Xanterra Parks and Resorts
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Xanterra Parks & Resorts (formerly Amfac Resorts and Amfac Parks & Resorts) is a privately-owned United States park and resort management company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, controlled by entertainment magnate Phillip Anschutz.
The company was affiliated with Chicago-based JMB Realty, which acquired large Hawaii landholder Amfac in 1988 and broke it up into independent corporations including Amfac Resorts. In 1995, Amfac bought the large national parks management concession TW Recreational Services from Flagstar.[1] In 2002, Amfac changed its corporate name to Xanterra.[2] The name comes from a combination of Xanadu and terra.[3]
The company specializes in tourism in U.S. National Parks, and has a presence in Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, and a number of other National and State parks. They are contracted by the US National Park Service to provide lodging and services in these parks. Accommodations and pricing vary widely and include quality hotel rooms, lodges, rustic cabins, motel-style lodging and camping . (Not all options are available in all parks.)
To provide service to throngs of tourists each year, while protecting these national parks, Xanterra has developed an extensive Environmental Program. Just a few of its components are decreasing fossil fuel use, increasing renewable energy use, recycling, and offering sustainable cuisine with a local focus.
Xanterra's corporate heritage includes the Fred Harvey operation which was acquired by Amfac in 1968.[4] The most notable of the Harvey operations is the Grand Canyon South Rim concession, including the El Tovar Hotel.
On June 24, 2008, it was announced that Anschutz would buy Xanterra. Negotiations for the sale began on June 5, and the sale was completed September 25.[5] Anschutz' many holdings and interests include AEG Live, one of the largest private promoters of live events in the world and operator of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, professional Los Angeles sports teams including the Lakers and Kings, the Regal, Edwards and United Artists' movie houses, Walden Media (producer of the Narnia film series), and the creationism research Discovery Institute in Seattle.
[edit] Locations
- Death Valley National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park North rim and South rim
- Yellowstone National Park
- Crater Lake National Park
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Zion National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Silverado Country Club
- Grand Canyon Railway
- Ohio State Parks
[edit] References
- ^ Flagstar to sell TW Recreational Services to Amfac Nation's Restaurant News, July 24, 1995
- ^ Resort Operator Amfac Changes Name to Xanterra Parks & Resorts - Hotel Online - April 5, 2002
- ^ Xanterra:Grand Canyon Railway's New ownership - Territorial Times - Williams, Arizona - No. 1 Vol. XXIII
- ^ Fred Harvey - Civilizer of the West - Territorial Times - Williams, Arizona - No. 1 Vol. XXIII
- ^ Whitehurst, Patrick (2008-06-24). "New ownership for Xanterra, GC Railway". Williams News. http://williamsnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=7837. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
[edit] External links
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