Broomfield, Colo. — May 11, 2010 — Looking for the ultimate guilt-free vacation? For the fourth consecutive year RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality are offering a voluntourism “Give & Getaway” package. This rewarding travel option offers discounted lodging rates to guests who ‘give back’ and volunteer at the company’s eight RockResorts, lodging properties in Keystone and Breckenridge, a collection of accommodations in the Grand Tetons, as well as two of the newest RockResorts in Miami and Breckenridge.
More than 15 volunteer projects will be offered this year as part of the Give & Getaway package, all of which are focused on natural resource conservation and preservation near the company’s resorts. “Give & Getaway” projects include recreational trail restoration, working with sustainable local farmers, helping to improve forest health and projects supporting local stream and river ecosystems. Full-day and half-day projects are available. Guests have the option to choose their accommodations from family-style to high-end lodging in Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons, Miami, St. Lucia, and Aspen. Participants do not pay for these volunteer experiences, and in exchange for their efforts, receive a discounted lodging rate and value-added amenities. Full details of each volunteer opportunity can be found on www.giveandgetaway.com.
Projects this year include a stream restoration project in Hyde Memorial State Park in New Mexico, for guests of La Posada de Santa Fe, A RockResort as well as a sand dune restoration project for guests at Tempo Miami, A RockResort.
The La Posada de Santa Fe project is set for July 26, 2010 and gives guests an opportunity to roll up their sleeves and help remove vegetation to improve the health of the main creek in Hyde Memorial State Park. To thank volunteers, La Posada is offering rates for this project that start at only $59 per night – a huge savings to reward volunteers and encourage them to experience Santa Fe in its high season, and is valid July 25, 26 and 27, 2010. As part of the project at Tempo Miami, guests will meet with a professional biologist who will brief them on how to remove exotics and/or plant new species. This project takes place June 19, August 28 and September 25.
“The ‘Give & Getaway’ package has been a successful initiative to promote conservation of the spectacular environments of our Colorado resorts and help our guests find even more value in their vacations,” said Paul Toner, Chief Operating Officer of RockResorts. “We are happy to strengthen our company’s commitment to the environment as we expand to new locations in the Caribbean and Florida, and allow guests to experience them in an interactive, rewarding way.”
In addition, Vail Resorts and RockResorts have formed a partnership with the National Forest Foundation in Colorado that allows guests to contribute $1 per stay or for lift tickets or season passes that’s matched by the NFF. To date, the partnership has raised more than $1.6 million to help non-profit organizations with conservation efforts and restoration projects in the White River National Forest in Colorado and the Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada. Similar fundraising commitments across the RockResorts brand support other local non-profit organizations, such as the Hyde Memorial State Park and Surfrider Foundation.
For more information on Vail Resorts’ partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), visit the Press Room at www.rockresorts.com.
The RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality “Give & Getaway package” is available on the following dates:
Keystone Resort, Colo.: May 15, May 22, June 5, June 10, August 7 & September 25
Hotel Jerome, A RockResort. Aspen, Colo.: June 12
The Arrabelle at Vail Square, A RockResort / The Lodge at Vail, A RockResort.Vail, Colo.: June 19, July 24 & September 18
The Pines Lodge, A RockResort / The Osprey at Beaver Creek, A RockResort. Beaver Creek, Colo.: July 24
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, A RockResort. Santa Fe, NM,: July 26
Grand Teton Lodge Company, Wyo: September 25
Snake River Lodge & Spa, A RockResort. Jackson Hole, Wyo.: September 25
The Landings St Lucia, A RockResort: Ongoing
Tempo Miami, A RockResort: June 19, August 28 & September 25
One Ski Hill Place, A RockResort, Breckenridge, Colo.: May 22, June 5, June 12, 13, July 10-11, August 7, September 27, 28, October 2 & 9
Nightly rates, starting at just $59 per person, per night, vary by resort and are based on double occupancy for a minimum two-night stay (the night before and the night of the project). Several resorts are extending the rate both before and after the projects as a courtesy to guests. Guests ages 16 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The “Give & Getaway” package must be booked at least one week prior to the project date. “Give & Getaway” lodging rates are available to all who participate in the designated volunteer projects. Other restrictions may apply.
For more information on each individual “Give & Getaway” experience, or to book the package, visit “Give & Getaway” or call 866-513-ROCK (7625). B-roll is available upon request.
About RockResorts®
RockResorts®, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, owns and operates luxury resorts that offer casually elegant accommodations, lavish RockResorts Spas®, renowned golf courses all certified within the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program, award-winning dining and a variety of exciting outdoor adventures. The RockResorts collection includes The Arrabelle at Vail Square and The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.; Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.; The Osprey at Beaver Creek and The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo.; La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, N.M.; Snake River Lodge & Spa™ in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and The Landings St. Lucia, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. RockResorts grand openings include: One Ski Hill Place in Breckenridge, Colo. (June, 2010); Tempo Miami in Miami, Fla. (2010); Balcones del Atlántico, Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic (2010); and future RockResorts include: The Mansfield Inn at Stowe in Stowe, Vt., Rum Cay Resort Marina, The Bahamas; and the Third Turtle Club & Spa, Turks and Caicos.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, Heavenly Mountain Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and the consumer website is www.snow.com.