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Owners and guests are assigned rooms in quiet sections of the
building, away from where the work is happening.
This unique and unobtrusive regimen was feasible only because
of an idea Rick Dameron, executive director of operations, pre-
sented as a way to help ensure that the cost of the project could
be covered from the capital reserve fund as opposed to seeking
outside financing.
Rather than commission an independent construction company,
local tradesmen were hired on a long-term basis to supplement the
resort’s existing two-man-project crew. This essentially established
an in-house remodeling team, which allows management to have
full control over when and where the work is done — not to men-
tion saving money by negotiating directly with suppliers and striking
deals for bulk delivery of materials.
Local Value
Value, whether in the form of two-by-fours bought in bulk or the
all-around vacation experience, is a hallmark of The Christie Lodge.
“It’s reflected in low maintenance fees and the affordable cost of
nightly rentals,” says Siegert-Free. “It’s one of the greatest factors
that allows us to create a very unique niche in this area. That, and
the personalized customer service provided by our staff.”
From an outsider’s perspective, that niche might best be
described as making out-of-towners feel like locals. The Christie
Lodge is not a ski-in/ski-out property. And that’s just fine. The Vail
Valley isn’t the kind of place where year-round residents own the
ski-in/ski-out condos.
“That’s absolutely part of our appeal,” explains Siegert-Free. “In
addition to being a better value, our guests can walk to a major gro-
cery store, a variety of shops, and restaurants and bars where locals
actually hang out. And there’s a free bus that stops right in front of
our building. Access to the nearest ski lift is just a five-minute bus
ride away.”
Still, no vacation retreat is complete without a few indulgences.
“Guests do love our year-round indoor and outdoor pools and hot
tubs, as well as the game room, fitness center, and various in-house
activities,” Siegert-Free says. “We are unique in having two restaurants
on property: a Subway shop and Pho 20, a sit-down restaurant with
Vietnamese dishes and a bar. In addition, we have an on-site sporting
retail shop, Charter Sports, that rents skis and snowboard equipment in
the winter, as well as bikes in the summer.
“And speaking of locals’ favorites,” she adds, “right across the street
is a place called Blue Plate. Often, they’ll cook a whole lamb or pig on a
spit, and offer very affordable sandwich specials for patrons. Our guests
love it.”
Exciting Times
Guests also are loving the recent introduction of Interval International’s
Club Interval Gold® as a complement to vacation ownership. Traditionally,
The Christie Lodge has offered a deeded product, with prices ranging
from US$5,990 for a one-bedroom off-season unit to US$38,990 for
a three-bedroom suite during a Christmas or New Year’s week. Club
Interval Gold, though, allows owners to trade their week in points, which
offers myriad opportunities to exchange for different lengths of stays,
seasons, and unit sizes.
“We’ve recently engaged with Trucation, an outside sales company,
and Club Interval Gold has been well-received,” Siegert-Free says. “We
just came back from our annual owners’ meeting. After having the oppor-
tunity to speak with several owners, it’s clear that they’re excited about
the flexibility.”
It’s also been made perfectly clear that owners at The Christie Lodge
are excited about their home resort, and visitors are excited about the
prospect of buying in. “Because of the value, we continue to see many
return guests, and that’s helped us have another successful timeshare
sales program over the past year,” Siegert-Free says.
When asked how much impact Project WOW might have had on
recent sales, Siegert-Free reverts to one of The Christie Lodge’s institu-
tional foundations: “Our comment-card scores are very good,” she says.
“And our employees continue to wow guests with their customer service.”
After 35 years, it’s hard to argue with that formula.
The Christie Lodge AN INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL SELECT RESORT®
Location: Avon, Colorado
Product: Deeded weeks
Units: 253 one-bedroom suites, 27 three-bedrooms
Price: From US$5,990 to US$38,990, based on unit size and season
Website:
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