall. They market themselves as â€Å"Head and Shoulders above the rest† siting more skiable acres than Vail, Colorado and more Vertical feet than Vail and Squaw Valley, California. The only time Big Sky stops’ talking about their ski slopes is to mention the resorts close proximity to Yellowstone and the trips they run there.Yellowstone is definitely integral in bringing them business, even in the winter and should have more emphasis placed on it, as well as other programs such as the spa. The spa has its own stand-alone brochure but is seldom mentioned elsewhere. RECREATION / ACTIVITIES Activities Spring, Summer, and Fall 1. Zip line 2. High ropes course 3. Downhill mountain biking 4. Skeet shooting 5. Paintball 6. Laser Tag 7. Scenic lift 8. Hiking 9. Climbing wall 10. Giant Swing 11. Bungee trampoline 12. Disc golf 13. Mountain scooter or watercraft rentals 14. Golf 15. Yoga 16. Spa 17.Swimming pools 18. Fly Fishing 19. Whitewater Rafting 20. Horseback riding 21. Rock climbing 22. Wildlife viewing 23. Children’s program including: a. Dodge ball b. Face painting c. Making terracotta pots d. Adventure race e. Nature hikes and crafts f. Supervised disc gold g. Teepee camp out Winter 1. Skiing and Snowboarding 2. Zip line 3. High ropes course 4. Laser Tag 5. Bungee trampoline 6. Climbing Wall 7. Giant Swing 8. Tube Park 9. Snow cat Rides (To yellow stone) 10. Cross country Skiing (Yellowstone) 11. Sleigh Rides 12. Backcountry skiing 13. Yoga 14. Spa 15.Swimming pools 16. Wild life viewing 17. Children’s program including: a. Dodge ball b. Face painting c. Making terracotta pots Activity and Market Segments Experienced skiers will primarily be attracted to Big Sky for their advanced ski runs and slope side lodging. However, many other aspects of the resort will aim attract t his group to Big Sky over other resorts. The close proximity to Yellowstone national park is an out of the ordinary aspect that can entice those skiers and riders who want to visit the park but don’t want to make it the main focus of their trip.This group which obviously likes to ski may want to try a cross country ski trip to the park. The plethora of additional activities, such as zip lining, can encourage these guests to book longer trips and offer breaks in between days of skiing. The back country skiing can bring in travelers from greater distances who want to break away from the rigid ski slopes offered at mountains local to them. Even the options at the spa can bring in these guests that want to have the opportunity to be rejuvenated in a relaxing environment and then get right back on the slopes.During summer months, Experienced skiers wouldn’t be attracted to Big Sky for the ski runs, but they might want to return for other outdoor activities like hiking on th e runs they enjoy to ski. The other outdoor activities such as horseback riding and white water rafting will without a doubt attract this group, assuming that they are avid out door travelers wishing to spend more time in the beautiful wilderness around Big Sky. Middle Class Families might be attracted to the resort for skiing because of the multiple day lift ticket discounts or the wide range of attractive lodging styles, from economical to the lush ad luxurious.Not to mention, when booking through Big Sky’s central reservation system or enrolling a child under ten years old young children (under 10) get to ski for free The Tube Park is also another great aspect for children. The other attractions like zip lining, the giant swing, and bungee trampoline can entice families in both the winter and summer months, as well as the children programs. Furthermore during the summer families may want to go hiking or white water rafting together. A warm Montana day might be the perfect setting for a father and son golf trip, or skeet shooting.Big sky could attract group travelers because of the plethora of activities. It really does have something for everyone in your group. Trips to yellow stone, yoga, rock climbing, and the spa are all enticing to different members of these groups. No single event or attraction can be attributed to this group, however low rates for condo style living at Alpenglow can entice this crowd. Empty Nesters who have reached a later age in life, and accumulated more time off with their companies now have a little extra cash flow since they are no longer supporting children.The slower paced activities at Big Sky, like Golf or the spa can appeal to this group; Even going on a relaxing hike or fly fishing trip. The more adventurous in this group might want to try white water rafting, skiing or cross country skiing to Yellowstone. Of course†¦. there is always just the pool! Although Big Sky doesn’t really â€Å"do weddings†, and the closest thing to anything seeming romantic is a free bottle of champagne when you book two nights it’s apparent that young couples are coming for the romance.Virtually all the activities could appeal to this group, skiing, downhill biking, horseback riding, high ropes, zip line, white water rafting. Why not enjoy all this while your young? RELATION TO TEXT Similarities 1. Big Sky is a type one resort (PG 25). Type one resorts, by definition are international destinations with excellent mountains and wide variety of lodging and real-estate accommodations. With 14 hotels ranging from simple ‘double-double’ hotel rooms to more advanced condominiums, Big Sky lives up to the plethora of lodging options. Lone mountain and lone peak are offer upreme runs with much variety, all the way from a bunny hill with green circle runs to double diamonds near the peak, and even back country skiing. Big Sky definitely meets the criteria for a type one mountain based reso rt. 2. Located just 50 miles south of Bozeman, MT and Bozeman/Big Sky airport there is airline access direct from 13 major cities in the US, including New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Portland. The book states that the more attractive the site, the farther people will be willing to travel to ski there (PG 33). The size and scope of Big Sky resort can attract people, not just on a national basis, but also internationally.The resort seeks to target not just local or regional guests, willing to travel up to half a day, but also those seeking to travel farther, and stay longer. 3. Big Sky offers 4,350 vertical feet to ski on Lone Mountain. For an area this size the book recommends one to two thousand vertical feet of lift (PG 42). The Southern Comfort high speed quad alone can carry 4 skiers 1,250 vertical feet. Big Sky has 15 lifts, one gondola, and 5 surface lifts throughout the mountain and is consistently known for little to no lift lines. 