About Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

For Immediate Release
Photos Available

DENVER, April 13, 2009 – In years past, American travelers typically made their summer travel plans for U.S. national park vacations well before their vacation dates in order to secure a lodge room. As the Internet has become more of a factor in planning and booking vacations, however, travelers have been reserving rooms closer to their travel dates. That trend, combined with travelers’ being extra cautious because of the economic downturn, means that the booking window will be closer than ever before, predicts national park concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Being aware of this and other travel trends – as well as some tips – can help travelers secure the lodging of their choice for their summer national park vacations.

“American travelers have an abundance of travel choices, and it appears that they are taking more time than ever to choose their vacation destinations and then make their plans,” said Dave Hartvigsen, marketing consultant for Xanterra. “Even though we do not expect record occupancy in national parks this summer, we do think Americans will be making last-minute plans to visit national parks.”

Xanterra’s expectation is shared by the U.S. Travel Association, which predicted nearly three-quarters of all Americans will visit a national park in 2009.

“National park vacations have always combined great value with a multitude of memorable experiences, and we believe travelers – especially families – will ultimately choose an affordable drive-to vacation over no vacation,” said Hartvigsen. “This year is as good as it gets for national park travelers. Vacationers will have more lodging and tour choices and more flexibility timing-wise than they have for many years.”
Hartvigsen offered these tips for planning a national park vacation this summer.

1. Be informed. Visit Xanterra's web site at www.xanterra.com for general information on the parks operated by Xanterra as well as lodging descriptions, rates and availability. Another good source of information on national parks is the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov. Xanterra operates lodges in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Crater Lake and Death Valley National Parks as well as at the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz. The company also operates food and retail concessions at Petrified Forest National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

2. Be web-savvy. Rooms can be booked online at www.travelyellowstone.com, www.grandcanyonlodges.com, www.zionlodge.com, www.brycecanyonlodge.com, www.craterlakelodges.com and www.furnacecreekresort.com and www.stovepipewells.com (Death Valley). Booking online is usually the quickest way to secure a reservation. Travelers can check room availability too via Xanterra’s online reservations calendar.

3. Be flexible. Because some people make their plans far in advance, they often have to change or cancel existing reservations. Be as flexible as possible with travel dates and choice of lodging and you stand a better chance of getting a room on short notice.

4. Regardless of which park you are visiting, consider traveling during the first two weeks of June, the last 10 days of August or the first two weeks of September. Families with schoolchildren are either winding down after the end of school or gearing up for the beginning of school, so those periods – although still considered peak season – are a little slower than the rest of the summer. Additionally, individual parks have unique soft spots. For example, Yellowstone has considerable availability during the entire month of May and late August through the end of the season in mid-October.

5. Be timely. Group tour operators reserve blocks of rooms in advance in anticipation of selling these rooms as part of tour packages to the United States. If all the rooms are not sold, operators must release them for resale approximately 30 days out. Want to travel on July 30? Try booking on June 30 or July 1.

6. Be persistent. Rooms open up due to a variety of reasons, and are often very quickly re-booked every day. The quickest way to check availability is by going to the web site and following the link for reservations. Bookmark the web site and check it frequently to see if rooms have become available.

7. Be a bargain-hunter. National park vacations are a great value, and prices at lodges, restaurants and gift shops inside the parks can be lower than prices at facilities outside the parks. This is partly because every room, meal and souvenir sold by a concessioner within a national park is priced based on comparable items outside a park. The National Park Service monitors and approves all rates charged within the boundaries of every national park in the country and pricing is often more affordable than travelers might expect.

8. Watch out for third-party reservations web sites that charge a non-refundable fee to make reservations at in-park lodges. Xanterra’s reservations services are free. These third-party sites also can be misleading in other ways. For complete information, visit: http://www.xanterra.com/current-releases-392_2813.html.

9. Book activities and make dinner reservations. Dining rooms do fill, so if you want a meal in one of the lodges, plan ahead. Popular activities like the Old West Dinner Cookout at Yellowstone's Roosevelt Lodge fill up fast too. Phone numbers for making reservations can be easily found on all Xanterra web sites.

10. Look for packages. Yellowstone has introduced a series of value-focused Yellowstone Summer Getaway Packages representing discounts of up to 25 percent that include specially priced lodging and, in some cases, tours of the park. The Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz. offers a variety of packages including the Canyon Limited Plus, with lodging in Williams as well as at the Grand Canyon South Rim, coach class train travel to and from the Canyon and some meals.

11. Just show up. Travelers who arrive between noon and 6 p.m. often find last-minute rooms available. Once in a park, the front desk at any lodge can check availability for all rooms within the park.

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Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra operates the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.

Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.
 

Xanterra Parks & Resorts
6312 S. Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 600 North
Greenwood Village, Co 80111
 

Media contact:
Mona Mesereau
(1) 720-842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com