In October, Deer Valley announced their acquisition of Solitude Ski Resort. The actual terms of the purchase have not yet been released, but the implications are notable, especially considering the new partnership between Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR).
We talked a while back about the ONE Wasatch proposal re-presented this year by Ski Utah. Although the idea got mixed reviews, as the Utah ski resorts become more interconnected, one has to wonder if ONE Wasatch is bound to happen. The idea suggested that seven of Utah’s premier ski resorts combine their services using a series of lifts that would allow skiers to move through the mountains from one resort to the next.
The first step in creating ONE Wasatch is in action, as Vail Resorts works to combine Canyons and PCMR. Some argue that Deer Valley’s purchase of Solitude is step two, however, Deer Valley was never originally in the seven-resort plan and the connecting lift between the two canyons involved PCMR and Brighton. That said, Deer Valley has expressed their support for the ONE Wasatch proposal.
Ultimately, there are a lot of differences between the two acquisitions this year. Deer Valley announced that the parks will remain separate for the time being, and that Solitude will still allow snowboarders while Deer Valley will remain a ski-only resort. On the other hand, Canyons and PCMR have already started connecting the two and announced a $50 million improvement plan to be completed by next season.
Deer Valley’s purchase came as a surprise to some since Solitude and Brighton Ski Resort had discussed a purchase over the last several months. After the deal fell through, Solitude partnered with Deer Valley. When commenting on the purchase, General Manager of Deer Valley Bob Wheaton, said that Solitude will continue to work with their neighbors at Brighton, including keeping the current lift connection open, and the possibility of combining the resorts in the future is not off the table.
The transfer of Solitude to Deer Valley will begin at the end of the 2014-2015 ski season, so no real changes will be seen until next year. But Deer Valley plans to exchange employees between the two resorts as a training process, allowing Deer Valley to learn all they can from Solitude’s day-to-day operations, and vice versa. The only real visible difference this year is that season pass holders will get four day-tickets to the other resort.
The outlook for the two resorts is exciting, as is the future for Utah skiing in general. This year has been instrumental in the future of Utah’s mountains and the results have been overwhelmingly positive and almost always in the skier and traveler’s favor.
As the Utah mountains continue to be developed and the resorts improve their amenities, the already strong tourism industry in Utah will grow. The timeshare industry is no exception and will grow as the resorts do. We talk a lot about the right time to buy a timeshare, and when it comes to Park City timeshares, the time is now.
Timeshares are an investment, so whether you’re looking to sell a Park City timeshare or buy a timeshare resale, timing is going to play in big factor in the value of your investment. If you have questions about Park City timeshares, contact a Premier Timeshare Resale agent today!
