But when the $80 million Steamboat Grand hotel opens next monthin the resort 157 miles northwest of Denver, it will bring thecommunity to the next level as far as drawing destination skiersfrom across the country, Ansteth believes. The American Skiing Co.is the developer on the 327-room hotel while it is being operatedby the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., also manager for the skiresort.

The hotel will include 29,000 sf of meeting space, including a250-seat outdoor amphitheater situated behind a heated swimmingpool that is partially indoors and outdoors for year-round use."Wesee ourselves comparable to a Hyatt Regency Beaver Creek or a VailCascade," naming two other top-notch hotels in ski resorts, Anstethtold GlobeSt.com. "It is not our purpose to become another Vail orAspen. We have our own unique western, friendly atmosphere, and wewant to retain that. But it does open us up to a differentclientele, who might not have thought of Steamboat before."

The resort currently draws a lot of visitors from the CO's FrontRange as well as from the northeast, midwest and southeast. "Texasalso is a very strong market for us," he says. The hotel will offerintroductory room rates of $85 per night, a fee that will jump to$309 per night during the holiday season, says Ansteth. The hotelalso has five-bedroom penthouse suites with over 4,000 sf that cost$2,000 per night - slightly more during the peak season.