Vail Resorts Announces Guest Experience Upgrades for 2026-’27

When asked what his biggest personal frustration is with the average ski day, Vail Resorts’ CEO Rob Katz doesn’t hesitate: “Gear. To me, that is by far the biggest challenge.”

He backs his answer up with the logistical nightmare of bringing ski gear just about anywhere. “If you own gear, you have to get your gear to the mountain, and then the question is: Is it the right gear for that day? Is it the newest gear? Are your skis tuned? Are they waxed the right way? Are they prepped for the day? All very, very challenging,” Katz shared during a recent interview with SKI. “For people who rent skis, the process takes a long time, plus they’re not getting the best gear, and they don’t know exactly what gear they’re going to get. All of that is ripe for a real transformation.”

So, as the CEO of 42 owned and operated ski resorts, Katz is setting out to make a change.

Starting next season (2026-’27), skiers booking rentals in the demo category will be able to choose their exact ski and boot models, so there are zero surprises when they pick up their gear. Then, for the 2027-’28 season, Vail will offer that same level of specificity in the other two rental tiers—sport and performance. Returning skiers will also be able to “pre-tech” their skis, saving assets like their din setting and boot sole length and skipping the in-store fitting process entirely. Rentals can also be delivered to local accommodations.

An enhanced rental experience isn’t the only improvement skiers will see this year. Katz is adamant that the resorts must improve the overall guest experience in order to keep skiers coming back. At Vail Resorts, that will translate to upgrades across the board, including dining, ski school, technology, and even how they hire and train their employees.

“We’ve spent a lot of money on lifts, restaurants, and snowmaking,” Katz says, “but we feel like there are some other opportunities to make a real difference.”

The coming season will see Vail reinvesting in its food service, aiming to give skiers better versions of the dishes they already love. Katz and team are revamping the most popular menu items—including burgers, chili, pizza, fries, and hot dogs—and will elevate each dish by investing in higher-quality ingredients and refining their presentation, all while still serving the high volume that their restaurants require.

“We’re elevating all of the core items that we sell, investing in the ingredients and the presentation of those items, while still being able to serve high-volume food, because that’s what we need to do in the restaurants,” Katz explained.

Guests can expect favorites like a butcher’s blend burger with melted New School American cheese and pecan-smoked bacon on a griddled brioche bun, crispy seasoned waffle fries, and a signature sauce. The upgraded menu rolls out at 15 select resorts this season, including Vail Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City, Breckenridge, Heavenly, Stowe, Mount Snow, and Stevens Pass, with more resorts expected to join in the coming years. Katz says that these upgrades won’t come with a price increase beyond normal annual inflation.

Another pain point, according to Vail CEO, is the ski lesson experience. Starting next season, private lessons will get a makeover featuring a full concierge service, where everything from the participants’ gear rentals to their restaurant reservations will be handled in advance. They’ll also have an exclusive, club-like space to gear up in. These upgrades fall under the new Epic Ascent program, launching this season at Vail and Beaver Creek, with plans to expand to more resorts in the coming years.

As for group lesson participants, they can expect a new kind of feedback, rolling out at 14 resorts this winter. Ski school students will get an in-app digital report card at the end of the day. For younger skiers, that report card goes to parents, along with photos instructors take of the class throughout the lesson.

“We’re elevating the entire guest communication approach—how we’re reaching out to guests, letting them know what’s going on across the mountain,” Katz says. “Think about it like how the airlines do a great job keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on [when you travel]. That’s the same kind of thing that we want to introduce across our resorts.”

Finally, Vail is looking to ease the average ski day from within their My Epic app. Katz believes that the industry can do a better job of using AI and technology without allowing it to disrupt or “digitize” the on-mountain experience. Improvements like Apple Pay and Google Wallet will allow skiers to make all purchases in-app without needing to pull out their credit card. Skiers will also be able to purchase passes, share friend passes, and continue to check wait times at lifts and dining facilities without leaving the app.

“As we think about where the ski industry and our company need to go over the next three to five years, we think we need to leverage the best technology and processes to really transform the guest experience,” Katz said.  “We feel like our company is uniquely positioned to do that because of our size, scale, and the technology and the solutions that we can bring.”