Massive Ski Resorts Sales

snowbrains.com/15-of-the-most-popular-sk...old-in-massive-deal/

I certainly hope the new owners of Stevens Pass do a better job thsn CNL

Summit at Snoqualmie is on the list at the end of the article.

We'll see, but the 'managers' of Crested Butte Mountain Resort (home town) says this won't affect the resort in any meaningful way.

That its like an apartment building being sold; management stays, renters (skiers), but the lease of the building/resort transfers to a new owner.

Research REIT's and it will make sense.

There were significant changes after CNL acquired Stevens Pass - mostly negative from the skiers point of view (long term season pass holder point of view more specifically). One question is will CNL's ski area management and policies remain the same under new ownership? If yes, and if it is run like a REIT, than there is a likelihood that there may not be much noticeable change. If CNL's ski area management personnel don't move along with the property, than there may be differences. Also, if the new owners operate as Private Equity, and not part of a REIT portfolio, than there can be significant changes. Kind of hard to say at this point - won't shake out till 2017 - 2018 season anyway. I don't really know the details - so all speculation.

Silver Mountain (Formerly Silverhorn and Jackass) in North Idaho also sold this year, but to another buyer.

Could some ski resort investors/owners be getting a bit nervous about future viability and profitability being affected by climate change? They don't want to go through the trouble and cost of developing them into year-round attractions and are trying to get out early??

I wonder if further changes are afoot. I was in UT recently and ran into a guy also vacationing there from his job as a senior leader in Vail Resorts. He regaled me with how much we'll all be loving their purchase of Whistler soon enough, and also mentioned that they would like to pick up something closer to Seattle as part of their strategy of having "feeder resorts" near big population centers to get people into their on-seasons-pass-for-all-resorts deal. He said he keeps hearing Stevens mentioned. Perhaps the new owner would get some quick ROI via a sale to Vail. Not sure how viable their typical strategy of building up lodging at the base of their areas would work out at Stevens but in any case, FYI...