STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. & WINTER PARK, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SNOW), a leading North American mountain resort and adventure company, today announced that RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology will be launched at its Steamboat and Winter Park resorts for the upcoming 2015/16 winter season with SKIDATA.
“Always looking to enhance the guest experience, we’re excited to roll out RFID technology at Steamboat and Winter Park this season,” said Sky Foulkes, Chief Operating Officer for Intrawest. “Industry-leading guest service is at the core of our resorts, and the RFID technology will improve the guest experience and enhance our operating efficiency.”
"We are thrilled to work with Intrawest; and, in particular, Steamboat and Winter Park this winter," said Laurent Vaucher, US Subsidiary Manager and General Manager for Mountains for SKIDATA. "As a global leader in ticketing solutions, SKIDATA's RFID ticketing technology provides a seamless and enhanced guest experience at these two iconic North American resorts."
All daily lift tickets, season passes and frequency products will be available on QuickTrax™ cards, which are embedded with an RFID chip to enable hands-free access to lifts. When a guest passes through the RFID gate, the gate will open automatically after registering the QuickTrax card. As in previous seasons, lift operators will be on hand to assist with the access gates and ensure a smooth and efficient guest experience.
“With RFID technology, the new system will move guests even faster and more efficiently, allowing more time for carving up the Champagne Powder® snow in Steamboat or the bumps of Winter Park’s famous Mary Jane Territory,” said Matt Bowers, Chief Marketing Officer for Intrawest.
The RFID system will be installed in Steamboat at the gondola, Christie Peak Express, Preview, and Thunderhead Express chairlifts. Installation at Winter Park includes the Zephyr Express, Arrow, Gemini Express, Challenger and Super Gauge Express chairlifts providing a simple, fast and hands-free guest experience at both resorts.
The new QuickTrax card will be reusable over multiple seasons and can be reloaded online or over the phone, allowing guests to bypass the ticket office. All guests will also have the option to sign up for Resort Charge, which eliminates the need to carry cash or a credit card on the mountain. Resort Charge allows guests to make purchases at any resort operated restaurant, rental and retail location, ski and ride school, and more by attaching a credit card to their QuickTrax card.
With the implementation of RFID, the resorts will issue and mail new RFID-enabled season pass and frequency products at no cost starting in early October. No action is required of pass holders, except to enjoy the new convenience, flexibility and technology during the upcoming 2015/2016 ski season.
About Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc.
Intrawest is a North American mountain resort and adventure company, delivering distinctive vacation and travel experiences to its customers for over three decades. The Company wholly owns six four-season mountain resorts with approximately 8,000 skiable acres and over 1,130 acres of land available for real estate development. Intrawest’s mountain resorts are geographically diversified across most of North America’s major ski regions, including the Eastern United States, the Rocky Mountains, and Canada. The Company also operates an adventure travel business, the cornerstone of which is Canadian Mountain Holidays, a leading heli-skiing adventure company in North America. Additionally, the Company operates a comprehensive real estate business through which it manages, markets and sells vacation club properties; manages condominium hotel properties; and sells and markets residential real estate. Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SNOW). For more information, visit www.intrawest.com.