Glacier Park Inc. to Maintain Association with Glacier

Earlier this week Glacier National Park announced that they have selected Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. to serve as the new park concessionaire for the next 16 years. Park concessions have been operated by Glacier Park, Inc. for the last 32 years.

With the new contract, Denver-based Xanterra will now manage 500 rooms and cabins, and four restaurants with more than 500 seats, at the Lake McDonald Lodge, Apgar Village Inn, Rising Sun Motor Inn, Swiftcurrent Inn and the Many Glacier Hotel. They will also operate the Two Medicine Camp Store, public showers and laundry facilities, as well as Glacier’s red bus fleet.

Glacier Park Inc. will still be associated with the park, however. They will continue to own and operate the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier, St. Mary Lodge and Resort in St. Mary, Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton, Canada, as well as the 30-room Stewart Hotel near Lake McDonald Lodge.

Viad Corporation, the parent company of Glacier Park Inc., published these remarks in a press release:

Paul B. Dykstra, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Viad, said, "We greatly appreciate the opportunity to have worked with the U.S. National Park Service to provide an exceptional experience to Glacier National Park visitors for more than 30 years. Although we would have preferred to retain the concession operations as part of our Travel & Recreation portfolio, we will still have a strong business in the Glacier National Park area without the contract. And we will continue seeking additional opportunities to expand our Travel & Recreation operations in and around the National Parks as part of our 'Refresh, Build, Buy' growth strategy."

Of the 1,015 rooms currently operated by Glacier Park, only 480 are covered by the concession contract. Following the expiration of the concession contract on December 31, 2013, the ongoing Glacier Park business will include: Glacier Park Lodge (161 rooms in East Glacier, Montana); Grouse Mountain Lodge (143 rooms in Whitefish, Montana); St. Mary Lodge, Cabins and Motel (115 rooms in St. Mary, Montana); the Prince of Wales Hotel (86 rooms in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada); and the Stewart Hotel (30 rooms located adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge, inside Glacier National Park).

Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com