Ski.com goes three-dimensional

August 29, 2006 |

Travelers who wish to virtually explore ski towns such as Aspen, Snowmass, Vail and Breckenridge are able to view interactive maps on the relaunched Ski.com website featuring 3D views of the town and the mountain.

Ski.com launched a cutting-edge new website with innovative features including the online travel industry’s first interactive 3D resort maps as well as interactive regional maps, the Ski.com Resort Finder, comprehensive resort and lodging property slide shows, revamped comparative snow reports, faster booking engine and an improved community area featuring a message board and blog giving skiers and snowboarders a forum to meet, share stories, ask questions and offer advice.

“For more than 35 years we have lived and breathed this industry—we know mountain travel planning is complex and requires unbiased, customized, one-on-one attention,” said Mark Uhlfelder Ski.com Senior Vice President. “Not only do our Mountain Vacation Specialists deliver unprecedented, knowledgeable customer service, but now our new Web site also offers sophisticated, complimentary, extraordinarily-detailed information about the finest 75 ski resorts in the world as well as easy-to-use tools to build a customized vacation that best suits travelers’ needs.”

Interactive, 3D Resort Maps

As a result of customer feedback asking for maps with added detail, Ski.com is now the first online travel service to offer interactive, 3D resort maps. Travelers who wish to virtually explore ski towns such as Aspen, Snowmass, Vail and Breckenridge are able to view interactive maps featuring 3D views of the town and the mountain. With the click of the mouse, the map allows the user to rotate, zoom in and out and tilt the view down to street level revealing topographical details including runs, lifts and accommodations available. Travelers can then quickly and easily identify where each property is located in relation to the things that matter most to them, whether it is the convenience of a ski in and out location or near shopping.

When a 3D map user would like details about a certain property, he or she is only one click away from loading property information that includes rates, amenities, detailed descriptions and an in-depth slide show featuring photos of the guest rooms, common rooms, amenities, views and more.

Ski.com will continue to add additional resort maps on a weekly basis and all maps will soon include entertainment, dining, ski school and ski rental locations.

Explore Resorts Maps

Web site users can also access resort information by first identifying a region, the Western United States, Europe, South America, Canada or the Eastern United States, and then by getting more specific. For example, clicking on the state of Colorado reveals all of the resorts in the state represented by Ski.com and allows the user to view resort details by simply clicking on the desired resort on the map.

Each Ski.com resort page includes a slide show, lodging and package specials, mountain statistics, current weather reports and drive times and offers access to information about every accommodation at the resort. Travelers can also view trail maps, mountain cams and the resort’s 3D map.

Resort Finder

For skiers and snowboarders who do not know which resort is best for them, Ski.com’s Resort Finder, a new tool, will help clear the path. Travelers use Resort Finder by ranking the importance of things like night life, shopping, cuisine, slope difficulty, snow conditions and family friendliness. The Resort Finder then returns immediate suggestions based on the user’s rankings. The recommendations are calculated by using the results of a detailed questionnaire given to all of Ski.com’s agents, Mountain Vacation Specialists who are passionate about the sport, regularly travel to each destination and who have worked an average of 15 years in the mountain-travel industry.

Ski.com Online Community

The new Ski.com Web site’s freshly revamped community section includes both a blog and message board where skiers and snowboarders can turn to get advice from others about a laundry list of mountain-related topics. After all, Ski.com’s mountain-loving friends all over the world have amazing stories, hilarious anecdotes, inside recommendations and exhilarating experiences to share, so Ski.com has recreated this area to encourage skiers and snowboarders to grab their favorite après ski beverage, throw some wings in the oven and explore, read, write, laugh and join the party. Initial blog entries include interviews with Ski.com Mountain Vacation Specialists, Ski.com’s private concierge and Katie Fry, managing director of the Ski/Snowboard Schools of Aspen. The future will bring additional writers whose wit and controversial opinions will keep everyone champing at the bit for more.

Whether booking online or off, Ski.com’s seasoned Mountain Vacation Specialists combined with the company’s independent status, ensure that customers get the unbiased, professional advice they need to book the perfect vacation. In fact, every traveler who books a vacation off- and online is offered the personalized service of an assigned live agent specialist who is available to provide one-on-one advice throughout the planning and booking process, as well as during and after travel.