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Concessionaires Want To See Improvements In Visitor Services In National Parks

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With the National Park Service Centennial little more than a year off, the National Park Hospitality Association is unhappy with the pace of visitor facility and services upgrades across the National Park System.

Derrick Crandall, counselor to the association that represents concessionaires operating in the park system, said the only upgrade in services seems to be occurring in Yellowstone National Park. There, Xanterra Parks & Resorts is adding new lodging at Canyon and recently completed a substantial renovation of Lake Hotel.

"The hoped for improvements of visitor services in the national parks that we saw as part and parcel of the centennial -- if you’re going to invite more people, we need to make sure that the parks are ready for them -- that's not happening," Mr. Crandall said during a recent conversation regarding lodging concessions in the parks. "If you look, with the exception of the Yellowstone contract, all the other major contracts that either have been signed or are in the process don’t increase quality or quantity of the visitor infrastructrure that concessionaires operate in, and that’s a shame.”

For example, he said, the concessionares would like to see improvements ranging from "just basic HVAC" to "improvements to the facilities themselves."

"These are 100-year-old properties, and they are not in good shape, whether it’s structural or the ability to maintain them," said Mr. Crandall, citing aspects such as electrical wiring and plumbing.

"Just the range of issues, and virtually none of that is being addressed in the current generation of prospectuses," he said.

While the Park Service is continuing to work on a long running, and substantial renovation of the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, Mr. Crandall called that "a poorly conceived renovation."

"I think the federal government has spent $30 million, and right now the numbers I’m seeing, an equivalent number has to be spent just to try to make the building stable and functional for the next 10-15 years,” he said.

At Glacier, officials point out that the Many Glacier Hotel "is a National Historic Landmark and an important feature of the park's history, and it is considered one of the grand lodges of the National Park Service." The building's age, and its history, as well as the desire to keep some rooms open during the rehabilitation work, are behind the slow progress, said park spokeswoman Denise Germann.

"To date, approximately $25 million has been used to conduct health, life and safety issues, including exterior and structural stabilization, seismic stabilization, replacement of electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire alarm and fire suppression systems," she said. "The hotel's north annex and dining room have been rehabilitated, including 111 guest rooms, kitchen, lounge, admin offices and employee areas. And, accessible parking and improved guest room access has been addressed.

"The work has been completed in phases," she added. "Work remains on the southern half of the hotel, including the lobby, remaining 103 guest rooms and lower-level space. We are also working with partners to perhaps fund the restoration of the historic double helical stairway (that descended from the main lobby to the floor below). Throughout the rehab process, we have been sensitive to preservation standards, while providing a safe facility for visitors and employees."

It's estimated that the remaining work will cost $12 million," said Ms. Germann.

While the Park Service was not able to quickly provide a complete list of facility projects around the system, there are examples of where the agency is trying to improve the visitor experience:

At Grand Canyon National Park, for instance, in the Park Service's current prospectus for South Rim concessions the agency wants the winning bidder to demolish the Maswik South complex and replace it with “90 mid-scale standard lodging rooms with microwave and refrigerator, and 30 mid-scale lodging rooms with kitchenettes including stovetops.” 

In Olympic National Park in Washington state, officials intend to see improvements made to the Log Cabin Resort on Lake Crescent. Those improvements likely will include construction of accessible restrooms and pathways and replacement of eight guest cabins and a manager’s residence for the resort. At least two of the new cabins are expected to be ADA accessible. Paving of access roadways and parking areas within the resort is also planned, as are new docks.

At Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, officials gained approval for slightly higher cave tour ticket prices to help pay for renovations to the park's hotel. Work on safety and utility upgrades in the Mammoth Cave Hotel are expected to begin in September.

The Park Service at Mammoth Cave also is planning property improvements to Sunset Terrace Lodge and its 20 guest rooms. These are expected to include roof replacement, window upgrades, replacement of heating and air conditioning, landscaping, and upgrading two rooms to be ADA compliant. 

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