special section 2012 CORPORATE 100
Girdwood’s Famous Alyeska Resort
Embracing local values creates universal appeal By Zaz Hollander
Photo by Caitlin Mitchell
Alyeska Resort owner John Byrne.
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f Alyeska is successful, then Girdwood is successful—that’s the gospel among business-minded residents of this low-key ski town 40 miles south of Anchorage. Alyeska Resort owner John Byrne holds that the reverse is also true: What’s good for Girdwood— and Alaskans in general—is good for Alyeska. The resort is far and away the biggest corporate resident of Girdwood. Mount Alyeska is a ski destination known for its expert terrain and down-home setting, with stunning views and a 304room luxury hotel. In recent years, however, Alaska’s largest ski area languished under the
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ownership of a Japanese resort company. Byrne, an avid skier and Utah real estate investor, bought Alyeska at a distress auction in 2006. The prior owner, Seibu Corp., ran the ski area to attract international destination travelers and relied on cruise traffic to fill beds in summer. Byrne runs Alyeska more with instate clientele and families in mind. He looks to the hotel to bring in income and says he reinvests any profit on the ski area side. His working theory: Become Alaska’s favorite place to vacation and people will come from all over the world. “Somewhere in my first winter, the
light that came on for me was that nobody wanted to go to Alaska to have a Japanese ski-area experience. People wanted to come to Alaska for an authentic Alaskan experience,” Byrne said in an interview from his office near Salt Lake City. “For me, that starts with embracing Alaskans as your customer.”
Think Locally
Since purchasing Alyeska, Byrne has built up the resort and made it more family friendly and less dependent on cruise ship traffic. The resort’s six lifts were joined by two “magic carpet” lifts: moving sidewalks that ferry young skiers up the mountain without putting
www.akbizmag.com • Alaska Business Monthly • April 2012