Salt Lake City Resorts
Unprecedented: Deer Valley No. 1 for the fourth time
SKI Magazine readers again name the resort their top pick
Jeffrey D. Allred For The New York Times
By Andrew Kirk
The Park Record
For the fourth year in a row, 20,000 readers of SKI Magazine have selected Deer Valley Resort as the No. 1 resort in North America.
The results of the closely watched survey were announced Thursday night, said Jessica Kunzer, spokesperson for Ski Utah.
No other resort has topped the rankings four years in a row.
"It's quite an honor pretty darn incredible," said Bob Wheaton, president and general manager.
It also marks 10 years Deer Valley finished in the top three.
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In the subcategories, the resort finished first in grooming, guest service, dining and lodging, and second place in lifts, weather and family programs.
"All the people on staff made this happen every day," he said. "It's something we can't let off the gas on one little bit. Yesterday's accomplishments are just that."
Wheaton said he credits peer mentoring for the high level of service his employees provide guests.
"If you're in a position to provide an elevated level of service, and are provided the tools to do that, the response you get back from guests is very positive and reinforces what you're doing," he said.
Deer Valley Resort
Park City Mountain Resort was ranked No. 5 overall and has been in the top five for six of the past seven years. It was in the top 10 for nine subcategories.
President and General Manager Jenni Smith said creating a positive experience for families has been a goal and the survey ranked the resort in the top three in that category.
Todd Burnette, vice president of marketing for Canyons Resort, said the resort was ranked 18th overall. That's an improvement of two spots in a ski season that saw no mountain improvements, he said. Burnette said he credits the climb to the resort's attentive response to guest feedback.
Since the resort made the most significant on-mountain improvements of any resort in North America this year, he expects the ranking to climb further in next year's survey and continue improving.
"I really see us moving up this list fairly quickly over the next few years as people experience the improvements we'll be making," he said.
Kunzer said the rankings resonate with destination skiers and improve how people see the state.
"It makes us feel really special that people are passionate about our resorts," she said. "When you look at the wonderful resorts in other states we're ranked against, it's quite the achievement."
Deer Valley earns an unprecedented four-peat as Ski Magazine's Top Resort
The Ski Channel
The best keeps getting better - or at least that's the findings of SKI Magazine readers, as Utah's Deer Valley Resort has once again been named the #1 ski resort in North America for an unprecedented fourth straight year.
No other ski resort has ever earned the prestigious ranking so many times consecutively. But the story doesn't end there. Over the past decade, Deer Valley's SKI ranking hasn't dropped lower than third, holding a #2 ranking in 2001-02; a #1 ranking in 2002-03; a #3 rating in 2003-04; a #2 rating in 2004-05; another #1 ranking in 2005-06, a #2 rating in 2006-07, and #1 rankings in the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.
"We are absolutely delighted with the results of this year's SKI Magazine survey," says Bob Wheaton, Deer Valley Resort president and general manager. "To win the #1 ranking four years in a row, in the company of the finest resorts in North America, is just humbling. And so incredibly exciting, because it's unprecedented. No other resort has accomplished this. What it means to me is that both our staff and guests share the vision of excellence and consistency in everything we do. It means that all of the efforts to please our guests and provide an unforgettable experience are validated. We are here for our guests, so if they are happy, we're happy. We're doing our job properly. A huge congratulations to our wonderful staff, who made this award happen."
Aside from being named the #1 Resort in all of North America, Deer Valley ranked winningly in many individual categories. Highlights included the Resort being given #1 rankings for grooming, service, access, on-mountain food, lodging and dining. The Resort also received #2 rankings for lifts, weather and family programs.
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