The Lodge at Vail

Environmental Service Standards and Online Carbon Calculator Help Meeting and Event Planners Commit to Reducing Impact

Broomfield, CO (March 2, 2009) RockResorts, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, is showing meeting planners that it really IS easy being green. With nine resorts in iconic locations from Vail, Colo., to St. Lucia in the West Indies, the company is a natural choice for meeting planners who want to access premier meeting facilities while engaging their groups in the beauty of their surrounding environment offering the full complement for a green meeting or event. With the roll-out of a more formal green meetings program, groups at RockResorts can better appreciate and preserve the environment inside the conference room and out.

From e-brochures and paperless check-in procedures to organic cuisine, RockResorts has made it easier than ever for planners to support or host environmentally-friendly meetings. To assist meeting planners and attendees in reducing the environmental footprint of their meetings, RockResorts launched a carbon calculator on their Web site (www.rockresorts.com) that allows planners to determine the impact their meeting attendees will have on the environment, including the transportation, lodging and details of the event itself.

The luxury resort company has in place “green” service standards that are required of each meeting or event regardless of additional choices made by the meeting or event planner. These “environmental automatics,” include recycling and waste reduction programs, using organic, local and other sustainable food and beverage products whenever possible, and focusing on energy and water conserving fixtures. RockResorts catering and conference service staff are prepared to assist meeting coordinators by making recommendations for sustainable decorations and meeting props, sustainable transportation options, lowimpact meeting support and marketing documents, reusable signage, donation of event décor such as plants and flowers, and contribution of food and other products to local nonprofits and food banks.

“There are so many opportunities with an event or meeting where the overall experience can be enhanced by choosing environmental features, while also saving the event planner and meeting attendees money and time,” said Julie Klein, director of environmental affairs for RockResorts. To ensure meeting planners are aware of possibilities, we are here to offer assistance by creating service standards and options that allow them to know their event is having less of an impact than if they hosted it elsewhere.”

Acknowledging the added value of fresh foods and tastes of the region are a perfect complement to any event or meeting, the company’s Appetite for Life sustainable cuisine program is integrated into in all the company’s restaurants and catering efforts. Elements of this program include use of organic and natural meats, sustainable seafood, seasonal produce, organic wines and other beverages, and use of local purveyors. Meeting planners will be encouraged to work with RockResorts catering teams to create menus that take full advantage to the Appetite for Life program while satisfying the individual needs of their group.

To take it to the great outdoors, planners have options to support local conservation projects through RockResorts’ partnership with the National Forest Foundation or supporting nonprofit. As a group activity, conference attendees can participate in a project such as a trail restoration or similar volunteer experience in the resort area they are visiting. For more information or to learn more about the brand or various RockResorts locations, visit www.rockresorts.com or call 1-888-FOR-ROCK (888-367-7625). To view the RockResorts carbon calculator, visit http://rockresorts.com/info/env.asp.

About RockResorts
RockResorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, owns and operates luxury resort hotels that offer casually , renowned golf courses,®elegant accommodations, lavish RockResorts Spas award-winning dining and a variety of exciting outdoor adventures. The RockResorts collection includes The Arrabelle at Vail Square and The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.; Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.; The Osprey at Beaver Creek and The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo.; Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colo.; La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, N.M.; Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and The Landings St. Lucia, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Future RockResorts include: Tempo Miami in Miami, Fla. (scheduled to open in spring 2009); One Ski Hill Place in Breckenridge, Colo. (scheduled to open in winter 2009/2010); The Mansfield Inn at Stowe in Stowe, Vt. (scheduled to open in winter 2010/2011); Rum Cay Resort Marina, The Bahamas (scheduled to open in 2011); and the Third Turtle Club & Spa, Turks and Caicos (scheduled to open in 2011).

