Xanterra Parks & Resorts Assumes Operations of Concessions in Glacier National Park

For Immediate Release
Photos Available

DENVER, January 15, 2014 – Effective today, Xanterra Parks & Resorts has assumed operations of lodging, restaurants, retail and the famous Red Buses in Montana’s Glacier National Park.

The 16-year contract includes the operations of Many Glacier Hotel, Lake McDonald Lodge, the Apgar Village Inn, Rising Sun Motor Inn and Swiftcurrent Inn featuring approximately 500 rooms and cabins, four restaurants with more than 500 seats and five retail outlets. Xanterra will also conduct tours of the park in 33 historic Red Buses.

“We are all excited to work in such a spectacular park with a long and fascinating history,” said Andrew N. Todd, president and CEO of Xanterra Parks & Resorts. “Glacier’s lodges, restaurants and retail operations are famous throughout the national park system, and its iconic Red Buses are synonymous with the park.”

While Xanterra will be in Glacier National Park for the next 16 years and expects to impact many areas. Just a few of the company’s plans during the contract term include:

• Refurbish the Red Buses. Glacier’s Red Buses are so closely associated with the park that they are often the first thing that comes to mind when vacationers plan a visit. Xanterra has extensive experience with White Motor touring vehicles in Yellowstone and is fully prepared to embark upon a program of continuous maintenance and renovation as well as the purchases of two new tour vehicles to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Healthy and Sustainable Foods. In response to the National Park Service’s “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” initiative, Xanterra plans to meet and exceed those standards with its Fresh Forward program. Guests of Xanterra-operated foodservice facilities in Glacier National Park can expect freshly prepared menu items containing healthy ingredients obtained from local suppliers.

• Upgrading Lodges. Over the course of Xanterra’s Glacier contract, virtually all hotels will undergo renovations and upgrades. Immediate priorities will include upgrades to Many Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge. Xanterra will draw upon its decades of experience in such matters to ensure that structures are brought to modern standards while maintaining historical integrity.

“We are very much looking forward to doing our part to create a classic national park experience for visitors, a highly positive working environment for our employees and cooperative partnerships with the National Park Service and surrounding communities,” said Todd.

Xanterra is the largest national park concessioner in the country, with operations in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Petrified Forest and Zion National Parks plus Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The company also operates Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz., five Ohio State Park Lodges and the Geneva Marina in northeast Ohio.

In recent years the company has also acquired Windstar Cruises, three suites-only ships acquired from Seabourn that will be added to the Windstar fleet in 2014 and 2015, Kingsmill Resort on the James River in Williamsburg, Va., VBT Bicycling and Touring, The Grand Hotel in Tusayan, Ariz. and Austin Adventures in Billings, Mont.  Earlier this year the company was awarded the contract to operate concessions in Yellowstone National Park for another 20 years.