4. The way the way the lodging at Big Sky is laid out is nearly verbatim to the book (PGS 46-47).The resort offers a good mix of Hotel style lodging and condominiums. Mountain Village, at the base of the mountain, squeezes in a high density of lodging accommodations, many of the slope side. These include Summit Hotel, Snowcrest Lodge, and Huntley Lodge. Farther away from the base, but still offering slope-side access are the Lone Moose and Saddle Ridge properties, offering Condo and Townhouse style lodging, respectively. They are more spacious and offer a higher quality of room / amenity, but also are more expensive. 5. Mountain Village is a key feature to Big Sky resort.The book suggests that a base village is integral to a new kind of four season resort, like big sky (PG 88). Not only does Big Sky’s Mountain Village offer restaurants, lodging, and retail outlets near chairlifts, but also other activities, like ice skating, and a place to sign up for them at the concierge and basecamp facility. In the lobby of the H untley / Shoshone lodge is the Spa and Yellowstone Conference center. This complex which offers both hotel and condo style lodging options is the focal point of the base village area. Big Sky has certainly created a miniature town just for their guests.Differences 1. The book discusses the use and necessity of permits when dealing with land owned by the United States Forest Service, or USFS (PG 27). Although Big Sky operates on about 100 square miles of USFS land it seems apparent that some principles outlined in the book are being overlooked. Although the resort is a cool earth partner and does a lot to help the environment other aspects USFS and the National Ski Area’s Association try to meet are suffering. The establishment of local economies f and sustainable communities is suffering. Big Sky uses all of the land it has for ski runs and Local lodging.The work force needs to either travel from far away or get temporary housing and be bussed in from two properties operated by Big Sky for employees. Only one is open during the summer. 2. General design guidelines outlined by the book highlight the necessity of linking what is special about the local area and creating a strong emotional link between the local populace and natural environment (PG 34). By not putting a good foot forward to build a more permanent and affordable living area for general population they are greatly constricting the possibility of forming this strong bond between locals and themselves.Local people may grow discontent with the resort if they cause the area to belong to the tourists. 3. Adding illumination to Big Sky could potentially increase capacity by up to 60% (PG 40). Big sky does not have any options for night skiing and, while the potential risk and possible insurance costs are understandable, they are limiting themselves to the short hours of daylight during the winter months. Half of US ski areas offer night skiing and by not the resort is missing out on potential gues ts that may want sleep in and ski later in the day and into the evening.These groups will simply spend money and ski elsewhere. 4. North northeast facing mountains retain snowfall better by having less sun exposure (PG 40). Big Sky has set their runs up to be facing directly east, right in the face of the rising morning sun. This could potentially create a hazard for skiers coming down the slopes early and cause snow blindness. This sun exposure also causes snow to melt faster and potentially harm the integrity of runs. Because of this, more tree’s may be needed on the runs for shade, which could in turn limit the use of the mountain for runs. 5.Parking, everyone’s worst nightmare (PG 45). Big Sky wasn’t really built around the idea that many skiers would drive in and out, and it shows in their parking. Big sky has 4 parking lots and only 1, and a small one at that, is remotely close to the lifts. Big sky clearly sacrificed close parking for slope side lodging. Since they have already built up the prime parking area’s with Mountain Village, an idea as suggested in the book would be to make underground parking. Putting even one level underneath the base camp could make for an extremely efficient parking system and use of space.COMPETITION Local Heading south from Bozeman, MT will take you right to Big Sky’s doorstep, but going east will bring you to a local competitor, Red Lodge Mountain Resort. Red Mountain Lodge, or RML, has a close proximity to Big Sky, but they are miles apart in many other similarities. The most obvious is the mountain. By comparison, RML has a much smaller mountain with less lifts. Also apparent, is the mountain base. Where Big Sky has a lively mountain town with shopping, activities, hotels, RML has, well, nothing.Their lodging properties are located sporadically around the area. There is the actual town of Red lodge off the base of the mountain, but not far. This active host community is something that Big Sky doesn’t have. Because of their limitations in a base village, RML offer far fewer (almost no) other venues of entertainment besides the town and the mountain. The only exception to this is their golf course. They offer an 18 hole golf course run by the resort and located near the town of Red Lodge. National Alyeska Resort, in Girdwood, Alaska is a national competitor to Big Sky.Also making the top 40 list of ski resorts in North America by Outsideonline. com, Alyeska is no small time resort. Alyeska only has a couple of hotels and limited runs on the mountain, 73. However their system of 8 total lifts compliments the mountain well. Alyeska Also offers night skiing, which Big Sky does not. The resort and mountain is also well known, having hosted the US Alpine champion ships 5 times, the latest in 2009. Alyeska chargers comparable prices for comparable rooms to Big Sky, so guests willing to travel won’t choose one over the other because of price.Alyeska also ha s a spa complete with yoga classes. The average snowfall is 512 inches, which is over a hundred inches more that Big Sky can boast adding the grandeur of the runs. International Located in Savoie, France Les Trois Vallee, or The three Valley’s ski resort is the largest ski resort in the world. It is actually comprised of three separate ski resorts linked together since 1963 so it’s possible to ski between all of them. The Resort is actually 8 different resorts all operating together between the 3 valley’s and 4 ridges that create the mountain.The mountain has 183 different lifts, 37 of which are gondolas, servicing 600km (375 miles) of skiable areas spread out between 335 runs. Trois Vallee offers an even more extended list of accommodations between their 8 resorts than Big Sky. The range from ‘self-catered apartments’ and chalets, small ski side houses, to hotels and holiday clubs. This collection of resorts is a competitor to Big sky because the o ffer a similar experience with the mountain base village. The intertwining of multiple resorts compounds this and gives guests multiple venues to enjoy time off the mountain.