-For the first time, luxury meets volunteer-vacation with RockResorts new Give & Getaway package
-Eco-package is Vail Resorts second initiative to help conserve and enhance National Forest lands in the past year

Broomfield, Colo. " March 2008"RockResorts International, LLC, announced that it is continuing its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Eagle Ranger District, Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and White River National Forest to offer an eco-vacation package at its collection of luxury resorts in Colorado in 2008. Guests who book the Give & Getaway package"available during select dates from June through September"will participate in trail restoration projects in Colorados White River National Forest (where Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone are located) and receive a discounted nightly lodging rate and exclusive gifts. RockResorts is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN).

Restoration projects offered as part of the Give & Getaway package will improve the recreational quality of the White River National Forests network of trails, as well as the health of the local forest and streams by controlling erosion caused by degraded trails. Volunteers, ages 16 and older and in good health, are invited to get down and dirty in these enriching and fun projects while indulging in a relaxing stay at a RockResort. In return for their volunteer work, participants will be treated to a discount on two nights of lodging, plus a hydration backpack, work gloves, bottle of RockResorts Spa hand lotion and lunch on the day of the project.

The Give & Getaway package is another step our company has taken to promote conservation of the spectacular environments in which we operate our resorts, and a new opportunity for our guests and employees to take an active role in positively impacting our local environments, said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. The Give & Getaway package at RockResorts is a fantastic complement to our company-wide partnership with the National Forest Foundation to raise funds for on-the-ground conservation projects in Colorados White River National Forest and the National Forests of The Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada.

Through a special fundraising partnership with the National Forest Foundation, Vail Resorts and RockResorts have donated over $225,000 thus far to seven non-profit organizations for conservation projects in the White River National Forest. Vail Resorts continues to offer guests at its five mountain resorts the opportunity to participate in this special fundraising effort by contributing $1 on season ski passes, $1 on online lift ticket transactions, and $1 per room night at its Colorado-based lodging properties.

Each dollar raised is matched with 50 cents by the National Forest Foundation. Vail Resorts expects to raise up to $600,000 (including the matching funds) this year, three to four times more than the National Forest Foundations next largest fundraising program of this kind. For more information on Vail Resorts partnership with the National Forest Foundation, visit the Press Room at www.rockresorts.com.


RockResorts Give & Getaway package is available on the following dates:

June 18, 2008 " The Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.
July 15, 2008 " The Arrabelle at Vail Square and The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.
August 27, 2008 " The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo. & The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colo.
August 30, 2008 " Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colo.
September 2, 2008 " Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colo.
September 16, 2008 " The Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.
September 20, 2008 " The Arrabelle at Vail Square and The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.
September 27, 2008 - The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo. & The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colo.

Nightly rates, starting at $145 per person, per night, vary by resort and are based on double occupancy for a two-night stay (the night before and the night of the project). Projects last approximately six hours. Guests ages 16 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The Give & Getaway package must be booked at least one week prior to the project date. Other restrictions may apply.

For more information, or to book the Give & Getaway package, visit www.rockresorts.com or call 888-FOR-ROCK (367-7625).

About RockResorts
RockResorts' luxury resort hotels offer casually elegant accommodations, lavish RockResorts Spas, renowned golf courses, award-winning dining and a variety of exciting outdoor adventures. The RockResorts collection includes Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.; The Pines Lodge in Beaver Creek, Colo.; Keystone Lodge & Spa in Keystone, Colo.; The Arrabelle at Vail Square in Vail, Colo.; The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in the Vail Valley, Colo.; The Lodge at Vail in Vail, Colo.; La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa in Santa Fe, N.M.; Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and The Landings St. Lucia, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Future RockResorts include; Eleven Biscayne Hotel & Spa in Miami, Fla. (scheduled to open in 2009); The Chateau at Heavenly Village in Lake Tahoe, Cali. (scheduled to open in 2009); One Ski Hill Place in Breckenridge, Colo. (scheduled to open in winter 2009/2010); and Rum Cay, A RockResort Hotel & Spa in Rum Cay, The Bahamas (scheduled to open in 2010).