Skiers who book private lessons at Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek Resort next winter will gain access to concierge services and “white-glove” gear rentals, among other perks that parent company Vail Resorts hopes will keep travelers coming back to the slopes.
On Tuesday, the ski company announced new initiatives intended to enhance its guest experience, from upgrading ingredients in its most popular mountain eats to adding more convenient features to the My Epic app. It’s all part of a multi-year vision — formally called Epic Experience — that seeks to attract tourists to Vail Resorts properties on the heels of a difficult ski season.
Skiers visits to Vail properties during the 2025-26 fell 12.5% compared to the winter prior, the company previously said, thanks to abysmal snowfall in Colorado and across much of the Mountain West. Additionally, early Epic Pass purchases had declined 10% as of June.
While Vail Resorts has focused many years on building its network of resorts across the globe to give Epic Pass holders the choice of 42 different places to ski, the company is now investing in the onsite experience to build customer loyalty, CEO Rob Katz said in a statement Tuesday.
“The next chapter of growth for Vail Resorts is about delivering a guest experience that undeniably leads the ski industry and is best in class in the travel sector,” Katz said. “Epic Experience is about using the strength of our integrated model and leveraging our scale and technology to make every part of the mountain journey more seamless, personalized and memorable.”
Amenities for lessons and gear
That mission includes giving guests luxury treatment when they book private ski lessons through a new program called Epic Ascent. Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek will serve as test sites for the new program this upcoming winter, which offers tourists “high-touch customer support and a dedicated concierge to coordinate every detail of their overall trip, like dining reservations, transportation coordination and white-glove gear rental,” the announcement states.
Epic Ascent is expected to roll out to more locations by the 2027-28 season.
Vail Resorts is also planning to expand the My Epic Gear initiative, which gives skiers a unique opportunity to rent gear ahead of time and have it delivered to wherever they are staying. Visitors who choose to demo newer models of skis and snowboards at certain resorts will be able to do so without paying the usual My Epic Gear membership fee. (Memberships cost $50 in previous seasons.)
Participating resorts include Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City, Crested Butte, Heavenly, Northstar, Stowe, Okemo, and Mount Snow.
Upgraded food and app features
Beyond lessons and gear rentals, Vail Resorts will invest in the food options at 15 of its properties, including at Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado. Menus will still feature ski day staples like chili, burgers, pizza, fries, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese, which the company says make up the majority of food sales. However, guests can expect a “significant investment” in higher-quality ingredients and more elevated food presentation.
Burgers, for example, will soon be topped with New School American Cheese and pecan-smoked bacon, and served on a brioche bun with waffle fries and a signature sauce. Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Whistler Blackcomb will also offer signature dishes that “reflect the energy, culture and character of each resort,” the company said. Prices are not expected to increase beyond normal inflation, it added.
To make on-mountain activities more convenient, Vail Resorts is adding new features to the My Epic app, such as the ability to purchase lift tickets and transfer buddy passes to friends and family. The app will also integrate Apple Pay and Google Pay.
In the future, Vail Resorts anticipates skiers will also be able to purchase lessons, reserve gear rentals and plan trip itineraries, assisted by AI, directly within its app.
“Exceptional experience is not one moment — it is the standard we want guests to feel across their entire journey,” Katz said in the announcement. “From the food, lessons and gear that shape a day on the mountain to how we communicate with and support our guests, we are focused on removing friction, elevating the experience and creating more moments that inspire guests to return.”
