Jay Peak Guests this Winter to be Greeted with $13 Million in Improvements

CONTACT:   JJ Toland
                    Director of Communications and Partnerships
                     Jay Peak Resort, VT
                    (802) 327-2198
                     jjtoland@jaypeakresort.com

Jay Peak Guests this Winter to be Greeted with $13 Million in Improvements

Jay Peak Resort will welcome visitors this winter with $13 million in improvements. Topping the list are increases in snowmaking coverage, an enclosed beginner lift, a new Nordic center, an indoor ice arena, a parking garage, a state-of-the-art ticketing system, and a new groomer. The enhancements are part of the resort's ongoing $120 million revitalization effort.

More than 100 new high-efficiency tower guns will be placed in areas that in the past have been difficult for snowmakers to reach. Trails such as Montrealer, Northway, Alligator Alley, and Perry Merrill, the main link between the resort's two mountain areas, will all receive coverage. The resort will also install snowmaking on beginners' favorite Grammy Jay.

"Yes, we have been building off-hill amenities, but we know people come here first and foremost for the skiing and riding and we remain committed to continually improving the on-hill experience as well," said Jay's president Bill Stenger. "Expanding snowmaking coverage, buying new groomers, and providing an easier way for beginners to enjoy the sport are priorities we take very seriously."

The resort purchased a new Prinoth groomer this summer.

While the snowmaking expansion largely benefits those already "Raised Jay", those in the process will have a new enclosed Sun Kid® moving-carpet beginner lift to ride this season.  The new surface conveyor will move guests up 250 feet (two and a half times the length of the old conveyor) and will be protected from the elements by a giant Plexiglas enclosure.

Off the hill, the golf course's Clubhouse that just opened in June, will serve as the headquarters for the new Nordic Center. Guests will have easy access to an extensive network of cross country and snowshoeing trails as well as a full selection of Nordic and snowshoe rentals. The Clubhouse Grille restaurant and bar will be open all winter long offering American-style fare and a heated outdoor deck with a fire pit.

The long-awaited Ice Haus skating arena, which opened in May, features an NHL-sized rink with room for 700 spectators. Skaters and fans will find a heated snack bar with beer and wine, a rental and repair center, a retail shop, and four locker rooms. The Ice Haus will also offer skating lessons, hockey games and curling tournaments and lessons.

A brand new parking garage has also been constructed next to the arena. It offers 220 spaces of preferred parking with more than 80% of the slots under roof, which should keep vehicles protected from the abundant snowfall that visits Jay every winter. The new facility is within walking distance to the lifts and is free of charge.

Making it easier for visitors to get onto the hill this winter will be a new radio-frequency identification system. RFID cards will be available for purchase at the resort and online, allowing guests to pre-purchase their lift tickets to avoid standing in ticket lines. Because the RFID cards will be "read" by antennas on the lift terminals, skiers and riders will no longer have to fumble to display tickets or their season pass. As guests move up to board the chair, the system will read the card wherever it is on their body, and the lift gates will automatically open.

Users need only obtain one card. They can then reload it as often as they'd like. Over the next 18 to 24 months, Jay intends to extend the system to its currently-under-construction water park.

Rounding out this year's improvements, visitors will find that the customer service center and ticket offices have gotten a bigger and better home. The old facilities were razed along with the old Hotel Jay last spring. The resort spent a quarter of a million dollars refurbishing the pizzeria that was located beneath the tram terminal so that customer service and tickets would be more centrally located with up-to-date amenities. There is also a new covered walkway to guide guests around the construction of the new 170-room Hotel Jay and water park to the ticket plaza.

Jay Peak debuted the first part of its multi-year revitalization when it opened the Tram Haus Lodge last December. The new slopeside property features 57 suites, a spa, café, restaurant, and bar. Construction began this past June on a new 290,000 square-foot hotel and water park.

For the latest information on Jay Peak, visit jaypeakresort.com