Free Lift: Crested Butte Offers Promo To Attract More Skiers

Crested Butte Mountain Resort will offer free lift tickets for three weeks starting November 25 in a "one-of-a-kind 'ski free' promotion this year after a seven-year hiatus," according to Joanne Kelley of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Crested Butte CMO Ken Stone said, "It's about getting people back here to see all the changes." Stone recently left Telluride Ski Resort to lead Crested Butte "through the process of 'rebranding' itself" after a $200M overhaul of both the mountain and its base area by Crested Butte Owners Tim and Diane Mueller. Among the additions is The Lodge at Mountaineer Square and a "new conference center that can host large groups and meetings." The resort also bought a building back from Club Med, renaming it the Elevation Hotel, and spent $25M on renovations that "will be finished in time for ski season." Kelley notes Crested Butte, situated about 230 miles from Denver, "has to work harder than most ski areas to persuade Front Range skiers to visit each season." During the '90s, free lift tickets "boosted its visits substantially" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 9/22).